The Los Angeles Chargers are in the midst of perhaps the worst “all-in” season in NFL history, so it might as well be time to start looking at free agents. Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus recently released his list of the top 100 impending free agents, and the Chargers had a few familiar faces make the list. In total, two Chargers earned a spot on the rankings, but neither player made it into the top 50.
Ultimately, the Chargers have bigger issues than what to do with their big-name free agents. With head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco fired, the team must bring in some new leadership. However, coaches can’t win games without good players, so the Chargers must make the right moves when free agency starts. While these players are set to hit the open market, technically Los Angeles could come to terms with any of these players before free agency officially kicks off in March. Without further ado, the following Chargers made the list:
- Austin Ekeler (56)
- Gerald Everett (84)
2 Chargers Make PFF’s Top 100 Free Agents List
The Players
Had Austin Ekeler become a free agent one year ago, he would probably have a much higher spot on this list. In 2022, Ekeler recorded 915 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 204 attempts (4.5 yards per carry) to go along with 107 receptions for 722 yards and an additional five on 127 targets. He was widely considered one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league, even though he was starting to get up there in age. The former undrafted free agent held out in the offseason, hoping for either a new contract or a trade. Unfortunately, none of the other 31 teams were interested in meeting his contract demands, so Ekeler came back for one last season.
As it turns out, he had every right to hold out, as this has not been a good year for him. Now playing in his age-29 season, Ekeler has posted a career-low 3.6 yards per carry and lacks the same explosion in the passing game. Chances are, he can still be a good receiving back in the right offense, but his days of being a true three-down threat are probably behind him.
Gerald Everett, meanwhile, is having another solid yet unspectacular season in Los Angeles. Appearing in 12 games to date, the veteran tight end has recorded 39 receptions for 334 yards and three touchdowns on 52 targets. His 64.7 PFF grade makes him the 27th-best tight end in the league out of 71 eligible players, and that’s an accurate reflection of the type of player he is. He can be an adequate starter, but he’s not going to elevate a team.
Can the Chargers Bring Back Their Free Agents?
The Los Angeles Chargers are in one of the worst situations in football. Most teams that enter Week 16 with a 5-9 record are in the midst of a rebuild and have the financial wiggle room to make big moves in the offseason. That’s not the case for the Chargers, as they’ll have a tough time making any big free agent signings. As of this posting, the team is $45 million over the cap, which means that they’ll need to clear up quite a bit of money between now and the start of the league year. They can do this by cutting veterans like Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and Khalil Mack, but doing that also means accepting that they won’t be very competitive in 2024.
With this in mind, it doesn’t make sense for the Chargers to re-sign older free agents like Ekeler and Everett. Having Justin Herbert means that this team will always have a chance of competing, but the fact of the matter is that this team needs to find a younger core for the future. That won’t happen by using the little cap space the Chargers have to sign free agents near the end of their careers.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA Today Sports
