In the third installment of the Charger free agent re-signing odds, we will be going over depth and special teams players. Previous installments of Big Names & Key Role Players are also available. The Los Angeles Chargers possess a very interesting off-season, as an entirely new regime was hired. This will lead to a lot of turnover and the chances of these names returning are less likely than what it could be under normal circumstances.
Remember during this exercise that the Chargers currently have -35 million in cap space after the Corey Linsley restructure. They must be cap-compliant by March 13th. Explanations of ERFA, UFA, and RFA are below.
Los Angeles Chargers Free Agents: Depth/Special Teams
Important Depth/Special Teamers
ERFA: Cameron Dicker – 95% Chance of Returning
The Chargers not re-signing Cameron Dicker would be a detrimental mistake. It would genuinely make the new regime look awful no matter what he does this off-season. Dicker had one of the best seasons in Charger kicking history, a team known for its awful game-losing special teams play.
Combine this with him being an ERFA, which pretty much means as long as you offer him the bare minimum, you will retain this player. This downright is the easiest decision this regime should have to make.
UFA: Essang Bassey – 50% Chance of Returning
This team desperately needs cornerback help, as they struggled mightily in coverage in 2023, and are not getting better in 2024 thus far. Bassey played fine when on the field, and is only 25 years old. He very well could be competition for whomever they bring in to hopefully help this bottom-of-the-barrel room. Look for Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz to possibly bring in their own players which could render Bassey to be a walking Charger free agent.
UFA: Will Clapp – 55% Chance of Returning
With a legendary name, Will Clapp had to show if he really could start at center in 2023. Clapp played just fine, and would not be the absolute worst option as a starting center in 2024… If he did not get injured in the back end of 2023. Clapp suffered a tough injury and did not show much of anything to become a solid starting caliber center. However, continuity with Justin Herbert will take you a long way. Couple that with a very cheap contract that could yield him either as a strong depth option, or a bridge starter, the former Saint definitely has a chance to come back to the Chargers.
UFA: Jaylinn Hawkins – 65% Chance of Returning
One of the Chargers’ most underrated mid-season pickups in recent memory, Hawkins played very well when called upon. As the third safety who played all over the field, he held up his own. He also has plenty of starting experience and likely will not be looking for a large contract. A win-win. On top of everything mentioned, he is also a very strong special teamer. This would be a great re-signing for this new regime, giving Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken some continuity in his unit.
However, a new regime plays a huge factor in these decisions, and the player would have to be a key long-term piece of this team (like Cameron Dicker) for the chance of returning to be much higher. Hawkins is a personal favorite and would be a great fit for the bolts in 2024.
UFA: Justin Hollins – 55% Chance of Returning
Justin Hollins was another 2023 mid-season Charger free-agent signee. Hollins played very well in his role as EDGE3 behind Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack. He was always a developmental guy, and things started to click for him under the Staley defense (a rare positive from Staley’s tenure).
Note: He does fit the Ravens type at edge rusher.
Nevertheless, Hollins could be just another depth pass rusher in the eyes of this new regime. The Chargers could very well look to former day three selection Chris Rumph II to come back from injury and be the EDGE3 the Chargers drafted him to be. Or, a rookie could very easily take this role from Hollins.
UFA: Dean Marlowe – 25% Chance of Returning
Dean Marlowe had some really good moments during his time as a midseason Charger free-agent signee. Personally, I wouldn’t mind him coming back for safety depth purposes, but Hortiz and Harbaugh are the men in charge. Marlowe will be 32 during the 2024 season, and for safety who was never really a mainstay starter, 32 is a very steep age to have as a backup. Not really a large chance for him to return.
UFA: Tanner Muse – 60% Chance of Returning
Tanner Muse was once very highly drafted to be an athletic rangy linebacker. He never panned out in that role, but he did find his footing as a very good special teamer. As a strong safety, he recorded a 9.93 RAS. He is a ridiculous athlete. Ficken seemed to have a very large role in the signing of Muse in the 2022 off-season, the likelihood of asking this new regime for him to return is more likely than not. Especially on a team with a barren linebacker room.
UFA: Easton Stick – 80% Chance of Returning
Easton Stick played some very solid ball during his time starting in 2023. He finally got some starting experience to show the world what he is. He was pretty much what we thought, a capable backup. Which is not a bad thing- especially for a day-three quarterback. He is now a free agent, and will likely have some third-party interest.
The Chargers could very well go a different direction, but Stick will likely have a pretty reasonable market. A quarterback with starting experience, who is young, liked around the building and players and is a very good scheme fit for the new offensive scheme sounds like a smart Charger free agent re-signing to me.
RFA: Amen Ogbongbemiga – 25% Chance of Returning
In this scenario, Amen Ogbongbemiga being an RFA does not mean much. It is highly unlikely the Chargers will have any interest in the depth special teamer anyway. They will likely not use any tender on Ogbongbemiga, nor want to give him a raise, as the aforementioned cap situation is poor. Look for Ogbongbemiga to be in a different uniform next year, which is not much fault of his own play. Ficken’s possible interest could be the only plausible reason for returning.
ERFA: Raheem Layne – 55% Chance of Returning
Raheem Layne is a really intriguing re-sign candidate. He would be on the league minimum if re-signed and has shown plenty of ability to be a very strong special teamer for the bolts. He also has some safety chops, which could yield him even more bang for your buck. Other than the regime change, he did end up tearing his ACL during the 2023 season, which for a guy like him could very well be the end of his career. An unfortunate turn of events for Layne, but hope is there that Ficken wants his special teams ace back even with the circumstances faced.
ERFA: Foster Sarell – 60% Chance of Returning
Foster Sarell is another ERFA, who could be very well worth the league minimum salary. He was the Chargers’ swing tackle in 2023 and luckily was not forced to play much at all. Luckily is said due to his awful 2022 season (and 2023 preseason) where he did have to fill in. That said, he is a scheme fit and fits the size prototype under Hortiz and Roman’s scheme/fits. That coupled with the fact that the Chargers do not have another depth pure tackle option, Sarell could very well still have a market.
Key Terms
Important key terms that define and differentiate the different free agents the Chargers currently have.
UFA: Any player who has completed four or more seasons under contract and now possesses an expired contract; free in their ability to engage in negotiations and sign with any team of their choosing.
RFA: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs retain the freedom to negotiate and sign with any team, although their original team retains the option to extend various qualifying offers (“tenders”), which grant them the right of initial refusal and/or entail draft-pick compensation.
ERFA: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. Should the player’s original team propose a one-year contract at the league’s minimum salary (based on his credited seasons), the player forfeits the opportunity to negotiate with other teams.
Conclusion
Every year, every team is a new team. The Chargers are no exception of such, and it is more than likely that plenty of familiar faces will be going elsewhere. The Chargers will need to fill out this roster, and losing the majority of these impending Charger free agents will make that task much taller. The draft will be the only way to maintain a filled-out roster that is also inexpensive. Only time will tell what Harbaugh and Hortiz’s plan will unfold like.
Main Photo: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
