When the L.A. Chargers drafted Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round last year, I don't think anybody imagined he would have the type of impact he would go on to have as a rookie.
There was a stretch of games where Gadsden really came on, and as a first-year pro, looked every bit of what the Chargers had been missing at the tight end position. Going into Year 2, Chargers fans have had high hopes for the young pass catcher.
But, those high hopes may have been dampened just a little bit.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Chargers have officially agreed to a 1-year contract with veteran tight end David Njoku. The Cleveland Browns icon steps onto just his second team in 10 years.
David Njoku will only help fuel Oronde Gadsden's eventual breakout
On one hand, yes, the real Gadsden breakout will have to wait another year. With Njoku in the fold, Gadsden's target share will go down.
But, the arrival of Njoku is a huge positive for multiple reasons. First off, Njoku finally gets to be part of what we believe will be a winning football team and led by an elite quarterback. Trapped in Cleveland for nine years, Njoku saw some ugly seasons and really never had anything close to top-tier quarterback play.
With Justin Herbert, Njoku is going to have the best quarterback he's ever had, and it isn't particularly close.
Second, the NFL has gone to multiple tight end sets over the last few years. It has rapidly gone from two to three tight ends being on the field, over the past year, as well. So, Njoku fills a big need if the Chargers want to play along.
Having Gadsden and Njoku on the field, at the same time, presents defenses with a massive problem. You have two guys with tremendous size who are also excellent pass catchers. In addition, you've got to try and figure out how to cover Ladd McConkey.
With another breakout hopefully in the works with second-year running back Omarion Hampton, this Chargers offense could be absolutely electric underneath Mike McDaniel.
The more weapons, the better, right? In the grand scheme of things, that's true. It's all about winning football games, and adding Njoku is only going to help the Chargers do that.
Now, the one thing I'll caution Chargers fans with is this: Njoku hasn't played a full season in seven years. He's missed 11 games over the past two seasons due to injury. So, health is an issue.
So, don't count out the importance of having Gadsden ready to go as the team's TE1 at the drop of a hat. Even with Njoku, he could end up being the 1A to Njoku's 1B.
We aren't quite sure how the summer will shake out, but it'll be a huge advantage to have not just one threat at the position, but two.
And, looking ahead beyond 2026, Gadsden is going to benefit from spending a season with Njoku. He has seen quite a bit in nine years. Again, coming from Cleveland, he's been through plenty of adversity. He's been a professional. Being able to learn from Njoku is only going to help fuel Gadsden's career trajectory overall.
Njoku will also draw some attention, leaving Gadsden with some room to work, potentially. And, we haven't even mentioned the signing of Charlie Kolar, who will be another piece of that three tight end puzzle, in helping Gadsden continue to ascend.
It might be a minor step back for Gadsden in the immediate, but on a long-term basis, this is a phenomenal move.
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