Mysterious Units Pt. 2

By: Josh Frey-Sam

Let’s get right into it.

Los Angeles Chargers tight ends (Oronde Gadsden, David Njoku, Charlie Kolar)

This was already a difficult group to predict when Njoku signed this off-season, but a new report from The Athletic that former Baltimore Raven Charlie Kolar will have more opportunities in the passing game has made it even more convoluted.

Gadsden was a sensation as a rookie last season, but Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers have made it clear that they are going to join the 13 personnel party by adding Njoku and Kolar to the mix.

What makes this difficult is that all three can catch the ball, and all three could be on the field together a lot.

I would think Gadsden is the “TE1,” but the other two figure to take a big chunk out of his target share from last season. It’s tough to trust any of them right now.

Miami Dolphins pass catchers (Jalen Tolbert, Mike Washington, Chris Bell, Greg Dulcich)

Dulcich was reported as Malik Willis’ favourite target during mini-camp, but we should probably take that with a grain of salt.

The pecking order for this receiving group is wide open.

Tolbert was actually a depth WR who I liked during his time in Dallas, and now he has a much more favourable path to targets. Washington is the most electric playmaker of the bunch and flashed his potential in brief spurts over the last two seasons.

Then you have the rookie in Bell, who feels like the most likely option to be a big part of the Dolphins’ future but might not make a big impact in his rookie season.

It’s possible that none of them become a truly viable fantasy option, but they could all be worth a dart throw late in drafts.

New York Giants tight ends (Isiah Likely, Theo Johnson)

The hype is around Likely, who followed John Harbaugh to East Rutherford, NJ, after being stuck in a backup situation with Mark Andrews to begin his career.

While Likely has the advantage of familiarity with Harbaugh, I’m not so sure we don’t see a 1a/1b situation unfolding this season with Johnson, who showed a ton of potential last season.

Very curious to see who runs with the starting unit, and whether Johnson is truly in a backup role.

Pittsburgh Steelers running backs (Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle)

Per my Summer Series conversation with Nick Farabaugh, we will want to roster both of these RBs this season. The question is what the quality of their opportunities will be.

Warren is presumably the 1a who will see a lot of work in the passing game, but Dowdle is the bigger RB who projects to have the goal line role. Dowdle can also be effective in between the 20s.

This could truly end up being an even time share, but training camp should answer more questions.

Tampa Bay running backs (Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell)

Very similar to Pittsburgh. Gainwell is coming off a career year where he was a PPR monster through the receiving game, but Irving has shown he’s one of the most electric RBs in the league when healthy.

Irving is also coming off shoulder surgery, though he will reportedly be ready for training camp. They are similar RBs, so how they are deployed will be fascinating to monitor.

Washington Commanders running backs (Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen)

What do we do with this?

Some people are in on JCM, others love the opportunity for White, while the rookie, Allen, is flying under the radar through it all.

White is likely the safest bet to see consistent volume, giving him the highest floor of the bunch, but how the Commanders use him will be interesting to watch. He’s a terribly inefficient runner, but has been about as reliable as anyone in the passing game.

His role will likely determine how much we see JCM and Allen. I could see Allen starting as the clear RB3 but getting more run as the season progresses.

Another position group that we really just need to wait and see how it shakes out.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh