Who Should I Start? Durham Smythe or Oronde Gadsden

Saturday, May 30, 8:36 AM

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II had an eye-opening mid-season stretch as a rookie in which he caught 24 passes for 377 yards across four games. While he was unable to maintain that torrid pace down the stretch, he was one of the most popular breakout candidates of the early offseason. Since then, the team has added Charlie Kolar and David Njoku in free agency, and with Gadsden's blocking ability viewed as the primary reason he couldn't stay on the field as a rookie, the increased competition in that regard could make it difficult for him to find a full-time role. Even with the league trending toward heavier personnel usage, new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has not strictly relied on tight ends to get bigger bodies on the field. Only the 49ers ran a higher percentage of plays with a fullback on the field than McDaniel's 2025 Dolphins, and with former Pro Bowler Alec Ingold following his coach West, there's a strong indication that tendency could hold up in Los Angeles. Gadsden has obvious talents that McDaniel will look to take advantage of, but if he's viewed as more of a gadget piece than an every-down mainstay in the Chargers' new offense, it could be difficult for him to live up to his billing as RotoBaller's dynasty TE10.