The Chargers are staring at a bad start, and that makes the trade market look a lot more appealing than it did a week ago.
After the Week 1 flop, Jim Harbaugh’s team heads into a tricky matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, then runs into a stretch of games that could put the whole season in jeopardy before the first month is even over. That is the kind of spot where a front office can’t just sit on its hands, especially when it has draft capital stockpiled and roughly $30 million in cap space still available.
That’s why a move before Week 2 would make sense for Los Angeles. The Chargers have the assets to get aggressive, and at this point there are plenty of areas where help could fit.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox pointed to Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Solomon Thomas as one possible target. Knox framed Thomas as a player who could make sense for a team looking ahead to free agency, writing: “Thomas probably isn't a starter at this stage of his career, but the 30-year-old recorded 27 tackles and three tackles for loss in a rotational role with Dallas last season.”
For the Chargers, the fit is easy to see. They are carrying just five defensive linemen right now. Jamaree Caldwell left the opener with an injury at one point, Nick Barrett is still an unproven rookie, and Teair Tart is on the injury report this week.
A player like Thomas would give the group more depth and more flexibility, which matters after the defense stumbled in its first game under Chris O’Leary. Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett was able to run the show.
Offensive line help would also make sense, but the Chargers continue to look locked into what they have, even after another rough interior performance. That hesitation is part of the problem.
At this stage, Los Angeles needs action. The issues on the field are obvious, and the reluctance to address them off it is starting to look just as bad.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Week 2 Problem They Cant Ignore
The Chargers are already dealing with the kind of early-season attrition that can change a game plan before it ever gets off the ground. After losing starting center Tyler Biadasz to a season-ending injury in the preseason and then opening Week 2 on the back of a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the injury list keeps growing in ways that touch both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith landed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, and the team responded by bringing in Gary Jennings and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to help shore up the receiving group.
Defensively, the front is also worth watching as the Chargers turn their attention to the Las Vegas Raiders. Teair Tart and Dalvin Tomlinson were both limited in practice because of injuries, leaving Los Angeles to manage another round of uncertainty along the line. For a team trying to settle in early, the issue is no longer just who can play, but how many moving parts it can absorb before the calendar even gets comfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Could Be Forced To Lean On Brenen Thompson Early
Ladd McConkeys rib injury has suddenly made the Chargers receiver rotation a lot thinner than it looked a week ago. McConkey did not practice midweek, and with KeAndre Lambert-Smith now on injured reserve, the margin for error at wideout has shrunk enough that the team may need to lean harder on its younger options for the upcoming game.
Brenen Thompson is the name that jumps out if McConkey cannot go. The rookie has made his reputation on speed, and that trait becomes even more valuable when a passing game needs someone to stretch the field in a hurry. Even if the Chargers choose to spread the snaps around, Thompson looks like the player with the clearest path to a bigger workload in a receiver room that suddenly needs answers. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Just Lost More Secondary Depth At The Worst Time
The Chargers have taken another hit in the secondary, with cornerback Nikko Reed leaving the practice squad for the Giants, who signed him to their 53-man roster. It is the kind of late-season roster loss that matters even more when a team is already dealing with injuries to key players and trying to keep enough bodies available for what comes next.
Los Angeles still has several cornerbacks on the active roster, but the timing of this move only adds to the pressure on a unit that has already been stretched thin. With a demanding schedule ahead, every bit of depth counts, and the Chargers now have one less option as they try to hold the back end together. [Read more 🡒]