Instead of a retrospective study of the win over the Saints I spent my time this week looking over the other 31 rosters in the league to see where I think the Chargers could look to bolster their team via a deadline week trade. I think Joe Hortiz will be active this week in searching for the kind of margins that win you championships and by all accounts it seems like that he is wearing out the dial pad on his office phone. Here’s a few of the players I see as genuine potentials to land over the next few days however I’d love to hear the Stormcloud community’s thoughts on these and any other potential players we could see in powder blue next week:
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Let’s kick things off with a bit of a left fielder. I loved Jordan Addison’s tape at Pittsburgh with Kenny ‘Uncle Jack’ Pickett trying to get him the ball downfield with his baby hands so I was very happy when he got his one season with Caleb Williams. He had an impressive rookie season at the Vikings coming up just shy of 1000 yards since then however, it’s been a sharp decline on a team that doesn’t seem to use him to the best of his abilities. I dreamed of him falling to the Chargers after giving him my WR1 ranking of the class 2023 and his skills would have made Herbert a very happy boy. The way he can make breaks at speed without losing momentum can play havoc with two high safety reads and it’s frustrating to see his talents fall short of their optimal usage with only 13.4% of his teams targets and not passing 3 catches in a game this season. Maybe Hortiz will bring the USC alumni back to California to give Herbert two high beater to free up the rest of the passing game underneath.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
This is the big name domino that is left to fall in the wide receiver trade market. Tee handed in a trade request in the off-season before being placed on the franchise tag leaving him no room to negotiate a path out of Cincinnati. This would have been the end of these talks until next year when he was certain to hit the free agency market but then the Bengals’ bets on veterans and quirky draft picks backfired leaving them very much in a seller’s mentality sitting at 3-5 with a steep uphill climb to even make the final Wildcard spot in the AFC.
Higgins is the kind of sideline monster this offense could really use, playing the boundary is an art form that seems to be getting lost in the modern game with tighter splits and bigger personnel but Higgins is a proper relic of the spread era of the 00s and 10s. The way he’s able to use his length and athleticism to extend away from corners at the top of his routes is masterful and his timing to control the catch point with late hands works wonderfully with his elite ball tracking to make him way too dangerous to leave in isolation especially in the context of this season where defenses a struggling to find press corners.
That said there are two hold ups here that I don’t think the Chargers will overcome: the capital and the contract he’ll want. He will be a very expensive addition on both those fronts and whilst this offense could really use him stylistically (my word imagine Herbert’s arm with his skill set) I’m not convinced this front office would operate this way so early on in their tenure.
Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots
When the Mike Williams trade rumors started I said that the reunion which we could do with more, was one with Hunter. This is more about a poor crop of tight ends in the market right now than clamoring for Henry to be a central feature of the offense. He’s a very well rounded player who has been the consistent good in a terrible Patriots’ offense for a long time now, his blocking is solid but his route running and reliable hands are something Roman could really do with. Hayden Hurst has been close to useless between injuries, missed blocks and the kind of mental mistakes that you just can’t live with in a system that is predicated on making the most of low volume targets. So an upgrade from one ‘HH’ to the other would be a huge lift to the offense’s chance of reducing the amount of failed drives. Henry may not be a explosive sexy tight end but he knows how to get open and will make the most of his targets with reliable hands and a smart ability to gain an extra few yards by leaning into the momentum of the catch.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
Okonkwo is a experienced multiple-position tight end who could be a proper ‘H’ for this offense that can flex between te back field and in-line to serve Roman’s presnap shifts. This would pose genuine questions for defenders to consider instead of making do by putting Matlock or Dissly in this role. Chig is a good enough run blocker and has a 0 drops on the year with only 9 across his career so far, so he would be an instant upgrade over Hurst. He’s at the end of his rookie deal and if he plays well can be a piece for the future at 25 years old. The current Titan provides an athletic upside too with the speed to make the most of having the ball in his hands adding another 50% of his yards after he’s caught the ball. I was very bullish on him coming out of Maryland in 2022 and I’d always seen him in a backfield role rather than the in-line player he has been asked to become:
“Explosive athlete who can use his speed and precise technique to get open, might be the best route runner in this class (that’s not saying much) even though his usage was way down compared to what it should have been in a bad Maryland offense. Blocking awareness could be improved but he has the right attitude for it and uses the right techniques to gain leverage. Very good with the ball in his hands, makes guys miss with both speed and power.”
My 2022 Draft Notes on Chig Okonkwo
Olu Oluwatimi, C, Seattle Seahawks
Olusegun ‘Olu’ Oluwatimi was a name that I’d never heard of before I started this exercise. I’m a draft film sicko and even I didn’t get to his 2023 draft tape however the Michigan Alumni was drafted by the Seahawks in the 5th round but that’s as far as his journey into the league has gotten to so far. He is a long way from being a starter buried as the third center on a Seahawks’ offensive line that has been suspect to say the least. It’s a red flag that he hasn’t been able to find some way onto the field however, by all accounts, he’s never had a chance to show what he can do with the starters despite a solid showing the preseason. Stylistically he fits the bill as a cerebral younger player to learn behind Bozeman then become Herbertโs long term stalwart in the middle. His experience in a Harbaugh’s gap scheme makes him an interesting fit who can skip the adjustments period and be in a position to contribute should the opportunity arise.
