The Chargers won’t be aggressive when it comes to signing free agents.
General manager Joe Hortiz will make some moves to have some spendings available to them so they can sign some.
That said, I will list one pending free agent from each NFL team who could be a realistic target for L.A.
Next up is the AFC South.
Tennessee Titans: EDGE Trevis Gipson
It remains to be seen whether or not Joey Bosa or Khalil Mack will be back next season, but defensive coordinator Jesse Minter should be looking to add more pass-rush juice to the edge defender room.
Gipson didn’t play much with the Titans, only logging 79 snaps, but he made the most of them by turning them into seven quarterback pressures and a sack.
He is only a few seasons removed from a breakout year with the Bears, during which he recorded 27 pressures, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles.
Indianapolis Colts: RB Zack Moss
With Austin Ekeler on his way out, the Chargers will be aggressive to build out the backfield to bolster the running game.
While they could swing for the fences with one of the big-name backs like Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs, Los Angeles could sign a low-cost option like Moss.
Moss is a season removed from a productive campaign that saw him post career marks with 794 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes for 192 yards and two more scores.
There is some familiarity as running backs coach Kiel McDonald was Moss’ position coach at Utah, where he helped him record his third-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season en route to earning first-team All-American and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Jacksonville Jaguars: RB D'Ernest Johnson
Another running back that would be a cheap and viable option for the Chargers is Johnson.
Johnson didn’t have a large role with the Jaguars, primarily as the No. 3 back. This past season, he finished with 41 rushes for 108 yards and ten catches for 140 yards.
Johnson was buried on the depth chart in his final season with the Browns in 2022. However, his 2021 campaign saw him carry the ball 100 times for 534 yards (5.3 yards per carry), showing that he can contribute.
Houston Texans: EDGE Derek Barnett
After consecutive seasons plagued by injuries and underwhelming play, the Eagles gave up on Barnett. He was then scooped up by the Texans, where he played at a high level. In just six games, Barnett had 18 pressures and 6.5 sacks.
Barnett, the former first-rounder, could come in and boost the team’s pass rush and run defense. In six of his seven seasons, he has run defense grades of over 66.0, three of them being over 75.0
