New Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has revealed that there is some interest in the team’s first-round draft pick for this year.
The Chargers have the No. 5 overall pick heading into the draft following their 5-12 finish in 2023. Hortiz has a huge decision to make as the team could opt to bring in a player capable of making an immediate impact or give it up in return for more assets.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Hortiz revealed he isn’t ruling anything out.
“We’ll see how it goes. It’s still early and the phone is not ringing yet because we’re still a month or so out,” he said, per the Chargers’ official website. “But I’ve had teams ask me and are gauging my interest. Certainly, as I said before, I’m open to all options when it comes to the draft. I’m not locked into any one spot — forwards, backwards, staying right there.”
Given that there are multiple quarterbacks expected to be drafted in the first round, the Chargers, who aren’t QB-needy, can take advantage of teams wanting to move up in the draft.
“It’s a great quarterback year, it really is,” Hortiz added. “You look at the guys and everyone is saying there could be six quarterbacks in the first round and that’s fair. That really is.
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“It’s a unique year. It could create some opportunity for us but we’ll see how the draft unfolds.”
Joe Hortiz Explains The Keenan Allen Trade
One of the biggest Chargers talking points stemming from this offseason is the team’s decision to trade Keenan Allen. The six-time Pro Bowler will be playing his football for the Chicago Bears in 2024, with the Chargers’ offense now seemingly threadbare.
The Chargers let Allen leave in exchange for a fourth-round pick following career stats of 904 catches and 10,530 yards. The numbers put him second overall in both categories in team history and he would have likely passed Antonio Gates in 2024.
Joe Hortiz admitted that it wasn’t an easy decision.
“Yeah, I knew who I was trading,” he said. “He’s a very talented player and I respect him as a player, as a person. It’s difficult when you have to cut a player, trade a player, release a player.”
The GM also revealed that the team made multiple approaches to the player and his representatives but none of them worked out.
With Allen gone, the Chargers have freed up significant cap space for this year while adding some extra draft capital.
“It created unique cap space. Remember, we got a draft pick,” Hortiz said. “You have to budget a budget off to the side for Injured Reserve, in-season signings. It gives us flexibility.”
Also Read: Everyone Is Saying The Same Thing About The Los Angeles Chargers After Their Latest Blockbuster Deal
