analyst
Keaton Mitchell Could be Low-Cost Trade Target
Keaton Mitchell could be a breakout candidate in 2026 due to a clearer path to carries with the Chargers
Oronde Gadsden
TE · LAC · 23 yrs · exp 1 · Syracuse
Status
- Game status
- Active
Keep Trade Cut (SF TEP)
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
Value
3,966
Rank
#97
Pos rank
#10
7d trend
-0.6% (7d vs prior)
Value history (90d)
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 3,966
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
analyst
Backfield Kombat!!! | 2026’s High-Stakes Training Camp Battles to Watch
Training camp battles loom for several teams, particularly at tight end for the Chargers with additions of Charlie Kolar and David Njoku alongside returning Oronde Gadsden. In Carolina, Chuba Hubbard faces competition from a healthy Jonathon Brooks for the starting running back job. Meanwhile, the Browns will see Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders competing for the starting quarterback position
general
Chargers News: Bears TE Colston Loveland expected to be drafted by Bolts
Good morning, Chargers fans! In a recent interview done on the popular Youtube show Bussin’ With The Boys, Bears tight end Colston Loveland admitted that he thought he was going to be drafted by the Chargers and reunited with his college head coach, Jim Harbaugh. In the end, Loveland never made it all that close to the Chargers at No. 22 (he was drafted No. 10) and has since found his role with Chicago as one of the up-and-coming young players at the position in the NFL. Loveland and Justin Herbert sounded like a great match in the pros, but the Bolts eventually found their own young star at tight end in Oronde Gadsden II four rounds later. Seems like it all worked out in the end for both teams. And now for today’s links. Who is the Chargers’ most important newcomer this season? (Chargers.com) Bears tight end Colston Loveland says he expected to be draft by the Chargers (Chargers Wire) What would it take for the Chargers to trade away some of their best players? (Charger Report) The Chargers should take a swing and trade for this cornerback before the season begins (Bolt Beat) These players dropped out entirely of this year’s NFL Top 100 rankings (ESPN) George Pickens will play on his franchise tag during the 2026 season (CBS Sports) These are the biggest remaining roster issues for each AFC team entering training camp (NFL.com) Rookies for the Seahawks begin to report today for training camp (Pro Football Talk) Ranking all of the starting quarterbacks ahead of training camp (Sports Illustrated) These overlooked rookie running backs are players you should keep an eye on (Bleacher Report)
analyst
Charlie Kolar has Untapped Pass-Catching Potential
Charlie Kolar has untapped pass-catching potential, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper
TE · LAC
general
Chargers’ Oronde Gadsden earning preseason recognition from scouts, execs
Oronde Gadsden II received votes by anonymous scouts and execs as a top 10 tight end in the league via ESPN
analyst
Justin Herbert Has the Tools Around Him to Outperform His Current Redraft ADP
Justin Herbert could outperform his current redraft ADP with the tools around him
TE · LAC
transaction
FA: Oronde Gadsden dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Oronde Gadsden
analyst
Can Keaton Mitchell Carve Out a Large Enough Role for a Fantasy Breakout?
