The Marathon Continues.

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ESPN.com ‣ Los Angeles Chargers Week in Review
Marcellus Kellerman -- ESPN Senior Writer

‣ Chargers sign former Patriots' Malcom Brown and Braxton Berrios, former Huskies McKivitz and Pincney

Los Angeles is getting a dose of the north with former Huskies and Patriots player Malcolm Brown and former Patriot and New York Jets receiver Braxton Berrios signing one-year deals.

Brown and Berrios both played in New England when head coach Brian Flores was an assistant for the Patriots during his first stint with New England. Brown was part of the 2025 Toronto Huskies team as well with general manager Stephon White.

The Chargers also added Toronto's sixth offensive lineman Colton McKivitz who served as an eligible blocking tight end quite often last season and linebacker Michael Pinckney, who started three games for the Huskies

The signings likely wrap up what has been a relatively quiet free agency period for the Chargers despite having $31.3 million in cap space. The offensive line went mostly untouched in a likely attempt to rebuild it through the draft.

‣ Clemson's DE Zellner has 'monster' workout for Chargers

If Chicago does select quarterback Joseph Wentz with their first pick, Los Angeles has zeroed in on who they will select and it might be yet another defensive linemen.

Clemson's defensive lineman Vincent Zellner had an impressive pro day and followed it up with an even more 'monster' performance in his private workout with the Chargers according to someone that was present for the workout.

Zellner weighted in at 308 pounds and was all of six-foot-five at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.73 forty and led all defensive ends with 35 reps. Zellner projects more as a five-technique in the Chargers' 3-4 scheme with new head coach Brian Flores.

‣ Chargers looking to move on from some of highly-paid veterans

The Los Angeles Chargers are reportedly shopping pass rushers Takk McKinley and Julian Okwara along with cornerback Desmond King II.

King is the second highest paid player on the team with $13.9 million due next season while Okwara has a $11.8 cap hit in 2026 and McKinley is in the top ten as well with $8.02 million.

Los Angeles is looking to move them, ideally, before the draft.

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Frederick signing, reasoning gives bit of insight into Chargers' thought process heading into the draft
Kent Curry -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Chargers have signed former Dallas Cowboys starter and all-pro center Travis Frederick to a one-year deal.

Frederick, 35, was on the league's top centers during his prime and the center piece of many great offensive lines for Dallas. The former all-pro now moves into a leadership role on a Los Angeles offensive line that needs all the help it can get.

During a conference call, Chargers' GM Stephon White had this to say on the signing: "Travis [Frederick] is a guy that we felt could come in and sort of stabilize that offense and help out a young quarterback when it comes to setting protections, things of that nature."

Current Chargers starting quarterback Hal Sams is entering his fifth season and is 27, a far cry from being described as a young quarterback. Could White have perhaps tipped his card that the team will have a young quarterback at center next season?

Los Angeles Chargers Signings
CB Donovan Bigby, 5yr/$65 million
C Travis Frederick, 1yr/$5.23 million
S Ashtyn Davis, 2yr/$4.42 million
DT Danny Shelton, 1yr/$1.35 million
DE Chad Thomas, 1yr/$1.95 million
K Michael Badgley, 1yr/$1.88 million
S Karl Joseph, 1yr/$1.05 million
DT Malcom Brown, 1yr/$1.2 million
WR Braxton Berrios, 1yr/$2 million
LT Colton McKivitz, 1yr/$1.27 million
LB Michael Pinckney, 1yr/$780k

