The Chargers look loaded at tight end on paper, but that kind of depth can turn messy fast.
Los Angeles has Oronde Gadsden back after a strong rookie season, and the team also brought in Charlie Kolar and David Njoku in free agency. That gives the Chargers three players with real value at the position - and, potentially, a tell for defenses if the usage doesn’t stay balanced.
The concern is simple: each tight end brings something different, and that can make the offense easier to read. As ESPN’s Ben Solak put it Tuesday, “A three-headed monster at tight end sounds just fine ... until defenses exploit playcalling tendencies revealed by which tight end(s) is on the field,” Solak wrote. “The Chargers will use all three players, but they would love for one to clearly emerge as a three-down player over the course of August.”
Gadsden has the most upside as a receiver, but that alone won’t lock down the job. Solak said, “Gadsden must show improvements as a blocker in Year 2 to keep his job as the clear No. 1.”
Njoku, meanwhile, gives the group the most complete profile. Solak described him this way: “Njoku is the most balanced of the three players, and though the 30-year-old's best football is likely behind him, he's still a more-than-adequate starter who can win the primary job while Gadsden and Kolar rotate behind him,” Solak writes.
Kolar is also firmly in the picture after signing a three-year, $24 million contract. He comes over after spending time in the Baltimore Ravens' crowded tight end room, and that deal suggests the Chargers expect him to matter.
So yes, the Chargers have depth. The real challenge is making sure that depth becomes an advantage instead of a blueprint for opposing defenses.
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