The San Diego Chargers are in the process of rebuilding after firing head coach Norv Turner and general manager AJ Smith and with the NFL draft coming up Thursday, new coach Mike McCoy will be looking to make an immediate impact to add talent and skill players to the roster and one way may be through a trade.
According to NFL.com, the Chargers are one team that is in the market to make a move in both directions, a possible trade down with the Minnesota Vikings, as well as a trade up to try and get Lane Johnson. The report says that since the Vikings have the number 23 and 25 picks in the draft, the Chargers could trade down from 11 and conceivably get a player they want while also getting draft picks back. On the other hand, Mel Kiper says that a trade between the Oakland Raiders and the Chargers could be beneficial to both sides, as San Diego wants Lane Johnson and the Raiders want picks.
The Chargers may sit tight and see how the first few picks play out before a deal is made, but since they want a left tackle, trading up with the Raiders makes the most sense. Most experts believe that the Chiefs will select Luke Joeckel on the offensive line, leaving Eric Fisher and Johnson as the top two left tackle candidates. Chances are Johnson will not get through the top 10 to San Diego, while Fisher could go anywhere from second to eighth, giving them a small window to get one of them. The Chargers are desperate for a left tackle after cutting Jared Gaither and they need someone to protect Philip Rivers.
If they stand pat at number 11 and miss out on Johnson, they should be in position to take Tavon Austin, who is a player they covet for his speed and skills down the field. While he is a smaller player, the league has been shifting to more speed at the receiver positions and he could give Rivers his best deep threat since losing Vincent Jackson. Another option on the line could be at guard or center if they miss out on Johnson, as Barrett Jones, DJ Fluker and Jonathan Cooper all should be there at number 11 and are considered solid prospects.
The Chargers could go offense with the pick whether they trade up or not and Tyler Eifert at tight end could be a replacement down the line for Antonio Gates. Fluker is the more likely option if the team loses out on Johnson, as he is a massive player and will be able to slide in and start right away. The player they covet the most is Johnson as he played with a pocket passer in Landry Jones and he is considered to be one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the draft.
Jones' teammate Chance Warmack should be available if they decide to sit tight and not trade and if the Vikings make a decent offer to trade up, chances are the Chargers will take it since it is a deep draft and they can get value late. The Chargers went just 7-9 last season in the AFC West and was ranked 27th in rushing behind a bad offensive line and 24th in passing yards per game as they could not give Rivers enough time to throw. McCoy will be overhauling both sides of the ball in the draft and chances are the offense will be first when they make their selections