March 9, 2026, 4:08 p.m. PT
The Chargers made one notable external signing at the outset of free agency on Monday, making former Raven Charlie Kolar the highest-paid blocking tight end in the league with a 3 year, $24.3 million deal to bring the former fourth-round pick to Los Angeles.
Kolar has an obvious connection to the Chargers front office, as general manager Joe Hortiz had a hand in drafting him in Baltimore when Hortiz was an executive there before making his move to LA. Kolar has also played his entire career under John Harbaugh, the brother of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
LA is moving to a more outside-zone and wide-zone-heavy run game under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, so the fit may not be as obvious as it was when the Chargers brought over a number of former Ravens over the last two offseasons to play in former coordinator Greg Roman’s offense. But wide-zone teams require strong and agile blockers at tight end, because those players are the end man on the line of scrimmage when lined up in-line. That frequently turns the tight end into a lead blocker on many run concepts in McDaniel’s scheme.
McDaniel has always had a bigger tight end to handle these duties in the mold of former 49er and Falcon Ross Dwelley. The Chargers didn’t have a player on the roster who was an obvious fit for that role: Oronde Gadsden II is more of a receiving, Darren Waller-esque tight end and Tucker Fisk is a bulkier and less movable Y-tight end who was more of a power player in Roman’s offense last year.
Adding Kolar and fullback Alec Ingold, who followed McDaniel to Los Angeles after being released by the Dolphins over the weekend, reshapes what the Chargers can do from a personnel standpoint. After playing the majority of their snaps in 11 personnel (3 receivers on the field), LA will lean much more heavily into 12- and 21-personnel with Kolar and Ingold to create more explosive plays in the run game and open up more space through the air.
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It also knocks a draft need down or off the board for the Chargers, a crucial consideration given that LA only has 5 selections and was not awarded any compensatory picks this season. Los Angeles may still look for a TE3 on Day 3, like Eli Raridon from Notre Dame or Dae’Quan Wright from Mississippi, to fill out the room, but they could just as easily keep Fisk in that role via the restricted free agent tender or sign a similarly cheap depth piece, a la the Tyler Conklin contract last offseason.
That becomes doubly important considering LA lost guard Zion Johnson to the Browns and edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Commanders, which puts those two positions at the top of the draft board as April approaches.