The LA Chargers made another move in free agency on Friday, signing former New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin to a one-year, $3 million deal. Conklin can earn up to $4.5 million with incentives in 2025.
Conklin is an insurance plan for the Chargers in the situation where Colston Loveland doesn't fall to the No. 22 pick, which seems likely. With Conklin on the roster, the Chargers at least have a pass-catching tight end who can split duties with Will Dissly.
The Chargers filled a roster hole without pot-committing one way or the other and the team might not be done. Despite all the depth signings this offseason, the Chargers still have several roster holes to be filled.
Chargers roster holes that still need to be filled after Tyler Conklin signing:
1. Wide receiver
The Chargers brought Mike Williams back on a one-year deal to bolster the wide receiver room and give Justin Hebert a reliable target at X receiver. While Williams filled at a need at X receiver, he alone is not enough to improve this wide receiver room.
Williams didn't have a great season in 2024 and he is replacing Joshua Palmer on the depth chart. Williams may end up being an upgrade if he can return to his old form but all Chargers fans can hope for at this point is a wash. And if Williams is a wash with Palmer, then the wideout room will have the same struggles it had last season.
Whether it be in free agency or the draft, the Chargers need to add one more receiver who can be a focal point of the offense and take some of the pressure off Ladd McConkey. The Chargers can get by with the current room, but the team won't have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations without more help.
2. Running back
The Chargers signed Najee Harris to be the lead back in 2025 but the team still needs to find his running mate. As much potential as Kimani Vidal appears to have, the Bolts didn't show a ton of faith in him in 2024, so it is hard to see the team bumping him to RB2.
Los Angeles also needs to find a long-term running back who can steer the ship. Harris will help in 2025 but there is no guarantee beyond that as he signed a one-year deal. Like J.K. Dobbins, his stint in Los Angeles could be short.
There so happens to be one of the deepest running back classes in recent history this year and that is what the Chargers are likely gearing up for. There are so many exciting backs in this class, some of which would allow the Chargers to replicate the running back tandem in Detroit that has been so successful.
3. Edge rusher
Re-signing Khalil Mack to a one-year deal was the first move the Chargers made when the legal tampering window opened. Mack instantly quelled any concerns about him leaving, signing a one-year, $18 million contract with the Bolts.
Mack may be back but Joey Bosa is off the team and the Chargers have not brought anyone in to replace him on the depth chart. Realistically, the team has Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree to fill in the gaps but as the Philadelphia Eagles showed everyone, there is no such thing as having too much defensive line depth.
Whether it be in the high rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, a veteran free agent, or even a surprising blockbuster trade, the Chargers have options to bolster the edge-rusher room in 2025. Re-signing Mack shouldn't stop the team from doing that, especially with Mack's future not guaranteed.