The Chargers’ bye week has left the front office with a simple question: stick with the same setup, or make a move that actually fits the direction they seem to be taking?
At 0-6, Los Angeles looks like a natural sell-off team at the NFL trade deadline. Moving Khalil Mack and other veterans would make sense, especially with the possibility of even rougher losses after the bye. A collapse this deep would also put Jim Harbaugh under real heat, with Joe Hortiz feeling it in the front office as well.
Instead, the Chargers have stayed quiet, which has created at least some sense that they’re thinking long-term. If that’s the case, the surprise angle wouldn’t be unloading more pieces. It would be making a small buy or two.
That possibility becomes more interesting if the Chargers really believe Mike McDaniel’s system needs more time to work. In that case, the better play might be to give that system a few more weapons.
The roster construction hasn’t helped. Hortiz’s approach to the interior offensive line feels stuck in the 90s.
Quentin Johnston has been leaned on too heavily despite the drops. Ladd McConkey has struggled to stay healthy, and the decision to spend a first-round pick on a running back has not paid off so far.
One obvious way to help that offense is by adding speed on the outside.
That’s where Brian Thomas Jr. enters the picture. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jacksonville Jaguars receiver is a name some around the league believe could be available soon.
“Immensly talented, Fowler said,” but I talked to several teams who believe that he could be dealt over the next few weeks…they hoped that his deep threat would balance things out for other receivers, but the last two weeks, no catches, had just 15 snaps…something has to give. There will be interested parties.”
Thomas, the 23rd pick in 2024, posted 1,282 yards and 10 scores as a rookie, but he has regressed heavily over the last two seasons.
A change of scenery could matter here. The Chargers would at least have reason to think Thomas might become a better deep threat than someone like Derius Davis, and maybe he would fit better in McDaniel’s system.
The cost, though, could be the sticking point. A trade for Thomas may be too expensive for Los Angeles.
On the other hand, he remains on a first-round contract through at least 2027, and he has not exactly played his way into a huge second deal. For a team that could otherwise be looking at using a top-five pick on a wide receiver next year, landing a 24-year-old former first-round talent now could change that equation.
That’s the kind of decision the Chargers will have to sort through over the next few weeks. If they’re determined to keep the current coaching staff and front office intact, a smart swing like this could be the kind of move that makes sense.
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