Los Angeles Chargers sign OLB Nadame Tucker

Nadame Tucker's signing is a low-risk, low-cost roster-construction move that earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI) — fair value for what amounts to a developmental depth piece rather than any kind of immediate impact player. At roughly $1M AAV on a three-year deal totaling $3.1M, the Chargers are paying replacement-level money for a UDFA edge rusher, which is precisely what this transaction is — a swing on upside with minimal financial exposure. Tucker arrives without a proven NFL track record, so the CVI reflects the inherent uncertainty baked into any undrafted free agent signing at a premium position like OLB, where production has to be earned rather than assumed. The three-year structure is interesting for a player at this tier — it gives the Chargers the runway to develop Tucker through the roster bubble and onto a practice squad if he doesn't crack the 53-man right away, but it also means the team is making a modest long-term bet rather than a pure camp-body flier. With no guaranteed money reported, the contract structure carries essentially zero downside risk, which keeps this from sliding further down the CVI scale — if Tucker flames out, Los Angeles walks away clean. For an 11-6 team with playoff positioning on the line heading into the 2026 season, this kind of depth-and-development signing is exactly the type of offseason housekeeping that fills out a roster without complicating the cap picture.