The Chargers have 21 players set to be free agents on March 15th when the new league year begins. With -$20M in cap space currently, it may be difficult to re-sign all these players. That said, the Chargers will be clearing cap space to fill out their roster anyways, and they will have the ability to retain at least some of the roster. Let's take a look at the Chargers internal free agents:
Linebacker Drue Tranquill
(Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers)
The Chargers drafted Drue Tranquill in the 4th-round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a core special teams ace to begin his career, and became a viable starter over the last two seasons. Last season, Tranquill ranked 10th in PFF Pash Rush Grade and 12th in PFF coverage grade (min 50% snaps). He also took over defensive playcalling duties from Derwin James and became just as valuable as Kyzir White was last year. Tranquill earned himself a pay bump, but similiar to White, he may not have the hot market. White signed a 1-year/$3M contract with the Eagles and Spotrac has Tranquill's Market Value as 1-year/$4M with Alex Anzalone, Micah Kiser and Cory Littleton listed as comparable players.
Linebacker/Edge Kyle Van Noy
(Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers)
Kyle Van Noy was meant to play more of a hybrid role last season but the injury to Joey Bosa forced him to play off the edge for 675 snaps compared to 86 snaps at linebacker. Van Noy played his best ball at the end of the season with 19 pressures and 4 sacks over the last 5 games. He scored over an 85.0 PFF grade in three of those games. Van Noy will be 33 this summer, so he will not have the biggest market. Still, finding a competent edge rusher with the versatility to play multiple positions on defense is difficult. Justin Houston($3.5M) and Carlos Dunlap($3.0M) signed one-year deals at 33 years old last year and that should be a good comparison of Van Noy's value.
Cornerback Bryce Callahan
(Ty Nowell/ Los Angeles Chargers)
Bryce Callahan was once one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL. Callahan received PFF defensive grades of 77.7 in 2017, 81.3 in 2018, and 84.1 in 2020. He did not play due to injury in 2019. When Callahan became a free agent after his release from the Broncos in 2022, the Chargers scooped him up on a 1-year, $1.27M deal. He notched 3 interceptions, but he also allowed a reception on 72% of his targets and gave up 5 touchdowns in coverage. His play was up-and-down as he missed 12 tackles on the season, but there should be mutual interest in a return next year. Comparable contracts for slot cornerbacks over 30 years old include K'Waun Williams (2-year/$5.2M), Logan Ryan (1-year/$1.12M), and Chris Harris Jr. (1-year/$1.12M).
Defensive End Morgan Fox
(Ty Nowell/ Los Angeles Chargers)
Morgan Fox had a great year, and more than outplayed the $1.1M contract he signed for with the Chargers last season. His 42 pressures and 7 sacks rank him with respected interior pass rushers like Johnathon Allen, BJ Hill, Dre'Mont Jones, Kenny Clark, Leonard Williams and Quintin Jefferson. He may not be the run defender as those players making over $12.0M+/year but there are a few similarities for the 28-year-old. The ceiling of what Fox could receive might be BJ Hill who signed a 3yr-$30M contract with the a Bengals last season at 26. The more likely contract he could receive could be David Onyemata who signed a 3yr- $26M contract at 29-years-old which averages $8.6M/year. One final similiar player could be Maliek Collins who averages $8.5M/year with the Texans at 27-years-old.
Safety Nasir Adderley
(Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers)
Nasir Adderley started coming into his own in coverage last year. NFL quarterbacks had a 69.0 rating when targeting Adderley, which is far better than the 129.9 during the 2021 season. He also had 2 interceptions and missed 9 tackles compared to the 18 from the season before. Adderley was quiet last year, but in a good way as he was not as widely exploited. He still struggles with angles in pursuit and his role diminished with Alohi Gilman taking a larger role on defense. Adderley's market value is estimated at $8.7M/year with comparisons to Marcus Williams, Jordan Poyer and Jimmy Ward in terms of value. That may be above what the Chargers are able to spend or how they value him in their scheme, so he is a player expected to test the free agent market.
Other Players
(Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers)
Nose Tackle Breiden Fehoko
Linebacker Troy Reeder
Defensive End Tyeler Davidson
Defensive End Christian Covington
Of the remaining players, none played large roles for the Chargers. Breiden Fehoko is an exclusive rights free agent, so he will likely be brought back with little risk. Troy Reeder could be brought back due to his special teams ability and depth at linebacker with Drue Tranquill hitting free agency. Covington has remained on the roster for two seasons, but he had a season ending injury that led to the Chargers signing Tyeler Davidson off the Falcons practice squad. All players are league minimum camp body types who can make a push for a back-end 53-man spot. Fehoko has the most upside as a young, upward-trending player with stout run defense ability but offers little as a pass rusher. He did not play until week-10 but he is a fan favorite who has gotten better each year.
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