Free Agency 2017

Check out their 2017 free agents: LA Chargers tag Melvin Ingram, release DJ Fluker

By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Updated Mar 7, 2017, 7:45am PST

The Chargers may be moving to Los Angeles but not all of their players from 2016 will be coming with them. Here are some of their free agents and potential cap casualties, some of whom may be a fit for the Seattle Seahawks.

Impending Free Agents

Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB *

Franchise Tag

Danny Woodhead, RB

Woodhead is a super fun idea but at 32, coming off serious injury, he’s not exactly the C.J. Prosise insurance that Seattle needs.

Others: QB Kellen Clemens, LS Mike Windt, TE Jeff Cumberland, RB/WR Dexter McCluster, DT Sean Lissemore, RB Ronnie Hillman, CB Robert McClain, DE/DT Damion Square, LB Manti Te’o, S Jahleel Addae, DE/LB Tourek Williams

RFA: Korey Toomer, LB

A fifth round pick in the Seahawks 2012 draft, even Toomer has come on to have a bit of a career, making eight starts for the Chargers last season and recording 71 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, and two passes defensed. He is a restricted free agent, I assume the team will try to hold onto him. An “original round tender” would make Toomer a popular free agent but if they give him a second round tender, it’s likely he’ll return to the Chargers.

Cap Casualties

Brandon Flowers, CB (released)

As a June 1 cut, LA would save $9 million by releasing Flowers. The nine-year veteran missed 10 games last season and hasn’t really played at a great level since 2014. He’s too old for Seattle to really consider him a long-term solution, too risky to consider a short-term solution, and he’s got 31” arms.

DJ Fluker, OG (released)

If the Chargers didn’t cut Fluker before March 9, his $8.8 million salary would have become fully-guaranteed. Now they pay him nothing — Fluker was released on March 7. Fluker has been fine, but do they want to pay him $8.8 million or sign him to a long-term extension based on his four years of play since being the 11th overall pick? He could potentially be in the Seahawks pay range for a good offensive tackle, but he hasn’t been playing tackle and he hasn’t been exceptionally good. He does have massive 36 3/4th” arms and could fit Seattle’s mold, but he’d have to take a team-friendly, one year prove-it deal.

Stevie Johnson, WR (released)

He missed all of 2016 with a torn meniscus. He has been released. I don’t think he would interest the Seahawks in any way. His last 1,000-yard season came in 2012.

Potential Casualties

Orlando Franklin, OG

Franklin is another tackle-turned-guard who could get released and he’s just two years into a five-year deal. I don’t believe the Seahawks will turn to a 30-year-old offensive lineman who wasn’t good enough for the Chargers to keep around.

Antonio Gates, TE

He has already announced his return for 2017 and he’s still playing at a good level at age 36. I don’t think that LAC will be releasing their most popular player as they introduce themselves to LA.

Darrell Stuckey, S

Him also.