The Biggest Question Nobody Is Asking About the Chargers...And How They Answer It

Here's a question many aren't asking about the Chargers for training camp.

Oronde Gadsden | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Major questions chase the Los Angeles Chargers into training camp this summer.

Will a new Mike McDaniel offense actually be able to squeeze the most out of quarterback Justin Herbert? Will a high-profile rookie draft pick like Jake Slaughter actually be able to make the transition from center to guard and lock down a starting role?

What about defense? Will new coordinator Chris O’Leary be able to keep things humming after Jesse Minter’s departure? Will the willingness to let Odafe Oweh walk in free agency be counteracted by the quick pro transition for first-round pick Akheem Mesidor? 

And that’s just gently going over the biggest items while skipping a few others. 

There are also some lesser-known questions that could end up being big deals by the time the regular season arrives. 

One big overlooked Chargers training camp question 

David Njoku | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Call it an uncomfortable question: 

What happens at tight end?

Exiting free agency, the answer seemed obvious: Oronde Gadsen will be the locked-in No. 1 option, with free-agent arrival Charlie Kolar more of a blocker. 

Then the Chargers added David Njoku late in the process. 

Sure, Njoku is 30 years old now and has an air of being “washed” after some down statistical years. 

But…Njoku was surrounded by mediocrity on the Browns. And he’s a balanced combination of Gadsden’s pass-catching abilities and Kolar’s blocking. And he could be a breakout with a quarterback like Herbert and a coordinator like McDaniel. 

ESPN’s Ben Solak recently noted, too, that Gadsden still needs to prove himself as a blocker. 

"But Gadsden must show improvements as a blocker in Year 2 to keep his job as the clear No. 1. Complicating the room is the late-summer addition of veteran tight end David Njoku on a one-year, incentive-laden contract. Njoku is the most balanced of the three players…" Solak wrote. 

Gadsden broke onto the field with Herbert last year and developed a rapport quickly. But it’s an upward trend that will need to continue. Before adding Njoku, he was unopposed for starter reps and free to keep developing on the fly. 

In the interests of depth and winning now, though, Njoku is in town and quietly boasts some huge upside. One could argue that if he breaks out, it could slow down Gadsden’s rise as a pro. 

An uncomfortable question, but a good problem to have, too, if you’re a contending team like the Chargers. While the spotlight will focus on other roster battles, training camp could pretty quickly show that more folks need to be zooming in on what’s happening at the tight end spot on the depth chart, too. 

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