Oronde Gadsden was planned for more Week 1 usage and is expected to be more involved against the Raiders if game flow allows.
Mike McDaniel: “The way the game went, it didn't play out that way. Every week, we try to keep the opponent off balance by different ways to utilize people. I expected for him to get more; the game didn't play out. But moving forward, this game in particular, we plan on utilizing his skill set. I would expect him to be more involved outside of the unforeseen situation where the game and the parameters with which you're playing it change.”
Kolar was the only Chargers tight end to play every snap with the starters. Kolar and David Njoku were among the starters who sat out the first preseason game, while Oronde Gadsden played, providing the first indication that Gadsden was third on the depth chart. In the second preseason game, Kolar and Njoku played two drives, one with Justin Herbert and one with Trey Lance. They shared the field for four snaps out of 12 personnel. Kolar played both snaps out of 11 personnel and out-snapped Njoku two to one in 21 personnel. Gadsden didn’t enter until the third drive, after Kolar and Njoku were done for the night. In this game, the Chargers played only four snaps with the starters. Two came out of 12 personnel, with Kolar and Njoku again serving as the two tight ends. Kolar played the only snap out of 21 personnel, providing further evidence that he is the top tight end in that grouping. The Chargers also ran one play out of 13 personnel, with all three tight ends on the field. That was notable because Los Angeles used 13 personnel only 21 times last season, while offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins used it only 10 times. The league has generally shifted toward more 12 and 13 personnel, and the Chargers could follow that trend. Kolar and Njoku were done after those two drives, while Gadsden continued playing. Notably, the Chargers never faced a third-and-medium or third-and-long during the three preseason drives featuring their top tight ends. Before the preseason, those appeared to be the most likely situations for Gadsden to see the field, so it remains possible that he is part of the Chargers’ plans in passing situations and we simply haven’t had a chance to see it. If that isn’t the case, and Kolar is the primary tight end in 11, 12 and 21 personnel, he has a chance to finish as a top-12 fantasy tight end given the quality of the Chargers’ offense, his projected playing time and his success as a receiver in a limited sample.
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