Los Angeles received valuable draft capital while offering another glimpse into Chris O’Leary’s vision for his defense.
The Los Angeles Chargers made two trades Sunday that might not have received the most media attention, but they could say a lot about how Chris O’Leary is building his defense.
The Bolts sent unrated free agent cornerback Avery Smith to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 sixth-round pick and defensive lineman TeRah Edwards to the Carolina Panthers for a 2028 sixth-round pick. Both trades are pending physicals.
On the surface, sixth-round picks are hardly guarantees to become contributors, and both Smith and Edwards were fighting for roster spots.
But there is another way to look at it.
The Chargers just turned two undrafted free agents into draft capital, which is significant value.
Smith, in particular, makes the trade somewhat surprising considering how strong his training camp and preseason had been. The young cornerback consistently flashed throughout the summer and appeared to make a legitimate case for a spot on Los Angeles' 53-man roster. He wasn't simply filling snaps. He was making plays.
Smith repeatedly showed the traits that made him intriguing as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo. And now, instead of potentially losing him on waivers, the Chargers have turned him into a 2027 sixth-round pick.
That's a win.
The same can be said for Edwards, a 2025 undrafted free agent out of Illinois. He now gives Los Angeles a 2028 sixth-rounder for a player who was also competing for a roster spot and had a strong preseason.
More importantly, these moves suggest O'Leary has a pretty clear idea of what he wants his defensive personnel to look like.
There is always a temptation to keep every young player who flashes during the preseason. But roster construction doesn't work that way. A player can perform well and still not fit the final vision of a coaching staff.
O'Leary appears willing to make those difficult decisions.
Rather than allowing talented players to reach the waiver wire and potentially losing them for nothing, the Chargers got value from both. That's how good teams build depth over multiple seasons.
And the Chargers did right by both players by giving them a chance to continue their NFL journey's on a 53-man roster, just not in Los Angeles.
Seattle clearly saw enough to surrender a future draft pick for Smith. Now the rookie gets an opportunity to compete for a larger role with the reigning Super Bowl champions, while Los Angeles gets another asset to continue building its roster.
That's an outcome the Chargers should be happy with.
O'Leary appears to understand that his defense doesn't have to be built in one offseason. He can identify the players who fit his scheme, develop them and, when necessary, turn other assets into future ammunition.
The Chargers just did that twice in one day. And if O'Leary's vision for this defense is as clear as these moves suggest, Sunday's trades could end up being another small piece of a much bigger plan.