Notable Free Agent Signings
QB Gardner Minshew II, 30 | 6'1", 225lbs | 72 overall :: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HB Ezekiel Elliott, 31 | 6'0", 225lbs | 94 overall :: Atlanta Falcons
HB Joe Mixon, 30 | 6'1", 218lbs | 93 overall :: Houston Texans
HB Leonard Fournette, 31 | 6'0", 228lbs | 83 overall :: Detroit Lions
HB Najee Harris, 25 | 6'3", 220lbs | 79 overall :: Los Angeles Rams
HB Travis Etienne, 24 | 6'0", 229lbs | 76 overall :: Minnesota Vikings
HB Sherwin Florence, 24 | 6'0", 229lbs | 76 overall :: Tennessee Titans
WR Hunter Renfrow, 29 | 5'10", 180lbs | 78 overall :: Philadelphia Eagles
WR Willie Paige, 26 | 6'1", 204lbs | 77 overall :: Tennessee Titans
WR Vernon Wilkinson, 26 | 6'4", 221lbs | 77 overall :: Chicago Bears
TE Mike Gesicki, 30 | 6'6", 253lbs | 80 overall :: Philadelphia Eagles
TE Dallas Goedert, 31 | 6'4", 260lbs | 78 overall :: Houston Texans
C Brandon Linder, 34 | 6'6", 315lbs | 81 overall :: Chicago Bears
T Josh Jones, 28 | 6'7", 310lbs | 79 overall :: Tennessee Titans
G Robert Gilmore, 27 | 6'2", 301lbs | 77 overall :: Philadelphia Eagles
G Ben Cleveland, 29 | 6'6", 335lbs | 75 overall :: New York Jets
DE Fletcher Cox, 35 | 6'4", 310lbs | 83 overall :: Dallas Cowboys
DE Javonte Dumas, 26 | 6'5", 294lbs | 82 overall :: New York Giants
DE Arik Armstead, 32 | 6'7", 292lbs | 81 overall :: Indianapolis Colts
DE Zeke Hoskins, 26 | 6'4", 259lbs | 80 overall :: Denver Broncos
DT Sheldon Rankins, 32 | 6'3", 305lbs | 77 overall :: Atlanta Falcons
ILB Bobby Wagner, 35 | 6'0", 242lbs | 78 overall :: Los Angeles Rams
OLB Bradley Chubb, 30 | 6'4", 269lbs | 80 overall :: Seattle Seahawks

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Inside the Front Office with General Manager Stephon White
The 2026 NFL Draft Board

Round 1, Pick 2
Targets: QB Joseph Wentz, South Carolina | LB Clinton Thurman, Alabama | DE Vincent Zellner, Clemson | LT Harmon Knighton, Notre Dame | QB Chase Trent, Michigan
Dream Selection: QB Joseph Wentz :: 6'5", 226lbs, South Carolina :: A+ Throw Power, A Throw Acc Short, A- Throw Acc Mid :: 5.16 40-yd dash (10th QB)

White's notes: Wentz has similar measurables to Trevor Lawrence but not as good of an athlete. Zellner and Thurman are interesting prospects but he's too good to pass up on if he's available at #2.

Round 2, Pick 2
Targets: C Christian McGowan, Washington State | QB Reid Harvey, Utah State | DT Cedric Darius, USC
Dream Selection: C Christian McGowan :: 6'3", 311lbs, Washington State :: A- Run Block, A- Pass Block Power, B+ Impact Blower :: 27 Bench Press Reps (5th C)

White's notes: McGowan is the type of athletic center that we covet as he provides some versatility to perhaps play guard as well. Darius is another possibility here but if we go defensive line in the first round, would be a redundant draft pick.

Round 3, Pick 2
Targets: DT Cedric Darius, USC | CB Samuel Fleming, Michigan State
Dream Selection: CB Samuel Fleming, Michigan State :: 6'2", 205lbs :: B+ Press, B+ Awareness, B- Zone Coverage :: 4.30 40-yd dash (1st CB)

White's notes: An explosive athlete, it would not surprise me one bit if Fleming ends up being the best player in this draft class. He primarily played zone coverage at Michigan State and the transition to the man-heavy scheme that Flores run would be a tough one but he's a good enough athlete to play it.

Other Key Targets: G Kareem Morris [4th Round Projected], T Jacoby Harding [5th Round], HB Tyron Floyd [7th], WR Jaron Medlock [7th]

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LA Chargers pick DE Vincent Zellner at No. 4 in NFL Draft
Since parting ways with franchise signal-caller Philip Rivers after 16 seasons, the Los Angeles Chargers have spent several seasons looking for that next franchise quarterback to lead them back to the playoffs. They'll have to wait some more.

The Chargers traded their number two overall pick in the draft along with a fifth round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the fourth pick in this year's draft, the 36th pick and another first round pick in next year's draft. With the fourth overall pick, the Chargers selected defensive end Vincent Zellner out of Clemson despite quarterback Joseph Wentz remaining on the draft board.

Zellner is a freak athlete, carrying his weight -- 308 pounds -- very well along his athletic, six-foot-five frame. Internally, Zellner drew comparison to Toronto Huskies' defensive end Chase Young due to his ability to create a pass rush from both as an edge rusher and an interior player.

