It might not be the biggest need for the LA Chargers this offseason but tight end is certainly going to be on the team's radar. Jared Cook is hitting the open market this offseason and Tom Telesco himself said that he views the tight end room as incomplete.
David Njoku was a popular candidate for the Bolts among the fanbase but after reports that the Cleveland Browns are willing to pay Njoku over $10 million, it seems that he is priced out of LA as a target. However, the tight end market is deep and an NFL Hall of Famer sees another tight end heading to the Bolts.
Former Cowboys executive, Hall of Famer, and current NFL.com Senior Analyst Gil Brandt named the Chargers as a fit for Cowboys free-agent tight end, Dalton Schultz. Schultz stated the following:
"As I wrote last week, the Chargers must do everything they can to support Justin Herbert. Schultz is coming off a career year, and while the Cowboys might tag him, he's not an absolute lock to return, with pass-rusher Randy Gregory also heading for the market and Dallas facing a tricky cap situation. Schultz sure could make life easier for Herbert as a replacement for veteran free agent Jared Cook. Last season, Schultz bested Cook in receiving yards (808 to 564), receiving TDs (eight to four), passer rating when targeted (118.6 to 74.6) and catch rate over expectation (+3.7% to -4.9%, per Next Gen Stats). He was also a bit more surehanded, credited by PFF with just three drops, as opposed to Cook's seven, which were the most in the NFL by a tight end."
As Brandt points out, the numbers do not lie when it comes to Schultz vs. Cook. Schultz had the better season and his big increase in yardage and touchdowns was not the result of significantly more targets as Schultz had just 21 more targets.
Schultz is not a great blocker but it is not like he would be replacing someone who is a great blocker. Cook is a worse blocker than Schultz and the team has a young, elite blocking tight end in Tre' McKitty that can help on the outside of the line of scrimmage.
The one thing that could keep the LA Chargers from signing Dalton Schultz is money.
Just like with David Njoku, it is hard to see the LA Chargers signing Dalton Schultz because of the price tag. Schultz is actually projected to get a bigger salary than Njoku as PFF projects the tight end to get a four-year, $52 million contract.
The Chargers did not want to pay Hunter Henry market value last offseason and this would be an even larger AAV than what Henry got. Unless the Chargers had a significant change of tune in a year's time, a tight end for $13 million seems unlikely.
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At this price, it might be better for the team to sign David Njoku for $2-3 million less. While Schultz undoubtedly is a great tight end, Njoku is a dynamic athlete that is also a better blocker than Schultz. If the Bolts are considering Schultz then they should be considering Njoku first.