Keaton Mitchell's potential for a fantasy breakout with the Chargers
general
4 Chargers position battles that get underway in OTAs
Justin Herbert returned in time for OTAs this and Chargers have now begun their next step of the offseason calendar. Helmets are on and the team is ramping up their activity and preparation This offseason, the Chargers added veteran nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to the defensive tackle room. He’s a bonafide run-stopper with a surprising amount of success as a pocket-pusher over the years. After a down year with the Cardinals this past season, the hope is that Chargers’ coaching staff can once again get him back on the right track. Tomlinson joins a room with current incumbents Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell , on top of new fifth-round draft pick Nick Barrett. This room went from fairly shallow to basically at capacity. Add in former fourth-round pick Justin Eboigbe and this group is all of a sudden the most competitive on the team. Eboigbe showed some real improvement as a pass rusher in 2025. Caldwell also had his fair share of splash plays. The Bolts used an early pick on day three with Barrett for a reason. All of this is to say that, even with O’Leary expected to continue a rotation up front along the interior, there’s still only going to be so many snaps to go around. Tart will get everything he can handle after being signed a big extensions earlier this year, but the rest of the opportunities to come this year will surely be hard to come by. The tight end duo of Oronde Gadsden II and Charlie Kolar looked like an ideal 1-2 punch at the position once the latter was signed in free agency. The addition of veteran David Njoku all of a sudden muddies up the role and snap share of the two incumbents. Njoku is a tried-and-true starting tight end with a ton of experience in the league as the #1. Will he immediately unseat Gadsden as the presumed starter for the Chargers? Will he take some two-tight end snaps away from Kolar? A third body gives Mike McDaniel a third skillset to mix and match with his multi-tight end sets and we have to assume he’s going to take full advantage of that. The selection of Genesis Smith in this year’s draft immediately creates competition in a safety room that also needs to get younger. The Bolts selected R.J. Mickens in the seventh round of the 2024 draft and re-signed veteran Tony Jefferson this offseason. There are bodies here, but no one apart of Derwin James is going to be locked into the starting lineup. Even Elijah Molden isn’t safe. His play was very middling for most of 2025 and I believe the Chargers are preparing for him to potentially have hit his peak. Mickens flashed as a rookie, but Jefferson did the same at his advanced age. Both are valuable as depth, but does that make either of them and their potential snap shares safe from Smith’s addition? The latter was drafted for his rangy, free safety skillset which is in contrast to both Jefferson and Mickens. Can the latter two fend off the rookie for at least a season? We’re saving the best for last. Trevor Penning, Kayode Awosika , and Jake Slaughter are the three prominent names who should be duking it out for the role of starting at left guard. Right guard already seems to be secured by Cole Strange due to his experience in McDaniel’s system. Thus far in OTAs, it’s Awosika getting first-team reps with Trevor Penning reportedly not in attendance as of now. That may leave people questioning why Slaughter isn’t getting the first-team reps after being the Chargers’ second-round pick this year, but remember he’s hasn’t played a snap of guard since high school. Awosika is the veteran in this situation and it’s best for the offense to hit the ground running as much as possible right now and slotting the rookie in there would slow things down ever so much. Once all competitors are in the building, prepare for things to really take flight. Penning will fight like hell to earn a spot after the Saints sent him away. The former first-rounder has always played with a massive chip on his shoulder and the last thing he’ll do is keel over fo [... truncated ...]
general
Oronde Gadsden II is the Chargers’ best-kept secret
I think I can, without a doubt, say that second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden II is one of the most exciting Chargers fans are looking forward to watching in 2026 after a great rookie season. He became a dangerous weapon for Justin Herbert once he cemented himself in the team’s starting lineup and will once again be looked upon to make plays under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Even with the host of other under-the-radar players across the Chargers, including some of their free-agent signings this offseason, Gadsden was actually named the team’s best-kept secret by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski. Here’s what the analyst had to say: “ Oronde Gadsden II has always been a weapon in the passing game. At Syracuse, the tight end/oversized wide receiver posted two 900-plus yard seasons when healthy. The fact Gadsden entered the Los Angeles Chargers’ lineup as a rookie and caught 49 passes for 664 yards came as no surprise whatsoever. “ “ The 165th overall pick in last year’s draft