Sitting as the league’s sole winless team, the Los Angeles Chargers need a last-ditch effort to save face, and pulling off a trade is the cleanest route.
For weeks, trade pitches have framed Jim Harbaugh’s team as sellers built to flip assets like Khalil Mack, but GM Joe Hortiz threw cold water on those trade rumors.
Still, the Chargers have to act — whether that means roster turnover or coaching changes. Coaching changes are not coming anytime soon, as evident from the Chargers’ recent statement on Mike McDaniel continuing to call the plays. That’s what makes the Chargers turning into buyers much more likely.
Hortiz won’t break the bank on a blockbuster deal, but acquiring targeted offensive help could finally turn their turnover-plagued possessions into points.
Chargers Expected to Take a Swing for Eagles 3x Pro Bowler Landon Dickerson
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen feel that Eagles guard Landon Dickerson could be an interesting target for Hortiz.
“Something feels off between the Eagles and Dickerson, one of the holdovers from the Jeff Stoutland offensive front,” Fowler writes. “He recently took what appeared to be a passive-aggressive shot at the front office over his long-term outlook with the franchise. The Eagles are in a position to recoup draft capital for the future and are going younger on the offensive line. A mix of erratic play and injuries could affect his value, but he has Pro Bowl traits, his guarantees run dry next year, and he held up well in his return for ‘Monday Night Football’ against the Cowboys.”
All that said, anyone could see loyalty that Dickerson has for the Eagles from a mile away.
The guard owned the entire loss vs. the Cowboys in Week 8 and got emotional when talking about the Eagles’ fifth-straight loss this season.
“I didn’t play good enough,” Dickerson said after dropping the Week 8 game vs. the Lions. “These guys work their asses off to come in here and compete every day, and yeah, I wasn’t good enough.”
Dickerson singled out specific late-game mistakes on his part that proved fatal. “Two plays at the end there lost us the game,” Dickerson admitted. This was also the first game he attended after sitting out every game since his injury in Week 1.
Chargers Need to Make a Move Now
Since those plays were costly and put the Eagles in a precarious position, Philly might be forced to pull the trigger.
“A Week 1 injury sent Dickerson to injured reserve, but he returned this past Monday. And when healthy, Dickerson can move defenders off the ball as a run blocker in both zone and gap schemes, and he can set an anchor in pass protection to handle power down his middle with his 6-6, 332-pound frame. In five seasons with the Eagles, Dickerson has a pass-block win rate of 93.9%,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen writes.
Thursday Night Football’s loss handed the Chargers the perfect window to call up the Philadelphia front office if they’re interested.
Ultimately, a heavy-bodied guard like Dickerson solves the Chargers’ biggest offensive headache. Mike McDaniel’s wide-zone system requires guards who can move lateral weight fast and pull cleanly, but LA’s current interior rotation is getting obliterated at the point of attack.
Dropping a 3x Pro Bowler into left guard gives LA an elite, physical anchor to instantly solidify McDaniel’s wide-zone running game and stop interior defenders from crushing Justin Herbert’s pocket.
Eagles 3x Pro Bowler Could Turn Chargers Into Buyers Before Trade Deadline