Tight end Hunter Henry is on his way out after agreeing to terms with the Patriots on Tuesday.
With Henry gone, the Chargers will have a big void to fill at the tight end position. Before Henry found his new home, I listed out potential replacements via free agency and the draft.
However, another reasonable outlet that L.A. could resort to is trading for one, specifically Eagles TE Zach Ertz.
Philadelphia has been trying to trade Ertz for a while now and earlier this week it was reported that he was becoming impatient as he waited.
A second-round pick out of Stanford in 2013, Ertz earned three Pro Bowl appearances from 2017-19 and an All-Pro in 2018, while amassing an average of 93 receptions and almost 1,000 yards per season during that span.
In 2020, Ertz had the worst season of his career due to an offensive regression and a nagging ankle injury, logging just 36 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown.
But at only 30 years of age, Ertz still has some juice left in him to produce at a high level for a season or two.
What would Los Angeles have to give up in order to acquire him?
The Eagles have been unwilling to move off their asking price of a third- or fourth-round pick for Ertz, which has been the holdup. Going into 2021, he also has a base salary of $8.5 million, $4 million cheaper than what Henry earned.
Even though L.A. has two third-round picks in this year’s draft, a fourth-round selection is likely more reasonable. Philadelphia has two sixth-round picks and one of those could be included in the trade.
Overall, like Henry, Ertz is a well-rounded tight end, who would be a great influence for quarterback Justin Herbert, just like how he was for Carson Wentz during his early playing days.