The Chargers are set to enter free agency with the most salary cap available since Tom Telesco took over as general manager in 2013.
Even though the franchise has some in-house players that will need to get paid, there’s a great chance that Telesco and company will be aggressive in signing other soon-to-be free agents to bolster its roster.
With that being said, we are going to list one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A.
Next up is the NFC West.
DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, Rams
Joseph-Day is familiar with head coach Brandon Staley, making this an intriguing pairing. When Staley oversaw the Rams’ top-ranked defense, he had a career-high 33 run stops, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. He was on his way to surpassing those, but an unfortunate torn pectoral sustained in Week 7 kept him out. Still, with a combination of speed, power, and violent hands, Joseph-Day can win one-on-one matchups and eat-up blockers to let his fellow teammates roam freely that the Chargers could greatly benefit from. Further, according to Pro Football Focus, Joseph-Day led the league in run-stop percentage among interior defenders in 2021.
DT D.J. Jones, 49ers
En route to San Francisco’s playoff run, Jones proved to be a staple that flew under the radar after he was re-signed on a one-year prove-it deal last offseason. The definition of a no-nonsense-penetrator, Jones lives in opposing backfields. Money as a run defender, he had 40 stops on the regular season and had 14 tackles for loss or no gain in 2021, which were second to only Aaron Donald among all interior defenders despite playing roughly half as many snaps as him. But in addition, he provides value as a pass rusher, with 16 pressures, marking a career-high.
WR Christian Kirk, Cardinals
All eyes are set on Mike Williams and whether or not he will be in a Chargers uniform in 2022. But no matter what Williams’ future holds, Los Angeles needs to add an asset capable of stretching the field. Kirk is a smooth and dependable receiver with the speed and vertical ability who’s coming off a career year, catching 77 passes for 982 yards and five touchdowns. Further, Kirk recorded a 97.0 receiving grade when targeted receiver on deep throws (throws of 20-plus air yards). This would allow Justin Herbert to use his big arm to uncork it more often.
CB D.J. Reed, Seahawks
The Chargers will be looking to upgrade their cornerback room, with Chris Harris Jr.’s tenure likely at an end and it’s lacking quality talent aside from Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. While undersized at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Reed showed to handle his duties on the outside at a high level. Reed allowed a passer rating of 66.0 from the 68 targets thrown into his coverage, with only 51.5% of those throws caught by their intended target. While the majority of his playing time came near the boundary, Reed also possesses the versatility to play safety and in the slot, giving Brandon Staley the flexibility to move him around in his ever-revolving secondary.
