What a day it’s been in the NFL, huh? First, Mike Williams announces his retirement. Now, T.J. Watt signs an extension with the Steelers… but what about the Los Angeles Chargers, though? They just lost one of their best receivers and they have a holdout on another weapon, right? Not exactly, after weeks, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert finally got good updates.
The Chargers finally reached an agreement with second-round pick Tre Harris, Ian Rapoport from NFL Network reports. Terms haven’t been fully disclosed but he joins Broncos second-round pick, running back R.J. Harvey in signing new deals. Now, a flurry of second-round picks signing their deals will follow.
Harris was holding out as he wanted a guaranteed contract, something that was unusual for second round picks. However, Jayden Higgins and Carson Schwesinger were signed to fully guaranteed contracts. Hence, causing a big domino effect on all other second rounders.
Harris will now be even more prominent to Herbert
With Williams retiring, Harris needs to step up massively if the Chargers want to succeed on their passing game. Herbert‘s first option is very reliable in Ladd McConkey. Second on the pecking order is now Harris.
Spending five years at the collegiate level, Harris has a wealth of experience. He comes from Ole Miss, a program that has produced the likes of D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown. While he was never a dominant receiver in college, he did manage one season with 1,000+ yards and 7 touchdowns. Harris has still lots of upside, especially in the intermediate to deep level.
Are the Chargers set for a big season?
When you have Jim Harbaugh as your coach and Justin Herbert as your quarterback, you bet the expectations are high. However, with Williams out and Najee Harris getting placed on the active/ non-football injury (NFI), there are roadblocks to get over.
However, the Chargers can do something they just did. Williams was a former Charger who left for a year before the team re-signing him. As it turns out, Keenan Allen fits that same mold, but he was always a better receiver than Williams and also knows Herbert pretty well.
Plus, while his last season wasn’t incredible, he still managed to produce 70 catches for 744 yards and 7 touchdowns on a subpar offense like the Bears. Now a free agent, he could be the answer to their problems.