At Clemson, Zellner played mainly as an edge rusher during his junior season but throughout his previous two seasons, Zellner was moved all over the defensive line and should have a similar role in Los Angeles as the Chargers already selected an edge rusher number one overall last season in BYU's Rashard Keaton and veteran Joey Bosa.

The decision to pass on Joseph Wentz not one but twice was reportedly that of general manager Stephon White. The team was prepared to draft Wentz but on draft night, White was apprehensive due to his lack of athleticism that he showed during a private workout.

2026 NFL Draft Selections
1. CHI ‣ LB Clinton Thurman, Alabama
2. ATL ‣ TE Tyler Khalil, Florida (via trade with LAC)
3. IND ‣ S Vaughn Campbell, Indianapolis
4. LAC ‣ DE Vincent Zellner, Clemson
5. NYJ ‣ LB Tyrone Tryon, Tennessee
6. TB ‣ G Brandon Williams, Ohio State
7. DET ‣ OLB Forrest Barr, UCF
8. DAL ‣ CB Cliffton Scroggins, Louisville
9. DEN ‣ WR Terrance Powell, UCF
10. GB ‣ CB Bobby Thomas, Temple
11. NO ‣ DE Jordan Laws, TCU
12. ARI ‣ S Jamille Harding, Tennessee
13. PIT ‣ G Moses Rogers, Boston College
14. LAR ‣ WR Conor Barber, UCLA
15. TEN ‣ S Cedric Prather, Penn State
16. NE ‣ QB Joseph Wentz, South Carolina
17. SF ‣ DE Jerome Pitts, Houston
18. MIA ‣ CB Cam Powers, NC State
19. BAL ‣ WR Austin Groves, Connecticut
20. LV ‣ C Brent Costanzo, Georgia
21. PHI ‣ T Harmon Knighton, Notre Dame
22. NYG ‣ LB Raymond Mooney, Texas a&M
23. HOU ‣ WR Steven Benard, San Jose State
24. JAX ‣ T Darren McDonald, Oklahoma State
25. MIN ‣ CB Kelvin Dawson, Washington
26. TOR ‣ CB Latwan Oden, Syracuse
27. CAR ‣ C Christian McGowan, Washington State
28. KC ‣ WR Floyd Poindexter, Western Michigan
29. CIN ‣ LB Parrish Thurman, Texas A&M
30. SEA ‣ WR Forrest Benjamin, UL Monroe
31. CLE ‣ T Nathan Hanks, San Diego State
32. TOR ‣ OLB Jaden Loud, San Jose State

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Chargers select speedy Michigan State corner Samuel Fleming in second round
Los Angeles Chargers general manager Stephon White has had his eyes on cornerback Samuel Fleming since he saw the Michigan State Spartan return a punt for a touchdown in the Outback Bowl as a sophomore.

"Guys his size don't move that fast," White said, "When you see it, it grabs your attention and I've had my eyes on him for a while now so glad to get him here."

With the first of it's two draft picks in the second round, the Chargers selected Fleming in the second round, much earlier than most draft experts had pegged the six-foot-two cornerback.

Fleming did not play much defensive back at the collegiate level, coming in as a receiver as a true freshman and making the switch as a sophomore. Even during his sophomore season, he mainly played on special teams before a breakout season as a junior saw him declare for the draft. Fleming is a great athlete that still needs to learn the position and will be able to do so behind a few veterans in Donovan Bigby and Desmond King II.

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Defense remains the focus as Chargers add USC defensive linemen Cedric Darius
Despite offensive deficiencies in 2025, the Los Angeles Chargers continue to stack their defense.

With their third pick of the draft and their second of the second round, the team selected defensive tackle Cedric Darius out of USC.

A lengthy and strong defender, Darius is all of six-foot-seven and packs a punch with his huge hands. He played a three technique in USC's four-man front at the college level and is not a natural nose tackle although he does have the strength for it. His versatility in Brian Flores' versatile defense should allow Darius to get on the field early as a rookie even though there might be some duplicity between him and first round pick Vincent Zellner.

A four-year starter at USC, Darius was a captain his last two seasons and led the team in tackles for loss as a senior.