Oluwatimi orchestrates the pre-snap phase of the game, making all of the line calls for the Wolverines and did so throughout his career at Virginia. He shows above-average processing skills and spatial awareness to sort line games and stunts and identify the most dangerous man when necessary (late loopers, delayed blitzes, etc.)
From Oluwatimi’s draft profile on Bleacher Report
Nate Davis, RG, Chicago Bears
Davis has been a healthy scratch multiple times this season after falling in and out of favor. However Nate has been played out of position and has lost confidence so there could be a chance to rekindle the kind of play that got him a handsome Free Agency deal two cycles ago. He’s more of a zone blocker and that FA contract is very expensive but I am sure the Bears would be eat some of his money to be free of his deal, then a quick restructure could get him to an affordable mark. He was also a part of Vrabel’s Titans that has been a successful pantry for Chef Hortiz to raid.
Ryan Kelly, C, Indianapolis Colts
Kelly is a 31 year old center in a contract year on a bad Colts team that fits what the Chargers need in pass protection. Indianapolis drafted Tanor Bortolini to replace him when he hits the market so it seems like they’d be willing to move on from him given the context of their season. Kelly is everything Bozeman is not; a master at pass protection calls who sees every stunt before they happen, making sure he takes the block to the guy moving inside. He can anchor down in iso pass protection with smooth footwork but there are some snags that I can see. His remaining contract cost would eat almost all our cap space this year and there is a run scheme misalignment as he doesn’t show much power or ability to push in the run game, he also comes from a zone blocking system so there might be an adjustment. I also feel like the Chargers would want to get younger at this position.
Osa Odighizuwa, DT, Dallas Cowboys
This one is a little more interesting. I personally don’t think adding on defense is necessary right now even if adding to a strength is always a smart move. However, if there were a player type I’d want to see in the middle of the defensive line it would be what Osa can bring. He brings the kind of explosive off-the-ball power which would especially be a welcome addition especially on 3rd downs as the current defensive interior isn’t getting any pressure in their isolated match-ups. He is a 99th percentile in explosive movement skills (broad jump), 92nd in tight footwork (short shuttle) and has an outstanding 93rd percentile wingspan at +10 inches. By no means does this mean his skills are limited to pass rushing, he garners attention in the middle and can disrupt blocking concepts through sheer determination and brute strength.
The Cowboys cannot afford to pay anyone with their biggest four contracts looking likely surpass 50% of the cap next year and, as Osa is in a contract year, they might be looking to offload him for a return that would be higher than the mid-tier comp pick they’d get if he hit the free agency market.
Now for some popular names that I don’t like the fit of for various reasons:
Mike Williams, WR, New York Jets
Okay now bear with me on this one because I know there’s an emotional affinity that comes with Mike Dub. Aside from the fact he’s an injury prone 30 year old, his play style doesn’t suit the new offense and this organization evaluated his tape against his price tag and decided not to even offer a restructure. A slowing 50/50 ball winner who struggles to separate is not going to mesh well with Roman’s more balanced run/pass split where chances for big plays can’t come down to those margins. It would be nice to see that smile back on the sidelines but this seems like an unhealthy dose of nostalgia-blinded optimism.
Greg Newsome II, CB, Cleveland Browns
I think the emergence of Cam Hart and the viability of Tarheeb Still as an outside corner will have made this position less of a priority. I also think the fit isn’t ideal as he has played Nickel primarily in the pros, a position the Bolts are now two deep at. His high draft stock will carry some favor in the media but I just don’t see the fit or need.
Tre’Davious White, CB, Los Angeles Rams
It’s simple for me, aging press corners with injury histories are never a gamble that lands. Even taking the best examples of recent years like Stephon Gilmore aren’t a fair comparison because he developed a very good set of zone skills later in his career. The system fit is a poor one too as White is a man corner who likes to have his back to the ball and has therefore never been a part of the run game like Minter requires of his boundary defenders.
Nice list, Ryan.
If we traded for Tee Higgins, it would be better if it could be done as a half-year rental (with no immediate extension planned). Tee gets the chance to play with a team that has a real shot at the playoffs. The Chargers get to feel him out and decide if they want to extend him or allow him to hit FA at year’s end.
The complication is the cost of trade. The Bengals can keep him for the rest of the season knowing that (absent injury) he should fetch them a strong comp pick when he leaves in FA. The Chargers would need to send a decently high pick to Cincy in order to secure him, which would possibly be too high a price if the view wasn’t to extend him immediately.
It’s something at least to consider though…