Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack has been a consensus top free agent entering the 20245 offseason.
Pro Football Network dropped their top 100 free agents of 20245 earlier this week. On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Matt Bowen dropped his top 50. While there were eight Chargers players in PFN’s top 100, only three made Bowen’s top 50.
Let’s go ahead see who made the cut once again.
7.) EDGE Khalil Mack
“Mack’s game has aged gracefully after 11 pro seasons. He had six sacks and 41 pressures this season, and he can heat up the pocket. With 107.5 career sacks and steady play speed, Mack is still a three-down force based on the tape.”
Fowler’s latest: “The sense is Los Angeles will make efforts to re-sign Mack, who will play in 2025 after he said he needed to take time to mull his future following the season. The Chargers believe he embodies the spirit of the team’s toughness. But many teams will be lurking for potential pass-rush help, including — but not limited to — Atlanta and Carolina.”
Earlier this week we touched on the top 100 free agents by Pro Football Network which had Mack as their No.5 free agent this offseason. Mack remains high once again in ESPN’s ranking at No. 7 for all the same reasons. The stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story for Mack from the 2024 season and his impact went well beyond what you could quantify with a number.
31.) CB Asante Samuel Jr.
“Samuel has a playmaking mentality at cornerback, with the foot quickness and sudden closing speed to break on the ball. A shoulder injury limited Samuel to four games this season, but he has six interceptions and 26 pass breakups in his four years with the Chargers.”
We’ve gone over the saga of Samuel’s injury several times since the season ended. It was odd from start to finish. Coaching staff seemed to stray away from ever discussing it directly, deferring constantly to Samuel himself. Normally a coaching staff would at least show some sign of positivity or excitement to get the player back, but the topic was kept at arm’s length like the plague.
Samuel is a talented player with a ballhawk mentality. That comes with two sides, however. One side includes splash plays that reinvigorate a defense and helps get the ball back for the offense. The other? It involves a lot of yellow flying through the air, sometimes at the worst time.
The Chargers now have a pair young cornerbacks that could be relied upon to lead the position going forward in Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. So what does that mean for Samuel? As a holdover from the previous regime, on top of his injury situation, I’m just not sure a return to the Bolts is in the cards.
47.) RB J.K. Dobbins
“After tearing an Achilles in Week 1 of 2023, Dobbins looked explosive on the tape throughout this season, though he missed four games because of a knee sprain. Dobbins, who had 27 carries of 10 or more yards, finished 2024 with 907 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He can run between the tackles, and he has the juice to create big plays.”
Bring him back, Joe Hortiz. Even though Dobbins missed four games, he was more than productive enough on top of being a big-time locker room guy. You can’t tell the story of this Chargers team without Dobbins and it feels so strange to imagine him elsewhere. Even with four years in Baltimore, Dobbins already feels like he’s only ever been a Bolt despite 2024 being his lone campaign in Los Angeles.