Joe Hortiz inherited a salary cap mess when he joined the Chargers as General Manager. They began the offseason $22.1 million over the 2024 salary cap.
Four big moves helped them get under the $255.4 million cap: Edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack accepted pay cuts; receiver Mike Williams was cut; and receiver Keenan Allen was traded.
“We had four great players with great contracts in terms of great volume, great money,” Hortiz said, via Eric Smith of the team website. “We had to address that, and we approached it in the sense of we respect all four players, value all four players and know that all four players can help us win.
“But the reality of it is: Given the cap and the situation that we’re in the likelihood of all four players coming back and us being able to build depth and a complete team, that wasn’t a realistic end result. We were going to have to make moves, and we weren’t locked in to any two players throughout the process.”
The trade of Allen hurt, though the Chargers got the 110th overall pick in return from the Bears.
Allen is a six-time Pro Bowler and ranks second to Antonio Gates in franchise history with 904 catches and 10,530 yards. He was the longest-tenured player on the roster.
“Yeah, I knew who I was trading,” Hortiz said of Allen’s resume. “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.
“It’s always difficult for a player like him certainly, but it creates an opportunity for other players to step up. Again, we’re not done building that room out so we’re going to look to continue to add pieces to that room.”
Hortiz said the Chargers approached Allen and his reps with “multiple different options and just none of them worked out.” Allen had no interest in a pay cut after a career-best season.
“I think when you’re talking about trading Keenan specifically, yeah that’s not a decision you make with no acknowledgment of, ‘This is a talented…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-hortiz-difficulty-trading-keenan-205756166.html
Author : ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-03-21 20:57:56
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