Tag: Tre McKitty

Chargers sign TE Nick Vannett to active roster

The Chargers shored up the tight end room.

After waiving tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday, the Chargers wasted no time in bolstering the depth chart. Per Aaron Wilson, Nick Vannett was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.

The move comes after a few weeks of rather poor blocking performances from both Tre’ McKitty and Stone Smartt. McKitty was also a healthy scratch prior to the Chiefs game. Vannett will at least be given some opportunity to show off what he can do in the blocking department.

Vannett’s last full season with over 20+ pass blocking and 100+ run blocking snaps was in 2021. With the Saints, he scored a 75.8 PFF grade as a pass blocker and a 55.1 PFF grade in run blocking last year. In 2022, his numbers dipped a bit with the Saints and he was cut for cap reasons during the season. However, his numbers did rebound closer to his 2021 status quo in the second half of the season with the Giants.

Vannett will be tasked with being one of the tight ends to stabilize the blocking on the unit currently. The Chargers’ run success rates have decreased due to both relative drops in team blocking and running back efficiency.

The roster is brought back to 53 with the signing of Vannett following yesterday’s waive of McKitty. The Chargers will also likely need to make two more roster cuts for Jalen Guyton and Otito Ogbonnia to be activated off of the PUP list and formally return against the Jets on Monday night.

Chargers waive TE Tre’ McKitty

The Chargers are cutting ties with their 2021 third-round pick.

The Chargers waived tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday.

McKitty, the former third-round pick out of the 2021 NFL draft, appeared in 34 games (12 starts) across three seasons. They selected him with the intent of being a reliable blocker, but it never came to fruition.

McKitty wasn’t serviceable in the passing game, either. He had 12 catches on 26 targets for 117 yards.

With McKitty gone, Gerald Everett, Donald Parham and Stone Smartt make up the tight end room. To fill the void, L.A. could call up Nick Vannett from the practice squad.

A third-round pick by the Seahawks in 2016, Vannett has 90 receptions for 874 yards and six touchdowns in his career.

If they don’t promote Vannett, that empty roster spot could be for either wide receiver Jalen Guyton or defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia, who will soon be activated off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.

PFF: Chargers’ worst offensive players in preseason loss vs. Saints

Here are the worst-graded players on the offensive side of the ball, per Pro Football Focus.

The Chargers lost to the Saints in the second preseason game of 2023, 22-17.

Along the way, they had some key contributors on offense, but there were some who did not help as much. Here are the worst-graded players on that side of the ball, per Pro Football Focus.

8 Chargers players to watch vs. Rams in preseason Week 1

While most starters won’t play in the preseason, there are still Chargers players to watch on Saturday against the Rams.

We’re just two days out from the Chargers’ 2023 preseason debut against the Rams at SoFi.

While several high-profile starters won’t play considering how Brandon Staley normally operates in the preseason, there are still plenty of storylines and players to follow on Saturday.

5 Chargers players who need to improve in 2023

Highlighting five Chargers players who need to take a step forward in 2023.

The Chargers are looking to be aggressive and make a strong push this season.

They have plenty of talent to make it happen, but it’s a collaborative effort and there are some players who need to improve to bring success.

Here are five players who need to show some strides in 2023.

Chargers 2023 roster review: TE Gerald Everett

Gerald Everett should continue to be a vital piece in the passing game in his second season with the Chargers.

The 2023 season is just a month away, and with weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before the start of the team’s training camp.

The Chargers found a consistent safety net for quarterback Justin Herbert to target last year when they acquired tight end Gerald Everett in free agency ahead of the 2022 season.

Everett finished with career-highs in receptions (55) and receiving yards (555) in 2022. The 29-year-old tight end benefited from both wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missing four-plus games last season.

Everett enters the 2023 season in a crowded pass-catching group after the addition of first-round pick Quentin Johnston. Still, with Kellen Moore as the new offensive coordinator, Everett should see plenty of targets, as Moore favors the tight end spot in his scheme.

Contract (2023): $1,500,000 base salary, $2,500,000 prorated bonus, $4,000,000 cap hit.

Acquired: Everett signed a two-year $12 million dollar contract with the Chargers during the 2022 free agency period after spending time with the Rams and Seahawks in previous seasons.

Quote: On his budding relationship with Justin Herbert:

“We’re really trying to gel in any way that we can. I’m not really trying to force anything here, just letting it happen organically and letting Justin do the rest himself. Obviously, he’s a great quarterback and a great person. He goes through his reads. With him being as big as he is, he can see the entire field with a three-step, five-step or seven-step [drop], it doesn’t matter. I think Justin has a great feel for the game.”

Highlight:

Projecting the Chargers’ tight end depth chart in 2023

Projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers tight end room will look like in the 2023 season.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be breaking down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Next up, I project what the tight end room will look like heading into the 2023 season.

 

Chargers’ Tre’ McKitty attends ‘Tight End University’ ahead of critical make-or-break season

Tre’ McKitty spent last week attending “Tight End University,” a three day summit for tight ends in the NFL.

Chargers tight end Tre’ McKitty spent last week attending “Tight End University”, a three-day summit for tight ends in the NFL.

The TEU camp was originally founded by Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Greg Olsen in 2021.

McKitty is entering his third year in a prime position to show some development going forward. Assuming the Chargers keep the same group together that’s currently on the depth chart, his role will probably have to be expanded.

Gerald Everett is entering a contract year for Los Angeles in what could be his last season with the team. While Donald Parham Jr. has performed well when healthy, he’s only been able to play 18 out of a possible 34 games in the last two seasons due to injuries. If the Chargers don’t sign another tight end, they’ll need McKitty to take a decent step forward as a blocker.

McKitty unfortunately took a step back in multiple respects last season. While functional enough as a pass blocker, McKitty ranked 68th out of 72 qualified tight ends in PFF run blocking grade.

As a receiver, it’s even worse. He was last place out of 49 eligible tight ends in receiving grade. McKitty had a drop rate of 14.3% and averaged 0.4 yards per route run. For context, Cameron Brate is last place on PFF’s 2022 tight end rankings in yards per route run at 0.7. Had McKitty hit the eligible number of snaps, he would’ve finished last by a significant amount.

Once the pads come on in camp, the Bolts will know if they’ve seen some improvement or development from the formerGeorgia product this offseason. If they don’t see a step forward from McKitty early on, one has to wonder if the free agent market would be an option with blockers like Geoff Swaim, Kyle Rudolph, Marcedes Lewis, etc. available.

Hopefully, TEU in addition to McKitty’s other offseason activities proves fruitful in what is probably a make-or-break season for the third-year tight end.

Biggest remaining needs for the Chargers after 2023 NFL draft

Here are some of the Chargers’ most glaring position needs that they should look to address.

In the draft, the Chargers addressed wide receiver, edge defender, linebacker, offensive line, defensive tackle and quarterback.

However, Los Angeles still has remaining needs that they must consider filling before the 2023 season to avoid holes in the roster.

Here are some of the Bolts’ most glaring needs that they should look to address before camp in the new couple of months:

Chargers 2023 NFL draft preview: Where does Los Angeles stand at tight end?

Our Chargers’ NFL draft preview series continues with the tight end position.

After taking a steady approach in free agency, signing just one external player in linebacker Eric Kendricks and re-signing a handful of their own, the Chargers now have their sights set on the draft where they will look to bolster their roster with their selections and make a deeper run in 2023.

Before, we’re going position by position to break down where Los Angeles stands entering the draft.

Next up is tight end, after we’ve previously profiled the quarterback, running back, and wide receiver positions.