Who Should I Start? Durham Smythe or Oronde Gadsden

Thursday, March 6, 2:33 PM

The Chicago Bears signed former Miami Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe to a one-year deal on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The former fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame has played his entire seven-year career with Miami but was released this offseason. Overall, the 28-year-old has hauled in 132 receptions for 1,228 yards and three touchdowns in 112 career games. Smythe is best utilized as a blocker, and with Chicago trading for former Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Jonah Jackson and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney, it's evident they want to improve quickly in run and pass blocking. Smythe could help Chicago's offense in 2025 under new head coach Ben Johnson, but he's unlikely to be on the fantasy football radar.

Friday, November 28, 6:09 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden faces a tough challenge in Week 13 after recording just two receptions for 41 yards on five targets against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. Gadsden's production has declined recently, and he didn't have a red-zone target for the first time in five games, likely because quarterback Justin Herbert has had limited time to throw downfield. The matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders is particularly tough, as they are a top-five defense against tight ends, allowing only three touchdowns to the position all season. Despite the challenging defense and his decreasing downfield numbers, RotoBaller ranks Gadsden as TE6 this week. His quality targets keep him a strong option, but this matchup pushes him to a low-end TE1 with a potentially limited ceiling.