It is officially the time of the season when trade rumors are spread across the league. With the November 5 trade deadline approaching, teams are starting to make the moves necessary to make a deep playoff push.
The first big moves of trade season occurred on Tuesday. The AFC East was in a frenzy, with star playmakers joining the top teams in the division. First, the New York Jets traded for Raiders superstar WR Davante Adams, reuniting him with his better half – Aaron Rodgers. The Bills moved hours later, acquiring star Browns wideout Amari Cooper. Cooper – who has had a down year so far – hopes to bring new energy and leadership to the Bills offense that even Stefon Diggs didn’t provide.
With the AFC arms race in full effect, the Chargers face a big question: Will they move to improve their weaknesses? If the answer is yes, then there are some moves to be made. While there are other needs to be addressed such as CB, WR cannot be ignored. While Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston have been doing their jobs well this season, the cost for a receiver is very low right now. Since stars like Adams and Cooper only went for a third-round pick, a serviceable WR1 wouldn’t cost much. With that in mind, there are two receivers the Chargers have been linked to in recent days.
The most sensible and prominent rumor is Mike Williams of the Jets. After the Davante Adams trade, Williams will fall out of the mix when it comes to Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets. Adding on the fact that Rodgers blamed Williams for their loss Monday night, it feels like his time in New York could be coming to a close.
What makes more sense is that Williams was a Charger for seven years, and has been one of Justin Herbert’s favorite targets through his young career. Bringing Williams back would give Herbert a receiver he has chemistry with and can trust when he needs to get a big play downfield. While taking touches away from the young standouts doesn’t sound ideal, bringing in a player who was supposed to be Keenan Allen’s successor for a low price is hard to argue against.
The other receiver heavily mocked by the Chargers recently has been DeAndre Hopkins. The former Pro Bowler for the Texans and Cardinals is sitting on a struggling Titans team and is an outsider in their receiver room. Calvin Ridley is still younger and is on a massive contract, while Tyler Boyd doesn’t have enough value to warrant trading. While Treylon Burks could be a target for some teams, Hopkins seems
like the obvious favorite to be dealt with. Hopkins is past his prime and is nearing the end of his contract.
While missing the previous connection with Herbert that Williams has, it could be a good thing for Los Angeles. DeAndre Hopkins would add his talents to a squad that needs a great jump ball receiver after the departure of Williams, while not necessarily taking targets away from Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. Bringing in a seasoned WR1 is something the Chargers are missing in their locker room. Even the presence of someone who has been their team’s number one target can help the development of their young stars.
There is nothing wrong with acquiring either receiver here. GM Joe Hortiz could go with the homegrown talent in Williams or bring in someone with more experience than anyone on the trade block with Hopkins. Of course, however, there is no guarantee that the Chargers will make any notable move midseason, even if something like this makes this much sense. Between the two, it is more likely that Mike Williams is a Charger given his previous experience and perfect fit into the offense. The Bolts’ only true need at receiver is not overall talent, it is a deep ball guy. While Josua Palmer has struggled in that role, he has been very disappointing as the top option this season. Gradually easing off of Palmer as a top option would be ideal for this team, and it would help to bring in someone who is more proven to take that role and excel in it.