After adding former Ravens running back Gus Edwards on Monday, the Chargers struck a second time, adding former Seahawks tight end Will Dissly.
According to reports, Los Angeles signed Dissly to a three-year, $14 million contract. $10 million of that money is guaranteed in the first two seasons of the deal.
The 27-year-old Dissly was released by Seattle last week as the Seahawks prepared their cap sheet for free agency, which means that his signing with the Chargers does not affect the compensatory pick formula. That’s an important tidbit given how much of an emphasis new general manager Joe Hortiz has placed on gathering compensatory picks, a hallmark of his time in Baltimore.
Widely regarded as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, Dissly was ranked as the third-best run blocker from the tight end spot in 2023. He trailed only George Kittle and Charlie Woerner, both of the 49ers. Woerner signed a 3-year, $12 million contract with the Falcons earlier on Monday.
It’s a welcome change for the Chargers, who endured the 54th, 71st, and 80th run-blocking grades of 81 qualified tight ends a season ago. Gerald Everett (54th) is a free agent, although Los Angeles could elect to bring him back in more of a receiving role if the money is right. Donald Parham (71st) and Stone Smartt (80th) are due to return in 2024 but could end up being the receiving options if Los Angeles does not return Everett.
It also likely takes LA out of the running for Georgia’s Brock Bowers, a popular, if waning, mock draft selection for the Chargers. The allocation of a tight end with $10 million guaranteed and a top-flight draft pick, with the other holes on the roster, feels like an unwise investment. Los Angeles will likely target a tight end further down the draft board, like Penn State’s Theo Johnson or Colorado State’s Dallin Holker, to pair with Dissly.
Originally a fourth-round selection out of Washington, Dissly proves that tight ends who can block can carve out lengthy careers in the NFL. For the Chargers to secure him for mid-market money without losing a potential compensatory pick is a win for Los Angeles, which needs moves around the margins like this to pan out if they’re going to be competitive in the short term. Dissly, as long as he stays healthy, should get them closer.