According to Spotrac, the Los Angeles Chargers currently have the worst salary cap situation in the NFL. As a result, they are entertaining trade offers on just about anyone, including veteran WR Keenan Allen. If Allen does get moved, where might he end up, and how would his fantasy football value be impacted?
Potential Landing Spots for Keenan Allen
It still seems extremely unlikely that Allen will end up playing for another team. According to Albert Breer, of the veteran players the Chargers are listening to offers on (Mike Williams, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa), Allen is the least likely to be moved. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to consider which teams might work as a trade partner for the Chargers.
Patriots Desperately Need a WR1
If 2023 is any indication, Allen’s inevitable decline has not yet begun. While we know it’s coming, receivers with Allen’s skill set tend to age better than those who rely more on athleticism. Allen could conceivably continue playing at a high level for another 2-3 years.
With that said, he’s still 32 years old. There’s just no way he would command a first-round pick in a trade.
The New England Patriots haven’t had a true WR1 since Julian Edelman retired. Jakobi Meyers was a solid player, and DeMario Douglas emerged as a nice option last season, but neither should be a team’s top target.
The Patriots have a lot of problems beyond wide receiver, but anytime a team can improve its roster, it should.
With the third-most available cap space, the Patriots can afford to take on Allen’s contract. They also could part with their second-round pick, while keeping their first to draft a quarterback and potentially jumpstart their rebuild.
Acquiring an older player isn’t exactly what the Patriots need. However, if they can hit on their rookie QB and add another relevant piece via free agency, this team could become competitive as soon as 2025, with Allen still part of that.
In New England, Allen’s fantasy outlook would depend largely on quarterback play. Allen may be able to get open at will, but he’s never really experienced what it’s like to not have a viable QB, having played his entire career with Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. If it ends up being Bailey Zappe, or if the rookie struggles, Allen could go from a fantasy WR1 to a WR3 real quick.
Giants Need To Do Better Than Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton
Ever since Odell Beckham Jr. left, the New York Giants have been searching for a WR1. After the debacle that was the Kenny Golladay experiment, New York general manager Joe Schoen was looking to sign a WR1 exactly one year ago. Unfortunately, the free agent class wasn’t particularly great. Therefore, he opted to go out and acquire TE Darren Waller instead.
Waller is still talented, but injuries have caught up with him. As great as he was, he’s still a tight end — not a true WR1. With Allen, the Giants could opt to do this year what they were unable to accomplish last year.
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The Giants have the cap space to take on Allen’s contract. They also pick in a unique spot where they likely won’t be able to get a quarterback. Rather than reach for a QB (much like they did with Daniel Jones), the Giants could trade the pick to the Chargers, along with a later-round selection, in exchange for the Chargers’ first-round pick and Allen.
It sounds as though the Giants are going to give it one more go with Jones. We can be quite confident it’s not going to work out for them, but Jones is definitely capable of keeping Allen’s fantasy value afloat.
Most landing spots will be QB downgrades from Herbert. However, Jones is at least a competent passer, and Allen would be on a team with absolutely no threat to his target volume. He could and should easily see a 30% target share if traded to the Giants.
A move to New York would probably keep Allen out of the WR1 conversation, but he could maintain high WR2 status as the only game in town.
Cardinals Could Let Marquise Brown Walk, Pair Allen with Marvin Harrison Jr.
Right now, it really sounds 50/50 as to whether the Arizona Cardinals will bring back Marquise Brown. If Brown gets a multi-year deal from another team, he will probably leave. Otherwise, a return to Arizona on a one-year contract makes sense.
What if, instead of re-signing Brown, the Cardinals completely revamp their WR corps by trading for Allen, and then drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4 overall?
Allen still looks every bit capable of being a team’s WR1. However, at 32, perhaps he would be more effective in a complementary role. Let Harrison, who is as pro-ready as they come, operate as the primary X receiver. Keep Michael Wilson as the Z, and move Allen primarily into the slot (except in two-WR sets).
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Of the three possibilities floated within, the move from Herbert to Kyler Murray would easily be the smallest downgrade. We’ve already seen Murray support a fantasy WR1 in an aging DeAndre Hopkins. There’s no reason he can’t support two high WR2s in Harrison and Allen.
If the Cardinals opt to go this route, they would have quite a potent offense, allowing both Harrison and Allen to thrive. And on the off-chance that someone snipes Harrison ahead of Arizona, Allen could still be the top option he’s been his entire career.
