Chargers take foolish gamble in trade projections before free agency opens

The Los Angeles Chargers don’t feel like a team about to surrender big resources via trade this offseason despite the wealth of needs across the roster.

Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz, after all, have plenty of their own free agents such as Khalil Mack to worry about. And of the many top wideouts linked to them already, at least two of them will end up free agents.

Alas, that doesn’t stop trade ideas from making the rounds – such as The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher suggesting the Chargers send the No. 86 pick to the Baltimore Ravens for tight end Mark Andrews:

“Changing scenery might not be a bad thing for Andrews, especially if he can land in Los Angeles with another Harbaugh. Greg Roman is the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, and Andrews had some of his best seasons under him in Baltimore. It would be an easy fit for both parties, and Andrews would still play with a top-end quarterback who loves nothing more than throwing the ball down the middle of the field.”

A reunion sounds good on paper – and Andrews just scored 11 touchdowns last season.

But the problems start after those notes. Andrews will also turn 30 years old next September. He’s a $16.9 million cap hit in 2025. Those 11 scores weren’t just his most since 2021 – they were a career-high, effectively making them an anomaly.

The Chargers no doubt need an upgrade at tight end. But inhaling that type of cap hit and coughing up a draft pick doesn’t seem to fit Hortiz’s style right now. They need the cap elsewhere and hit on so many fantastic picks last year (Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey, Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, etc.) that giving them away now might be unwise.

If Andrews hits free agency? This might be a conversation worth having, especially if the cap hit on a contract comes in much lower. But the Chargers continue to be mocked top tight ends in the draft because of how they’ve approached roster building since Harbaugh’s arrival, too.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews — Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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