should expect a bigger workload this fall. “ “ First, Keenan Allen hasn’t re-signed, which frees up 122 targets. Also, the organization brought in veteran tight end David Njoku on a one-year deal to be the primary in-line option. The Chargers can lean heavily on 12 personnel without losing any playmaking thanks to Gadsden and Njoku’s capabilities. “ “ The former has the potential to become Justin Herbert’s new security blanket and control the middle of the field. “ Gadsden was always going to be expected to take that next step in his sophomore season. That notion only gained further momentum when the Chargers added Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator. However, the additions of tight ends Njoku and Charlie Kolar were not made without the idea that both would also be used as receiving threats, even if the latter is deemed one of the best blocking players in the league at his position. Still, as Sobleski highlighted above, Keenan Allen ’s absence from the offense means there’s well over 100 looks left on the table. The expectation remains that Gadsden is likely to lead the room in production by the end of the year, but now the Bolts have three very reliable players to be utilized in a number of ways. And heck, don’t be surprised to see all three of them on the field at the same time quite a bit throughout the season
TE · LAC
TE · LAC
general
Chargers agree to terms with David Njoku
Pro Football TalkSource ↗
Veteran tight end David Njoku has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $8 million. Njoku, a 2017 Pro Bowl selection, spent his previous nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, where he recorded career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns in 2023. He joins a Chargers offense that also features tight end Oronde Gadsden
TE · LAC
analyst
Oronde Gadsden - Joined by Njoku
sleeper-rotowire+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Gadsden faces increased competition for snaps and targets in 2026 after free agent David Njoku agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Gadsden broke out as a rookie fifth-round pick last season, totaling a 49-664-3 receiving line over 15 regular-season games at just 22 years old. While Gadsden remains primed to take a step forward in his development in Year 2, Los Angeles inked blocking specialist Charlie Kolar to a three-year deal at the outset of free agency, and Njoku's arrival now makes for a crowded TE room. Gadsden, a 6-foot-5, 236-pound converted wide receiver, boasts a similar frame and skill set to Njoku, a nine-year veteran and off-the-charts athlete who totaled a career-high 81-882-6 receiving line in 2023 but struggled with injuries over the last two seasons and was overtaken by rookie Harold Fannin with the Browns in 2025. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel relied heavily on multi-TE sets during his four-year stint with the Dolphins, and the Chargers have little proven production at WR behind Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, so a path exists for both Gadsden and Njoku to operate as top targets for QB Justin Herbert
analyst
Justin Herbert One of Fantasy's Biggest Offseason Winners
Justin Herbert is poised for a big season as the Chargers have replaced offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Mike McDaniel and added veteran tight end David Njoku. With a talented group of pass catchers including Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre' Harris, Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Njoku, and Oronde Gadsden, and improvements to the offensive line, Herbert's dynasty value is expected to soar. He is considered a strong buy at his current QB9 ranking
analyst
David Njoku Signing With Chargers on One-Year Deal
sleeper-rotoballerSource ↗
Veteran TE David Njoku has signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. After nine seasons with the Browns, Njoku saw reduced stats in 2025 due to rookie Harold Fannin Jr.'s emergence. In LA, he joins a crowded receiving corps and could be a late-round best ball target. This move may delay Oronde Gadsden's ascent to the starting TE role
TE · LAC
trade
Trade: Oronde Gadsden, Bryce Young, Dontayvion Wicks
sleeper-tx-trade+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Chicago/MSU League trade — Chase Calebs Bijan TeeTee received: Dontayvion Wicks and Oronde Gadsden. The Bloodline received: Bryce Young
TE · LAC
transaction
Waiver: Oronde Gadsden added
sleeper-tx-waiver+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Adds: Oronde Gadsden
TE · LAC
transaction
Waiver: Oronde Gadsden added
sleeper-tx-waiver+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Adds: Oronde Gadsden
TE · LAC
transaction
Waiver: Oronde Gadsden added, Noah Gray dropped
sleeper-tx-waiver+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Adds: Oronde Gadsden. Drops: Noah Gray
TE · LAC
transaction
Waiver: Oronde Gadsden added
sleeper-tx-waiver+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Adds: Oronde Gadsden
TE · LAC
transaction
FA: Oronde Gadsden added, Jermaine Burton dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+2 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Adds: Oronde Gadsden. Drops: Jermaine Burton
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.