The Los Angeles Chargers entered the NFL offseason with several areas of their roster needing some love. The tight end room was one position that needed upgrading, and the Chargers did exactly that by signing veteran TE Tyler Conklin to a one-year contract.
While Conklin will bring a reliable veteran presence to L.A., the Chargers' quest to add more TEs might not be over just yet. Along with the 29-year-old pass-catcher, the only other tight ends that Los Angeles is rostering are Will Dissly, Tucker Fisk, and McCallan Castles, leaving more than enough room for another face in the mix.
Although they could add another TE at next month's draft, the Chargers also have the perfect opportunity to solve their need via the trade market.
Chargers Must Target Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker for Pre-Draft Trade
Dallas Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker is one player who the Chargers should inquire about regarding a potential pre-draft trade. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound pass-catcher is entering his third season and is someone who Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh is more than familiar with, having coached the former Wolverine for five seasons at the University of Michigan.
Schoonmaker had a slow start to his Ann Arbor, MI tenure, however, he did improve with each passing campaign. Those improvements culminated in his 2022 breakout performance, hauling in 35 receptions for 418 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 12 games, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors for his work.
That performance was good enough to convince the Cowboys to use the 2023 draft's 58th overall selection on Schoonmaker. It was a controversial pick at the time as Dallas wasn't TE-needy and the ex-Wolverine didn't exactly help his case as a rookie, only posting an 8-65-0 stat line despite appearing in all 17 games.
Fortunately, Schoonmaker showed some life in Year 2. Although his 2024 showing was far from perfect, he still displayed improvement with 241 yards on 27 catches while also finding the end zone once. His Pro Football Focus grades regarding offense (58.2) and passing (67.6) were both up from last year's marks ( 49.8 and 43.6, respectively), and he even tallied a pass protection grade of 70.2 or better in three of his last four games.
Despite these improvements, the Cowboys may be open to an offseason trade with the Chargers. Not only could Dallas be ready to move on due to the third-year TE's connections to the Mike McCarthy era, but the fact that he's four months older than Jake Ferguson could leave owner Jerry Jones & Co. looking for a younger TE2.
Potentially acquiring Schoonmaker wouldn't stop the Chargers from targeting a potential TE1 in the draft, either. He operates better as a primary blocker and secondary pass-catcher, which are two roles he could fill in a reunion with Harbaugh, who likely wouldn't mind another familiar face he can trust.
As for the potential cost that a trade might bring, the Chargers likely wouldn't have to sell the house to land Schoonmaker. The struggling TE's value is likely down two years after being a second-round pick, meaning it could cost Los Angeles a fourth-round pick or a combination of two Day 3 selections to get the job done.
Even though he wouldn't bring the offense to another level on his own, Schoonmaker is the perfect supporting player who can help the Chargers pull off back-to-back playoff appearances. If he can reach his draft potential by being reunited with Harbaugh, even better.