Despite having a fair amount of salary cap space to work with in free agency, the Los Angeles Chargers did not make the impact many thought.
Not including center Tyler Biadasz, whom they were able to sign just before the legal tampering period because the Washington Commanders had already released him, the Bolts have only added a handful of outside free agents, running back tight end Charlie Kolar, offensive lineman Cole Strange, defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, running back/return specialist Keaton Mitchell and fullback Alec Ingold. Not exactly the most high-profile list, right?
Truth be told, unlike the players the Chargers brought in, more attention was paid to the player they missed, that player, of course, being Odafe Oweh, who ultimately signed a four-year, $100 million deal with the aforementioned Commanders. Oveh obviously wasn’t with Los Angeles for long, but he undoubtedly made an impact, tallying 7.5 sacks in a dozen regular season games and then setting franchise playoff records with three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Bolts’ wild-card loss to the New England Patriots.
But what’s done is done, and Jim Harbaugh will now have to hope that gap can be filled in the near future. There are still a few players available in free agency, and the Chargers could clearly look for help in next month’s draft. The third option is to trade, and one call that could potentially be made is to the New York Giants, who do not have a new head coach other than John Harbaugh, with the purpose of that call being to inquire about the availability of Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Chargers-Giants trade for Kevon Thibodeaux isn’t the worst idea in the world
SportsNote’s NFL senior editor Matt Johnson recently compiled a list of five trade scenarios that could potentially play out, and the fourth entry on that list was a deal between the Bolts and the Giants that would send Thibodaux to Los Angeles along with veteran linebacker Denzel Perriman and a fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall) in next month’s draft heading to New York.
“Los Angeles Chargers did not re-sign Odafe Oweh because asking price became too high,” Johnson wrote. “Oweh’s success playing opposite Khalil Mack showed what a great landing spot this could be for another edge rusher. Acquiring Maxx Crosby is off the table, but Los Angeles could certainly trade for another former first-round pick at the edge who hasn’t lived up to expectations.
“For the New York Giants, this may be around the best possible return Kayvon Thibodeaux gets for one season. Acquiring Denzel Perryman gives New York more depth at off-ball linebacker and the front office could get a role player with an additional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The move gives Thibodeaux a much-needed change of scenery, with the Harbaugh brothers helping each other out. Are.’
It’s certainly not the worst offer in the world.
It’s true that Thibodeaux hasn’t exactly lived up to his status as the fifth overall pick of the 2022 draft, but it’s not like the Oregon alum has been a complete failure either. Injuries caused him to miss a dozen games over the past two years, which obviously isn’t the biggest selling point, but when he was fully healthy and appeared in all 17 regular-season contests in 2023, he averaged 11.5 sacks.
Even though the 25-year-old isn’t at his best at quarterback, he can still help the Chargers against opposing ground attacks, as he has generally been strong against the run throughout his young career. Last season, while he only appeared in 10 games, his 80.7 run-defense grade ranked seventh among 115 qualified edge defenders.
Thibodaux is a bit expensive, as his fifth-year option puts his cap number at $14.751 million in 2026, but the Chargers can easily afford it if they choose to go in this direction. Losing some linebacker depth in Perryman would hurt, as well as giving up a fourth-round pick, but it might be a gamble worth taking.
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