BOLT UP! Keenan Allen Is Returning To The Chargers After Toiling On The Bears

I absolutely love this. When they initially shipped out Keenan, I was distraught. He had been with the team for 11 years and outlasted Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley and FINALLY had a chance to play with a real competitor in Jim Harbaugh. All that only to get shipped off because the team couldn't afford their contract. And Keenan, very fairly, didn't want to take a pay cut. So to get Herbert's favorite target back to a very young and inexperienced receiver corps AND give him a chance to actually compete is music to my ears. 

The question now is where he fits into this wide receiver room. Him and Ladd McConkey fill the same role both as a slot man and as WR1. QJ is a disaster and, after him, it is a room of rookies and specialty guys. I have a lot of faith in both Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith (the latter was lights out in the HOF game and has been getting all the deep looks from Herbert in camp) but we've seen nothing from them vs 1st string talent. So my thought process right now is that they push Ladd to more of an outside role, since he is way more capable of it, and let Keenan run the slot. He's older, but his game has never relied on athleticism so I fully believe in his ability to produce. 

The other huge plus is just his presence as a leader and a teacher. He is your favorite receiver's most respected route runner. If he can teach this young group some of his craft, that alone is worth the money. 

For the future, I think the Chargers should say yes to every and any trade the Bears come to them with. 

- Back in 2007, they swapped the 3rd round pick that became Eric Weddle for picks that became Dan Bazuin, Garrett Wolfe, Kevin Payne and Marcus Harrison).

- A few years ago, Poles first trade with the Chargers sent them Khalil Mack (31 Sacks, 9FF, 49 QB hits in 3 years in LA) and a 6th rounder (Scott Matlock) for the pick that became Jaquan Brisker

- Last year, they traded Keenan Allen to the bears in exchange for picks that we're then flipped into Ladd McConkey and Tarheeb Still. And, after a year, they got back Keenan at a huge discount from the previous year.