The Los Angeles Chargers are frequently mentioned in connection with Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.
Andrews previously played under current Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and offensive coordinator Greg Roman in Baltimore. After recent comments from general manager Eric DeCosta, it appears the team is open to moving on from the star tight end sooner rather than later, particularly with the NFL draft approaching.
“I never know what’s going to happen, and I would never want to say this or that, but I can tell you this: Mark Andrews is a warrior, and he’s played his butt off for us, and his competitiveness, his talent, his attitude [and] his leadership is so valued here,” DeCosta said. “He’s a great player, and we’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can, so there’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know. I don’t think we’ve traded many of our own players. Have we ever made a trade during the draft where we traded one of our players?”
Analyst Ready To See Mark Andrews In Los Angeles Chargers Uniform
This caused The Athletic’s Robert Mays to rubber stamp a trade to the Chargers, posting to social media, “If I knew how to use Photoshop, there’d be a jersey swap of Andrews in a Chargers jersey here right now.”
The Chargers could significantly benefit from an upgrade at tight end. While they added Tyler Conklin in free agency, he doesn’t form a truly dynamic duo with Will Dissly. Despite his age, Andrews caught 11 touchdowns last year and is familiar with Greg Roman’s offensive schemes. If the Chargers are willing to absorb his $16.9 million cap hit and can offer a trade package that satisfies the Ravens during the draft, the fit makes sense.
Jim Harbaugh’s offenses often feature tight ends heavily. For much of his time in Michigan, his second top receivers were tight ends. In San Francisco, Vernon Davis was targeted 95 times in his first season with Harbaugh, the second-highest number in his career.
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s Los Angeles Chargers YouTube Channel