Official 2026 Chargers News | Acquisitions | Transactions | Injuries

[electricgold]

205 mil divided by 16 players equal 12.2 per player. Darnold contact for a QB is cheap at 33.3 per year. That's not spending big on players. Most expensive was Darnold and again, at 33.3 mil he isn't close to a top QB salary.


NE average per player was 19.1 mil and I believe they had the most money to spend iirc but not sure. 19 FAs is alot. Yeah they made the SB. Sometimes getting there is having some luck that we never seen to have and allow of it is getting the right players.

Just because you spend a lot doesn't mean its going to get you to the SB or even the playoffs. Many teams in the past have spent a lot and not made the playoffs.

I don't remember how much cap space we had to spend last off-season but it wasn't as much as this year and we had allot of players to sign and with injuries we spent breakfast all of it.
If not due the OL devestation, we weeks have maybe been a SB contender.

Who here had Ernest Jones as a LB to sign last season?
Devin Lloyd is a good player but I'm not feeling him for us. I like the Texas Tech kid or Quay Walker.

Either way Hortiz needs to up his game on free agency. He hasn't been that great in this area so far...

[Jack Burton]

Either way Hortiz needs to up his game on free agency. He hasn't been that great in this area so far...

Yeah, I get making “value” picks. Those are prudent and necessary when you are on a strict budget and sometimes depending on positional value, they are the best method to success for those positions.

Hortiz has a chance to crush this FA and draft and put the Chargers into serious contention for the SB these next 2 years. They’ve got a ton of money this year and next. Use it on elite talent and get the value signings too. They can afford it.

[Boltjolt]

Either way Hortiz needs to up his game on free agency. He hasn't been that great in this area so far...

He hasn't? His two seasons with the mess TT left in year one? He did pretty damn good there.

Can't believe we have complaints about him. FAcy hasn't even started and he already got a huge upgrade to Bozeman, tho ill give you he fucked up resigning him in the first place.

Maybe he will sign a WR .....just hasn't don't that type of thing as if yet but he has more money now. Don't think Baltimore ever spent huge in a WR but I'm sure they will pick up Flowers 5th. Don't think we will pick up QJs.

[dmac_bolt]

He hasn't? His two seasons with the mess TT left in year one? He did pretty damn good there. We could still have TT and get nobody in FAct lol...or the busts he signed in JC Jackson and Cox.
Can't believe we have complaints about him. FAcy hasn't even started and he already got a huge upgrade to Bozeman, tho ill give you he fucked up resigning him in the first place.

Maybe he will sign a WR .....just hasn't don't that type of thing as if yet but he has more money now. Don't think Baltimore ever spent huge in a WR but I'm sure they will pick up Flowers 5th. Don't think we will pick up QJs.

Joe FA
- DL, DB, LB, Edge = good
- OL, TE, WR = bad
- QB = meh backups sucked
- RB = ?

[Jack Burton]

Joe FA
- DL, DB, LB, Edge = good
- OL, TE, WR = bad
- QB = meh backups sucked
- RB = ?

He can hit this out of the park and smoke the draft too. Hortiz has to spend. This team is on that precipice step and they can go forward into SB contention, or they fall back into just another 1st round playoff team loser.
It’s now or never.

[Boltnut]

Ive seen enough form QJ and Ladd. They aren’t elite, alpha X WRs. One is a slot guy and the other is at best a #2 Z.

But you haven't seen them in McD's offense yet...

Personally, I'd like to see them get another receiving TE to pair with Gadsden.
Watch some tape of McD's offense... then imagine it being run by Justin Herbert rather than Tua.
Imagine running left... but running play-action and rolling Justin out to the right... with QJ running the deep drag... Ladd running the middle drag... and a TE running the shorter route... mis-direction that creates separation for receivers and TE's.

My dream:
1) Sign one of the edge rushers (Mack or Oweh).
2) Sign a free agent OG.
3) Sign a couple of DT's in free agency... so we can focus on OG, Edge#3, TE/WR, and a LB/S in the draft.

BTW... my 2nd round cluster would include TE Eli Stowers, TE Michael Trigg, and WR Elijah Sarratt... along with defenders EDGE Derrick Moore and CB Chris Johnson.

[Jack Burton]

But you haven't seen them in McD's offense yet...

Personally, I'd like to see them get another receiving TE to pair with Gadsden.
Watch some tape of McD's offense... then imagine it being run by Justin Herbert rather than Tua.
Imagine running left... but running play-action and rolling Justin out to the right... with QJ running the deep drag... Ladd running the middle drag... and a TE running the shorter route... mis-direction that creates separation for receivers and TE's.

My dream:
1) Sign one of the edge rushers (Mack or Oweh).
2) Sign a free agent OG.
3) Sign a couple of DT's in free agency... so we can focus on OG, Edge#3, TE/WR, and a LB/S in the draft.

BTW... my 2nd round cluster would include TE Eli Stowers, TE Michael Trigg, and WR Elijah Sarratt... along with defenders EDGE Derrick Moore and CB Chris Johnson.

MM doesnt just solve everything. You still need elite talent. I’ve seen enough of QJ to know he’s not an elite WR.
I think everyone knows that. Ladd is a slot receiver. I watched him at Georgia. With ultra elite talent around him. He was never elite too. I really like Ladd. But this team needs more juice on offense to take that next step.
I don’t care if the team will be better under MM. I already know it will. I am advocating that they need to not just be better, but be SB contenders in the next 2 seasons. And that to me means they need elite talent they currently don’t have on offense.

[Bolt4Knob]

But you haven't seen them in McD's offense yet...