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Bolts trade third round pick, draft Syracuse OT Jacoby Harding in fourth
After trading away their third round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third round pick, the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Syracuse offensive tackle Jacoby Harding in the fourth round.

Chargers fans had to wait four rounds before Los Angeles finally addressed their offense and they did it in a non-flashy way, adding to their offensive line.

Harding is an athletic tackle that doesn't carry a lot -- if any -- bad weight on his frame. His measurables are favorable and could compete right away for a starting job at one of the tackle positions opposite of Tristan Wirfs.

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Chargers draft a quarterback after all in Georgia QB Rashaud Wheaton
With their second pick in the fourth round, the Los Angeles Chargers selected quarterback Rashaud Wheaton out of the University of Georgia.

Wheaton was a two-year starter at Georgia, rushing for over 2,000 yards and throwing for over 6,000 yards in his two seasons as a starter, leading Georgia to a Sugar Bowl victory as a senior.

Widely viewed as a project, Wheaton has some of the physical tools necessary to perhaps play at the next level but it remains a relatively big question mark. He wasn't asked to throw the ball down the field a lot at Georgia and when he did, he wasn't very effective. Instead, he was more efficient in the short passing game as well as when he was able to get outside the pocket and make a play happen.

It remains to be seen if Wheaton will compete for a starting spot or simply be Hal Sams' backup for next season.

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Chargers wrap up draft with selection of Tulsa running back Floyd in fifth round, Medlock in sixth
When in doubt, go with speed. This appear to be the strategy of the Los Angeles Chargers, drafting the fastest players at their respective position with what would be their last picks of the draft.

With the second pick of the fifth round, the Chargers selected Tyron Floyd, a running back out of Tulsa that ran a 4.37 forty at the NFL Combine back in February.

A three-year letterwinner and two-year starter, Brooks has played in 32 career games and has 24 starts during his four seasons at Tulsa. He had 2,700 career rushing yards and 23 TDs which ranks 5th on the school's career rushing chart and his 23 rushing TDs ranks 9th on the school's all-time list. He had 12 career 100+ rushing games and seven multiple TD games.

In the sixth round, the Chargers went with Eastern Washington's wide receiver Jaron Medlock. Medlock ran a 4.35 forty at the NFL Combine, the best among all receivers.

The Chargers traded their seventh round pick to the New England Patriots for next year's fifth and then traded away their second seventh round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for another fifth round pick.

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ESPN.com ‣ Los Angeles Chargers Week in Review
Marcellus Kellerman -- ESPN Senior Writer

‣ Lack of communication between Sams and front office could lead to break up

When the Los Angeles Chargers passed up on Heisman winning quarterback Joseph Wentz in the draft, many took that as a vote of confidence for Hal Sams. This does not appear to be the case after Sams appeared on a local radio show and stated that there hasn't been much communication between the team and himself.

"Not really," Sams answered when asked by the radio host of 103.5 The Wave if he knew of the Chargers draft plans, "There hasn't been much conversations to be honest, you know. I intend to show up and just do my job, I don't really get into those other things."

When pressed on his relationship with the front office, Sams reiterated that he just shows up.

"I really don't get into that stuff," Sams, "They're new and I'm new to them so maybe overtime that line of communication will become more frequent but right now, I'm just a guy on the team trying to do my job."

‣ Chargers tried to trade back into first round to select Wentz

According to a source within the Tennessee Titans front office, they received 'multiple' trade offers on draft night for their fifteenth overall pick from the Los Angeles Chargers. While the insider did not say and could not know who the Chargers would pick, it stands to reason that it might have been for QB Joseph Wentz.

Wentz went sixteenth overall to New England and was the only quarterback selected in the first round. Los Angeles reportedly passed up on Wentz due to 'looking unathletic' in his pre-draft workout.

‣ Denver's D'Eriq King high on Chargers radar should Sams be moved

The Los Angeles Chargers are reportedly interested in Denver Broncos quarterback D'Eriq King.

As an assistant GM for the Toronto Huskies, Stephon White wanted to draft King out of college and wanted to trade for him as a 'gadget' player when he was with the Steelers but the price tag on King got too high once he became a starter for Pittsburgh before eventually joining the Broncos last season.

King missed several games last season due to injury and after a mediocre season, his high price tag could see Denver be willing to walk away from him and try their luck again with Drew Lock. If that does happen, expect the Chargers to be a player.