With the 2023 NFL trade deadline just 27 hours away, your Los Angeles Chargers' front office had better be making a flurry of phone calls as the club prepares for the second half of its season.
At 3-4, the Bolts remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race. With superstar quarterback Justin Herbert coming off his best game of the season (he passed for 298 yards, while completing 31-of-40 attempts, three touchdowns and no interceptions), it would really behoove LA to capitalize on what's looking like a true franchise QB.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic believes Herbert's offensive arsenal could be improved by shoring up the tight end position, specifically with Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (among a few other candidates Popper singles out).
"Oliver has emerged as one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the league," Popper writes. "He was stellar in that phase when the Vikings played the Chargers in Week 3. Minnesota, though, has clawed its way back into the NFC North picture after an 0-3 start, so this could be a long-shot option. The Vikings signed Oliver to a three-year, $21 million deal this offseason, but he does not have any guaranteed money left on his deal after this year, according to Over the Cap. He is exactly the type of tight end the Chargers need, if the Vikings are willing to listen."
Starting Los Angeles tight end Gerald Everett has been dealing with a hip ailment, and a healthy Oliver would certainly abet Herbert's scoring punch.
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