San Diego Chargers wise to try and keep Ladarius Green, even if it’s unlikely
Arguably the two most important impending free agents on the San Diego Chargers this offseason are tight ends Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green. One is a legend well into his 30s who might only have one season left in him, whereas the latter remains one of the league’s most promising young tight ends despite an injury-induced down year.
I’ve seen some on Twitter suggest that the San Diego Chargers should keep Antonio Gates (a wise decision, since he should be a Charger until he retires, though I’m sure Kansas City Chiefs fans will note that these things don’t always happen, as they saw with their own legendary TE in Tony Gonzalez), let Ladarius Green walk, and draft a new TE to be Gates’s heir apparent.
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This doesn’t strike me as a wise decision. For a team like the Chargers with a myriad of needs on defense, question marks on the offensive line, and a desire to add another true outside receiver who can help Keenan Allen out, spending draft artillery on a tight end doesn’t make much sense. Drafting TEs is hit-or-miss, and why should the Chargers burn a pick when they can re-sign a perfectly good TE who has even more upside than this year’s draft prospects at the position?
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I’m glad to hear that, as per the U-T San Diego’s Michael Gehlken, Chargers GM Tom Telesco will meet with Green next week, and it’s even more pleasant to hear Telesco say that the team would like to keep him around.
Green might not be cheap and would probably love to test the open market after being cooped up behind Gates for the last couple of seasons, but the Chargers can’t let him leave without a fight. If he asks for an exorbitant salary, perhaps spurned on by the contract Garrett Celek received from Chip “I love blocking TEs and Celeks” Kelly’s San Francisco 49ers, then the Chargers should walk away from him.
However, if he’s willing to take a reasonable deal, then the Chargers need to keep him. Philip Rivers is already wanting for weapons, and the explosive, 6’6″ 25-year-old is indeed a weapon. No, his 37/429/4 line last season wasn’t particularly impressive, and he hasn’t come close to breaking out despite the mouth-watering potential he’s flashed on multiple occasions over the past three years. That said, he wasn’t bad either, and the injury issues indicate that bigger things are on the horizon.
Maybe the last thing the Chargers would want to see is a young, talented product like Green leave in free agency, only to sign with a team like the New Orleans Saints and shine in a bigger role with a different star QB in an offense that makes his athletic tools more of a focal point.
Of course, the Chargers have to tread carefully here, since it is easy to end up overpaying for upside. But with tight end such a thin position around the league, players with Green’s natural talent in the passing game are generally in high demand on the open market. Jared Cook, Jordan Cameron, and Charles Clay all made over $7 million per season on the deals they most recently signed, but Cook has been released, Cameron could soon follow him, and Clay’s contract was built so that the Buffalo Bills could poach him away from the rival Miami Dolphins in restricted free agency.
Those three contracts, though, illustrate the point that young, dynamic tight ends get paid. It’s more likely Green gets around $5-6 million per season on the open market, and that’s the kind of money he deserves. Ideally, teams around the league would sign him to a prove-it deal, but since the Chargers want him as a long-term starter once Gates goes, a multi-year contract makes more sense for San Diego.
That can complicate things, and Green would likely need to feel comfortable with his chances of being “The Guy” after Gates is gone and in his role before then. If the Chargers can’t provide that, the chances of them re-signing him decrease severely, and he becomes a free agent.
We could just as easily see the Chargers take 2016 to transition from the old guard to the new, giving Green more playing time, at least initially, than Gates if both are retained. The dynamic between these two tight ends could dictate Green’s chances of returning, but given how much tight ends are making in recent contracts, anything around the $5-6 million range should be reasonable for San Diego.
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With a weak draft class, weak free agent class, and more emphasis on hyper-athletic TEs than ever before, Green has enough leverage to off-set the fact that his production hasn’t nearly matched his hype. This makes it difficult for the Chargers to retain him, but there’s no reason to believe that it’s a lost cause.