Desmond King trade grade: Titans get excellent value for former All-Pro; Chargers don’t get enough

The Los Angeles Chargers finally moved on from Desmond King, sending the former All-Pro defensive back to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick just prior to the 2020 NFL trade deadline. King was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos due to a “non-injury related” issue, signaling he played his last game in Los Angeles. Here are the trade grades for each team: 

Titans: A

This is a win-win situation for Tennessee, as the Titans only had to part ways with a Day 3 draft pick in exchange for a former All-Pro defensive back that fell out of favor in Los Angeles. The Titans, already having one of the worst pass defenses in the league, get a  major addition with King as head coach Mike Vrabel usually lines up in a nickel defense. King will slide into a secondary that starts Adoree’ Jackson and Malcolm Butler at cornerback along with Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro at safety — providing a major boost as a fifth defensive back. 

King will play out the final year of his contract, but is auditioning for a long-term deal in Tennessee. If the Titans pass defense improves in the second half of the year and the team makes another deep playoff run, King will be back in the fold more many years to come. Vrabel will look to get King back to his All-Pro form from two seasons ago. 

Chargers: D

The Chargers took a sixth-round pick just to move on from King — a First Team All-Pro in 2018 — which is way too low for a player of King’s caliber. King fell out of favor in Los Angeles after a significant drop in playing time over the last two seasons, despite having previous success under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as one of the best slot defensive backs in the game. The Chargers essentially moved on from King this offseason with the free agent signing of Chris Harris Jr., leading to a significant drop in playing time for King and, in turn, frustration from the 2017 fifth-round pick. 

The Chargers couldn’t wait to move on from King as they start a fire sale of trading players on expiring contracts. King wasn’t coming back to Los Angeles, but the Chargers could have received a fourth-round pick for a player of his talent. They just gave King away.