1 player from every AFC team the Chargers could target in free agency
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The Chargers have already brought in former Commanders center Tyler Biadasz and former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold and retained edge rusher Khalil Mack.
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With those moves in mind, here's one free agent from each AFC team Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh could target when the negotiating window opens on Monday.
Buffalo Bills: G David Edwards
Edwards was a bargain bin signing when he left the Rams to head to Buffalo, then got a modest 2 year, $6 million extension with the Bills before hitting free agency this spring. He'll be looking to cash in on his consistently above-average play for the first time and the Chargers are one of the teams positioned to offer him the most money. Buffalo re-signed center Connor McGovern on Saturday, which signaled that they'll let Edwards hit the market.
New England Patriots: TE Austin Hooper
Hooper turns 32 in October, but he's been a solid TE2 option for the better part of the 2020s and hasn't slowed down much. New England likely wants to get younger behind fellow 31-year-old Hunter Henry, who is firmly the top tight end for the Patriots. Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel wants to play 12 and 13 personnel, so LA will need tight ends next to second-year man Oronde Gadsden II.
New York Jets: G Alijah Vera-Tucker
Vera-Tucker has struggled to stay healthy during his time in New York, which may raise some of the same alarm bells that went off when LA signed Mekhi Becton last offseason. He's torn both of his triceps and an Achilles just in the last 4 years, but the good news is that those upper-body injuries don't tend to suggest a long-term health concern. On a one-year prove-it deal if the Chargers miss out on their other targets - or if assistant GM and former Jets executive Chad Alexander has glowing things to say about him - Vera-Tucker could be an intriguing buy-low option.
Miami Dolphins: G Cole Strange
This section was about Ingold before the fullback signed with LA on Sunday afternoon, so we'll pivot to Strange, who the Dolphins brought in as a reclamation project after the former first-rounder flamed out in New England. While he's not a starting-caliber player, Strange has guard/center flexibility and would shore up the depth on the Chargers' offensive line tremendously. Even with Biadasz under contract, LA has only three offensive linemen on non-futures deals, so they'll need signings like Strange to build out the room.
Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Joseph Ossai
Plenty of people will be clamoring to sign a different Bengals pass rusher here, but Trey Hendrickson will likely command even more money than Odafe Oweh, so if the Chargers let Oweh walk due to costs, it seems unrealistic that they'll pursue Hendrickson. Ossai won't be a headline-winning signing, but he quietly had one fewer pressure (43) than Boye Mafe in six fewer games last season. LA could do a lot worse for a third edge rusher next to Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu.
Baltimore Ravens: TE Charlie Kolar
With Biadasz in the fold, Tyler Linderbaum will be getting a record-setting deal from a non-Chargers franchise. So let's pivot to Kolar, who's been buried behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely for his entire rookie contract but is a high-level blocking tight end who will likely command a surprising amount of money on the market. Similarly to Hooper, the Chargers will need a TE2 who can primarily block but leak out for a catch or two on occasion, and Kolar fits that prototype to a T.
Pittsburgh Steelers: G Isaac Seumalo
Seumalo turns 33 in October, and the sense at the NFL Combine was that the Steelers will let him test his market with the understanding he may want to come west and play closer to his Hawaiian family. Should that be the case, it's a similar proposition as the Chargers potentially signing Kevin Zeitler last offseason: LA needs veteran competence and Seumalo will probably be looking for a place to be competitive. He was tied for 19th among all guards on Pro Football Focus with a pass block efficiency of 97.5. But like Zeitler last year, the Titans will also be players for Seumalo's services.
Cleveland Browns: RB Jerome Ford
We could keep the offensive line theme going with your choice of Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, or Teven Jenkins, but LA could also very well be in the market for another back in a room that currently includes Omarion Hampton, Kimani Vidal, and Jaret Patterson. Ford would slot in behind Hampton as competition with Vidal - who, as a reminder, Harbaugh cut before last season before calling him into duty due to injuries - and was a Chargers trade candidate at the deadline this season.
Indianapolis Colts: TE Mo Alie-Cox
It seems unlikely that the Chargers will make a competitive run at wide receiver Alec Pierce, who could command up to $27 million on the open market, but if the Patriots get a trade for AJ Brown done before Wednesday, maybe LA would be a natural fit for Pierce. Alie-Cox's receiving production has fallen since a "breakout" 394 yards in 2020, but he remains an effective blocking piece who should come fairly cheap as a potential TE3.
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Dyami Brown
The Jaguars' free agents are a thin pool for the Chargers to choose from, as their two most high-profile free agents play big enough roles at positions LA is strong at (running back and linebacker) that it's unlikely the Chargers would go hunting there. Brown was overpaid for the role he played in Jacksonville, but kicking the tires on him as a deep threat WR4 wouldn't be the worst idea. Los Angeles doesn't have anyone on their roster that could play that role outside of fifth-round pick KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who played limited snaps on offense last year.
Houston Texans: DT Tim Settle Jr.
There's not much available from the Texans in free agency that makes a ton of sense for LA this offseason either, but Settle is a rotation-quality 3 technique who has always played on quality defensive lines. He had 43 pressures from the interior in 2024, a career year for him, and defensive line coach Mike Elston has shown no reason for Chargers fans to doubt his ability to get the most out of his players.
Tennessee Titans: G Kevin Zeitler
Remember how Seumalo is akin to last year's situation with Zeitler? Well, so is Zeitler himself, who only signed a one-year deal in Tennessee and is set to hit the market again. The 36-year-old is still going strong and has played double-digit games in all 14 years of his NFL career. That kind of consistent availability will no doubt be appealing to the Chargers, who played their most common lineup on the offensive line less than 30% of the time, 31st in the NFL.
Las Vegas Raiders: EDGE Malcolm Koonce
Koonce had a down year in his first season back fom an ACL tear, but we've seen many players return to their true form two years removed from similar knee injuries. The Buffalo alum had a career-high 8 sacks in 2023 before missing 2024 with the ACL injury and the Raiders are reforming their defensive line after trading Maxx Crosby to Baltimore and letting long-time defensive coordinator Patrick Graham move to Pittsburgh.
Kansas City Chiefs: CB Jaylen Watson
Technically, Travis Kelce is a possible inclusion on this list, but until he signs with a new team, it's safe to assume he'll be back in Kansas City. Watson's career highlight is probably a 99-yard pick-six against Justin Herbert and the Chargers in 2022, but he's turned into a solid starting-caliber corner who should have a healthy market. LA sneakily needs more consistency across from Donte Jackson on the outside.
Denver Broncos: DT John Franklin-Myers
Franklin-Myers seems destined for a reunion with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh in Tennessee, but the Chargers are one of the few teams who could swoop in with a hefty offer to pry him away from familiar pastures. Elston has done well turning mid-tier talent into high-end players, but it's hard not to daydream about what he could do with someone of Franklin-Myers' caliber, especially with how badly the Chargrs need pass rush help from the interior.
Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE Odafe Oweh
We'll add a bonus section for the Chargers, who should still be doing everything they can to retain Oweh after keeping Mack in the building for 2026. The pass rush in LA jumped to another level after the Chargers traded for Oweh midway through the season last year, and the trio of Mack, Oweh, and Tuipulotu is an incredibly complementary group that has answers for nearly everything an offense can throw at them. Oweh's market will be healthy, perhaps north of $25 million a year, but LA would be smart to do what it takes to bring him back.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 1 player from every AFC team the Chargers could target in free agency