3 no-fuss offseason trades the Chargers should make

The LA Chargers have exceeded expectations in 2024 as this season was supposed to be a soft rebuild under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Instead, the Chargers are a playoff team that no division winner wants to see in the first round.

Los Angeles will become even more dangerous in the future. The Chargers have more resources to play with in the 2025 offseason, allowing the front office to build on the remarkable work Harbaugh and his coaching staff have done this season.

Some of those resources may manifest themselves in trades with the Chargers. General manager Joe Hortiz has already shown he’s not afraid to trade talent, and there are some interesting names the Bolts could have to choose from in the spring.

Chargers should trade for Joel Bitonio

Joel Bitonio has emerged as a potential trade chip this offseason given his contract and the current status of the Cleveland Browns. Bitonio has another year left on his contract in Cleveland and in good faith the team could trade him to a place where he can compete next season before eventually calling it a career.

Cleveland is well over the projected salary cap for next season, so it makes sense to cut salary wherever possible. Trading Bitonio with a post-June 1 designation would save the Browns $8.37 million in cap space next season, but it complicates a deal because it would then have to happen after the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Browns may prefer to receive draft capital in 2025, but if this is a good-faith deal to save some money and accumulate future draft capital, it could certainly happen over the summer. Bitonio may no longer be at his best, but he would be a cost-effective way to add a seasoned veteran to a poor interior offense when there aren’t many other options available.

Chargers should trade for Garrett Wilson

The dysfunction in New York has opened the door for the Jets to trade Garrett Wilson this offseason, and if so, the Chargers should be one of the team’s players on speed dial. Wilson clearly has the potential to be a franchise-wide receiver and would be a much-needed addition to the Chargers’ receiver staff.

Wilson is playing in the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, so he wouldn’t have much of an impact on the Chargers’ cap space. With the second-lowest salary in the league for 2026, the Chargers could easily extend Wilson after the 2025 season.

If the Jets were smart, they would keep Wilson and quell rumors and trade him. But NFL teams aren’t always smart (especially the Jets) and if that relationship is damaged beyond repair, it makes sense for New York to trade Wilson.

It doesn’t matter if it costs a first-round pick. It would be worth it for the Chargers.

Chargers should trade for Marlon Humphrey

Marlon Humphrey is a big name and he may not seem like someone who could actually be traded this offseason. However, the Baltimore Ravens’ cap situation and Humphrey’s approach to 30 could prompt the team to trade up on the well-known cornerback.

The Ravens only have a projected cap space of $17 million next season with 42 players on the roster. That’s enough for Baltimore to get by, but with a new draft class and the need to fill out a roster, it’s tight. Humphrey has the second-largest cap hit on the team and the Ravens would save $12.4 million by trading him.

Additionally, only seven teams in the league have less projected cap space in 2026 than the Ravens. Baltimore has big-name players who are free agents in the offseason (led by Kyle Hamilton and Mark Andrews) and may need to preemptively make room for those players. Humphrey would have a cap hit of $22.9 million in 2026 if he remained in Baltimore.

Although Humphrey’s best days may be behind him, he has played well this season and fits perfectly in Jesse Minter’s defense. Minter coached Humphrey in Baltimore, so he would fit in well as a veteran who understands defense and can play with young cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still.

Humphrey also fits perfectly in the Chargers’ slot. Humphrey has played 242 snaps in the slot this season and has the lowest passer rating allowed of any player with at least 100 coverage snaps in the slot.