On March 12 at 4 p.m. EST, the 2025 NFL free agency period will start. The Chargers will find themselves with an immense amount of cap space and resources to fill out their roster. With 45 roster spots available there are plenty of avenues to explore, thus allowing the Chargers to look into underrated free-agent targets.
3 Underrated Players the Chargers Should Target in Free Agency
Paulson Adebo: Injury Discount On A Rising Star?
Paulson Adebo is a former third-round selection in 2021 and has been a standout on a weak Saints defense for quite some time. Adebo excels in run defense, showing the ability to turn the ball over. In 52 games, Adebo has ten interceptions and two forced fumbles.
His fit in the Chargers scheme would be seamless due to his length, athleticism, and ability to read the eyes of quarterbacks. So with a natural scheme fit and great ball production, what are his downsides?
ADEBO INTERCEPTS MAYFIELD!!!#Saints |
FOX pic.twitter.com/uZz1mi4me1
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 13, 2024
Unfortunately for Adebo he has struggled with injuries throughout his career and is now recovering from a broken femur. The good, if you’re the Chargers, is that Adebo will be 25 at the time of signing, likely much cheaper than the top-end cornerback market, and has a strong resume to show that he can ascend into that much-needed CB1 the Chargers have needed since the likes of Casey Hayward.
It should be noted that the Chargers are not afraid of looking into DBs with injury histories, as they took a chance with former Titans cornerback, Kristian Fulton this past season.
Will Hernandez: Veteran Guard Coming Off Injury
Continuing the theme of the Chargers looking for underrated free agents who may have discounts due to unfortunate circumstances, the Arizona Cardinal guard Will Hernandez is a perfect fit.
Hernandez is a former top 35 selection in the 2018 draft and has had two stops across his NFL career being a mainstay at guard for both the Giants and more recently the Arizona Cardinals. With just under 6,000 snaps under his belt, Hernandez will give the Chargers young offensive line a much-needed steady veteran presence.
Watch #76 Will Hernandez on the 2pt conversion that sent the game to OT pic.twitter.com/sDnHrwMSHg
— H刃wk (@HawksTruth) September 19, 2022
Furthermore, Hernandez can play either guard spot and has graded out with a 70.0+ pass-blocking grade in each of the last three seasons. A veteran with great versatility and pass-blocking ability is on the market and is not being talked about… so why is he not being talked about?
Long story short, Hernandez, like Adebo, has struggled with injuries. Missing a handful of games in two of his first 6 seasons, then topped that off with a major season-ending knee injury this past season.
This may lead him to miss some time in training camp, but all of the positives of Hernandez surely should outweigh the injury. Especially if you can get him on an “injury discount” with quality depth behind him.
Dennis Gardeck: Massively Underrated Defender… Who’s Also Coming Off Injury
Dennis Gardeck has been mentioned plenty of times as an underrated free-agent target for the Chargers. Gardeck suffered a torn ACL this past season against the Chargers, which may ward him off from wanting to sign with the team.
Dennis Gardeck stutter bull vs Laremy Tunsil pic.twitter.com/yD9UjNZgSC
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) July 8, 2024
If that is not an issue for Gardeck, his fit with the Chargers is perfect, as he brings speed to a room that desperately needs it. Long-time Cardinals reporter, Kyle Odegard on Dennis Gardeck: “[he] is a super undersized edge so he only rushes the passer, but plays with his hair on fire and can definitely add to a defense on third downs.”
He will likely play meaningful snaps behind the Veteran Khalil Mack, whilst giving the Chargers the cap flexibility to sign other bigger-name free agents and/or focus their resources in the draft.
Final Thoughts
The theme of these underrated free-agent targets is that they are all injured. This is unfortunate for the player, but does allow teams like the Chargers who desperately need to fill out their roster, plenty of flexibility to sign quality players for cheap.
Whether it is a number one cornerback, a strong starter at guard, or a depth EDGE rusher who can bring “juice” to the defensive line, these bargain bin signings are what can make or break a team that is looking to make a Super Bowl run.
Main Photo: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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