The Los Angeles Chargers have had an up-and-down summer when it comes to the wide receiver position.
Needing more firepower to go with Ladd McConkey for Justin Herbert to distribute the ball to, something that reared its ugly head in the playoffs last year, the Chargers found a late-round gem in KeAndre Lambert-Smith before reuniting with Keenan Allen to help offset the sudden retirement of Mike Williams.
But one thing that is becoming painfully clear is that 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston was not a good draft pick. The Chargers could look to move him before having to finalize their 53-man roster, and Bill Barnwell of ESPN has come up with a three-team deal that would effectively do that. Check it out.
Giants get: 2027 seventh-round pick (from Chargers)
Chargers get: OL Evan Neal, 2026 fifth-round pick (from Cardinals)
Cardinals get: WR Quentin Johnston
This could be a tremendous trade if the three teams were able to pull it off. The Chargers would send Johnston to Arizona, where he would have a chance to reset his career with Kyler Murray while playing alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. They would also send a 2027 seventh-round pick to the New York Giants.
In return, the Chargers would receive a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft from Arizona and offensive lineman Evan Neal from the Giants. Neal was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft and while he’s been a bust with the Giants, Jim Harbaugh could have a chance to turn his career around with the focus he places on the offensive line. At the very least, Neal could be a better option at the swing tackle position than whatever the Chargers are planning now that Trey Pipkins has had to step into the starting lineup following the season-ending injury suffered by Rashawn Slater.
Here was Barnwell’s analysis:
“A three-way trade involving two disappointing first-round picks? Sure, why not?
Neal has been wildly disappointing since the Giants drafted him at No. 7 in 2022. The 24-year-old lineman has struggled with injuries, has insulted local fans and hasn’t played well enough when he is on the field. He spent the first half of 2024 on the active roster without playing snaps, and the Giants preferred street free agents and replacement-level options to him at left tackle after Andrew Thomas went down injured. They eventually gave Neal snaps on the right side to finish the season, and he has spent training camp at guard, where he hasn’t been impressive.
The Giants declined Neal’s fifth-year option this spring, and he’s owed $1.1 million for the final year of his rookie deal. The Chargers lost a key lineman when Rashawn Slater went down for the season with a torn patella, and while they are able to move Joe Alt to the left side and insert swing tackle Trey Pipkins on the right side, what was a deep line is suddenly vulnerable. Jamaree Salyer can play left tackle, but he might need to stay at guard with Mekhi Becton missing most of training camp.
Johnston( concussion) also has been sidelined during the preseason. But even before the injury, there were indications the Chargers weren’t guaranteeing the 2023 first-round pick a steady role in the lineup. General manager Joe Hortiz used a second-round pick on wide receiver Tre Harris and brought back veteran Keenan Allen on a one-year deal. Fellow wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a fifth-round pick in April, impressed in camp.
Johnston was solid last season, racking up 711 yards and eight touchdowns, but the drops that plagued him in 2023 were still a problem.
In Arizona, Johnston would have an opportunity to compete with Greg Dortch and work out of the slot more often than he would in Los Angeles, where Allen and Ladd McConkey would be prioritized. Johnston has signed for the next two years at a total of $4.2 million, which is perfectly reasonable for a third/fourth wideout.”
READ: Chargers 53-man roster projection
Three-way trades are common in the NBA, but are basically unheard of in the NFL. However, if this deal came to fruition, it could start a fun new trend in the league.
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