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San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green is a physical freak standing at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds with incredible speed. However, between his inconsistent play and the presence of the timeless Antonio Gates in front of him, Green’s potential has been mostly sitting on the bench waiting for his time to shine. Now that time has come, and the Chargers are going to need Green to put it all together in 2015.
For as dominant as Gates has been in his career, at 35 years old he knows his time is nearly up. So certain is Gates of that fact, he’s already talking about taking on a more situational role this season. Gates knows his body can’t hold up to a full load of work anymore, and that means third down and red zone duties are where he can pitch in most effectively. He won’t be able to give the Chargers that without Green stepping up and picking up the slack on earlier downs. If Green can do that, the Chargers are going to have a whole new dynamic to play with on offense.
Even outside of maximizing Gates’ potential effectively, the Chargers need to find out now if Green is the long-term replacement for Gates. If they plan on keeping their Super Bowl hopes alive and realistic after Philip Rivers is gone, they need to keep that offense as potent as possible. Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon are excellent building blocks, and if Green can join that rank the Chargers are that much better built to move onto their next quarterback. Otherwise that’s just another hole they’ll have to fill that could really impact their new thrower. Solid tight ends are usually a young quarterback’s best friend, and life is made much easier if Green is capable of being that.
There seems to be concern about Green accomplishing this because not only do the Chargers run three-receiver sets more than two-tight end sets, they just paid Stevie Johnson a bunch of money to be that third receiver. But I don’t think that’s going to affect Green that much, because in passing downs you’re not going to see Gordon out there much. He’s not a pass-catching back at all, and in those situations Gordon is a one-dimensional blocker. If that’s the case, they’re better served with Gates on the field as a sixth lineman as he’s the most experienced blocker of the two. That means either Green, Branden Oliver, or Jacoby Jones is the fourth option. Green’s size and speed should give him the nod in those situations.
Replacing Gates’ production on the field, even when Gates isn’t out there, is the greatest asset the Chargers could hope to get right now. That level of production from the position will go a long way in keeping the Chargers’ offense dangerous both now and in the future. Green certainly has that kind of potential to him, and this season is the optimal time to show what he’s got.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