Personally, I'd like to see them get another receiving TE to pair with Gadsden.
Watch some tape of McD's offense... then imagine it being run by Justin Herbert rather than Tua.
Imagine running left... but running play-action and rolling Justin out to the right... with QJ running the deep drag... Ladd running the middle drag... and a TE running the shorter route... mis-direction that creates separation for receivers and TE's.

My dream:
1) Sign one of the edge rushers (Mack or Oweh).
2) Sign a free agent OG.
3) Sign a couple of DT's in free agency... so we can focus on OG, Edge#3, TE/WR, and a LB/S in the draft.

BTW... my 2nd round cluster would include TE Eli Stowers, TE Michael Trigg, and WR Elijah Sarratt... along with defenders EDGE Derrick Moore and CB Chris Johnson.

My plan for Hortiz and the Chargers in free agency
1) Center - check
2) Edge -- probably Mack
3) Edge - don't want to have to rely on a draft pick. Just somebody a few steps above Dupree. If the price for Oweh is reasonable, fine. If not, move on
4) OG
5) OL depth
6) DL depth - Hand, Rankins, Lopez
7) TE - blocker type
8) sign Delshawn Phillips and back up QB


If he gets all of the above done - the draft can be what the draft is about - talent talent talent,.

As Jack points out - the Chargers are in a unique position with the cap. They are back to back 11 win seasons. So they are starting at a good spot and they have a boatload of cap space in 2026 and 2027 - even into 2028. Now, we know, a lot of 2027 and 2028 will be taken up by players signed, extended, draft classes, etc. But they have the bleeping money - -go big Hortiz. Not reckless - but big

[Jack Burton]

My plan for Hortiz and the Chargers in free agency
1) Center - check
2) Edge -- probably Mack
3) Edge - don't want to have to rely on a draft pick. Just somebody a few steps above Dupree. If the price for Oweh is reasonable, fine. If not, move on
4) OG
5) OL depth
6) DL depth - Hand, Rankins, Lopez
7) TE - blocker type
8) sign Delshawn Phillips and back up QB


If he gets all of the above done - the draft can be what the draft is about - talent talent talent,.

As Jack points out - the Chargers are in a unique position with the cap. They are back to back 11 win seasons. So they are starting at a good spot and they have a boatload of cap space in 2026 and 2027 - even into 2028. Now, we know, a lot of 2027 and 2028 will be taken up by players signed, extended, draft classes, etc. But they have the bleeping money - -go big Hortiz. Not reckless - but big

I agree, Hortiz has to go big this year.

[Bolt4Knob]

I agree, Hortiz has to go big this year.

Hortiz is primed with the salary cap this year to improve the roster. Health willing, with the cap space and draft picks - -13+ wins and a division title should be the goal. The minimum. No excuses if healthy. I understand he learned with the Ravens but adapt to the situation at hand, this is year 3, move this thing forward.

[Boltjolt]

My plan for Hortiz and the Chargers in free agency
1) Center - check
2) Edge -- probably Mack
3) Edge - don't want to have to rely on a draft pick. Just somebody a few steps above Dupree. If the price for Oweh is reasonable, fine. If not, move on
4) OG
5) OL depth
6) DL depth - Hand, Rankins, Lopez
7) TE - blocker type
8) sign Delshawn Phillips and back up QB


If he gets all of the above done - the draft can be what the draft is about - talent talent talent,.

As Jack points out - the Chargers are in a unique position with the cap. They are back to back 11 win seasons. So they are starting at a good spot and they have a boatload of cap space in 2026 and 2027 - even into 2028. Now, we know, a lot of 2027 and 2028 will be taken up by players signed, extended, draft classes, etc. But they have the bleeping money - -go big Hortiz. Not reckless - but big

Agree I just dont think WR is a big need. NE never won a SB with a stud WR. They had Moss and lost that SB. Dion Branch and Welker were the guys they win SBs with ...and Edelman. Would I like a Stud WR? Sure but rather have better OGs and edge rushers. Get another good TE.

Our receivers don't suck, they just aren't Jefferson, Chase, or Nacua..... How many SBs they been to? Seattle did win one with slow Kupp and Ngigba who is a good one.

But hey if Hortiz wants to spend big on one I wont complain either. It's a team game. He has the money. OL was our downfall last season.

[Boltnut]

MM doesnt just solve everything. You still need elite talent. I’ve seen enough of QJ to know he’s not an elite WR.
I think everyone knows that. Ladd is a slot receiver. I watched him at Georgia. With ultra elite talent around him. He was never elite too. I really like Ladd. But this team needs more juice on offense to take that next step.
I don’t care if the team will be better under MM. I already know it will. I am advocating that they need to not just be better, but be SB contenders in the next 2 seasons. And that to me means they need elite talent they currently don’t have on offense.

Like you, I don't think MM solves everything. But I don't believe SB teams need "elite talent" at every offensive position. In fact, most teams are doing it with Top-5 defenses. Seattle and Denver were elite defenses last year. Even though Denver didn't make the SB... they might have had Nix been healthy vs the Patriots. The Patriots didn't have "elite talent" on offense either last year.

Of those 3 teams, the most "elite offensive talent" might have been Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker.
JSN had 163 receptions, 1,758 yards, and 10 TD's in his first 2 years.
Ladd has 148 receptions, 1,937 yards, and 13 TD's in his first 2 years.

I think that you will find that QJ's numbers matchup very well against any of those team's #2WR's.
I'd take Tre Harris over those team's #3WR, too. I think he took a step in development that 2nd half of the season.
Add in the production we got from Gadsden... and the expected production we get from Hampton next year... and we are good.

In the end... I'd rather they spend free agent money and draft capital on the IOL and the defense.