Why Rival Signing May Have Blown Up Market At Position Of Need For LA

Your Los Angeles Chargers are doing whatever they can to cut costs this offseason, given how north they are of the NFL’s salary cap.

Unfortunately, it looks like the market this summer for free agent tight ends might have just exploded.

Former Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith has inked a two-year, $10 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

This number is pretty close to the Chargers' two-year, $12 million sticker tag for Gerald Everett, but given that Smith is older and already not considered to be nearly in the same class as a player, it suggests that the price of a high-end new tight end could be surprisingly exorbitant.

Everett, 29, will be an unrestricted free agent this year. The market for him could be much more generous than we may have initially expected.

Last season, the 6'3", 250-pound vet notched 51 total receptions and three touchdowns across 411 cumulative yards, for an average of 8.1 yards per carry.

A two-time First-Team All-Sun Belt selection while with South Alabama, Everett was selected with the No. 44 overall pick in the second round of the 2017 draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and also enjoyed a brief Seattle Seahawks stint before joining the Chargers.