While Chargers need major WR help, former player signs with Patriots

The Los Angeles Chargers need help at wide receiver; that much is apparent as it headlines the list of possible offseason needs.

So it’s funny when a former Chargers wideout happens to land elsewhere in the NFL right now.

Take, for example, former Chargers wideout Alex Erickson, who just signed a deal with the New England Patriots to join the practice squad in Foxborough.

Erickson, 32, spent last season with the Chargers, signing with the practice squad and eventually working his way up to the active roster. There, he appeared in eight games, catching 16 passes with one touchdown.

Oddly enough, while the Chargers need help at wide receiver, they probably want to wait and see if DJ Chark can actually contribute before going after a former player like Erickson.

Chark hasn’t been able to break on the field at all after finally getting healthy. But that might change in Week 16 and beyond with Jalen Reagor now on injured reserve. Rookie and team receiving leader Ladd McConkey is still playing through multiple injuries, too.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Chargers from Los Angeles Chargers on SI —