The Los Angeles Chargers need a spark in the worst way. Their roster may be too good to bank their immediate future on a rookie. Cam Newton to the rescue?
Although many may not admit it, the NFL is much, much better when Cam Newton is on top of his game. Newton missed 14 games last season and probably shouldn’t have played at all with a variety of injuries affecting him, but he’s expected back in 2020 and he’s also expected to be on a new team. Could that team be the Los Angeles Chargers?
With Philip Rivers and the Chargers parting ways, why not? There could be a ton of intriguing QB movement this offseason.
All options should be on the table for Los Angeles as they move into the spectacle that is SoFi Stadium in 2020. Over the last few years, the Chargers have become something of a laughing stock around the league in terms of their inability to put butts in the seats.
Although trading for Cam Newton would have more to do with football than marketing, it seems like it would be a win-win for Los Angeles those regards.
The Panthers have a new regime, a new head coach, and a new offensive coordinator. A trade of Newton feels inevitable at this point. The Chargers have a roster that is good enough to compete, and they play in a division with last year’s league MVP and this year’s Super Bowl MVP.
There are few players capable of putting points on the board at the rate Cam Newton can do it when he’s fully healthy.
Any trade of Newton carries some risk, but the Panthers have not denied the reports out there, so his value may be diminished a bit.
At the age of 30, with a lengthy injury history, and only one year left on his contract, the price to acquire Newton this offseason could actually be quite reasonable.
Because the Chargers need a spark in the worst way, they are one of the few teams that make a lot of sense as a landing spot for the 2015 MVP.
Let’s explore a possible trade of Newton to Los Angeles along with a mock draft scenario using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.
This seems like a very modest trade for a 30-year old player who has been a league MVP within the last five years, but it’s the unfortunate reality the Panthers face right now given Newton’s more recent injury history and the fact that he has just one year left on his contract.
I think because of all Newton has done for the Panthers since 2011 — win an MVP, lead them to an NFC title — they will at least give him some say in where he lands via trade. The Chargers make plenty of sense as a team with both cap space (over $51 million) along with high picks in each round to offer as compensation.
If the Chargers have any intention of taking a quarterback in this draft, they should be willing to entertain the cost of acquiring Newton for pennies on the draft pick dollar as opposed to someone like Justin Herbert, who would require a five-year commitment.
The Chargers would have not only the other rounds of this year’s draft to consider QB options, but a stellar 2021 class as well.
The Panthers, in this case, would get a very good backup/bridge QB option in Tyrod Taylor for only $5 million, and they also get a third-round pick in this year’s draft, giving them four picks in the top 75.
For the Chargers, the 71st overall pick is more than a worthwhile gamble for Newton.
So what would the Chargers do in the NFL Draft?
Although the Chargers have a versatile box safety in Derwin James already, their off-ball linebacker position is an area of weakness on their defense, and someone like Isaiah Simmons could make the field for opposing offenses feel even smaller.
While Derwin James is a weapon who can be utilized all over the field, he’s more of a ‘true’ safety than Isaiah Simmons is, and Simmons is probably a more effective front seven player than James is, at least at this point in his career.
Versatility is the name of Simmons’ game, and even if the Chargers wanted to deploy both he and James as safeties, they could probably do that.
One way or another, if the Chargers were to acquire Cam Newton before the 2020 NFL Draft, they become an intriguing team in the top 10 and could even look to trade down off of this slot.
Simmons could come in and be a tremendous impact player for them as a linebacker, pass rusher, safety, nickel corner, or whatever else they would ask of him.
Although some have said he compares favorably to Derwin James, Simmons was too talented to ignore with this selection and as a 6-foot-4, 230-pound athlete who will probably run in the low 4.4 range, he’s going to be coveted by just about every NFL team.
He would be fun to watch in Gus Bradley’s defense.
The Chargers are poised to watch Melvin Gordon walk in free agency this offseason after somewhat of an ugly contract dispute last offseason.
How will they replace him?
If JK Dobbins is still there with their second-round pick as he was in this mock draft simulation, they would probably be jumping around their draft room.
Dobbins improved his stock tremendously in his final year with the Buckeyes, showing off patience, vision, and unreal burst for a runner of his bulk.
Dobbins can hit big plays with an awesome combination of speed, power, and tackle-breaking ability. He’s nearly impossible to bring down on first contact, and hitting him high is futile.
The Chargers know they have an excellent receiving back in Austin Ekeler, but adding a player like Dobbins to be their featured back would be perfect if they had Cam Newton at quarterback.
Since the Chargers are picking near the top of the fourth round, they might be fortunate enough to grab a player who shouldn’t have escaped day two.
One such player could be Ohio State offensive guard Jonah Jackson, a former Rutgers transfer who proved himself as a legit NFL prospect this past season.
The Chargers have a need at the right guard position with Michael Schofield hitting free agency, but this pick also represents tremendous value.
In this scenario, the Chargers would be getting a guy who could keep paving holes for JK Dobbins at the right guard position and offer them some flexibility on the interior going forward.
Jackson played left guard this past season for Ohio State and his value has risen to the point that he may not escape the top 100 picks. If he does, he would be perfect for the Chargers in a scenario like this.
Day Three picks
5. Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame
The Chargers add depth to their secondary with the speedy Troy Pride Jr. Pride had 87 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and three interceptions over the past two seasons as a primary starter with the Irish defense and excels in off coverage reading the quarterback.
6. Calvin Throckmorton, OL, Oregon
Although Throckmorton didn’t show overly well at the tackle position in the Senior Bowl, he’s played a lot of games at a lot of different positions in his college career and could provide a team with someone truly capable of stepping in at any position on a moment’s notice.
For the time being, his best fit may be at guard or center.
7. Binjimen Victor, WR, Ohio State
Victor is well-coached coming from Ohio State whose WR coach, former NFL receiver Brian Hartline, is doing a great job of sending tremendous route runners into the league.
With that said, Victor has a great chance to stick on an NFL roster with his special teams ability and he has excellent size to go along with his long speed.