How many teams out there have a better TE3 than Conklin? If we are thin TE, so is everyone but the Rams.
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Agreed.
And I will add that I think it is quite possible a 6th OL player may be TE4 for more snaps than we saw last season. With Borom and possibly Frazier… there are good options to have a 3rd OT on the field to play bully ball. Am I right @Mr.Peabody ?
edit to add the obvious point… if a team is using a “big” TE mainly as a blocker, why not just use an extra OL player instead???
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I haven’t seen Conklin play a single down, anywhere.
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Here are highlights from the past 2 years.
Rodgers seemed to like throwing him the ball.
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Conklin is built like a DE or a LB or something.
I would say all of them and they all have a better TE2 as well. Last year Conklin caught 7 pass and ended up on the bench. He was a healthy scratch in at least 3 games. Harbaugh likes TEs as much as any coach in the NFL and he still benched him.
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Harbaugh can like TEs, but the Chargers averaged barely 100 targets per season over the past 2 years since he got the job. The TEs averaged significantly more targets in the 3 years before Harbaugh arrived.
Conklin may have had had only 7 catches, but he only had 10 targets. Oronde Gadsen got the majority of their TE targets.
Conklin had averaged over 57 catches per season for the 4 years prior to joing the Chargers… for 2 different teams.
I think it is fair to say 2025 was an outlier for his career, and it is reasonable to say he can produce when given the opportunity.
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It’s cool the way you persuaded me with facts that I’m might have been wrong about him. I might even try that tactic myself sometime… 
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Bro…
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He also sat behind Will Dissley. The Chargers were fighting for a playoff spot down the stretch and Conklin was 3 times a healthy scratch. We can say he just didn’t get enough targets or we can say they didn’t have enough uniforms to give him one on game days. Maybe Harbaugh just didn’t want to suit up his best players for game day. If he learns how to block and plays like he did 5 years ago I will be his biggest fan.
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How about 2024?
He caught 51 balls and 4 TDs… in a season that ended less than 18 months ago.
Pretty sure Brock Wright and most TE3’s have never sniffed that type of production. 
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If your trying to say he is better than Brock Wright you won’t get any argument from me. I hope UDFA TE from Tennesee Miles Kitselman beats them both out for the #2 TE spot. He can at least block.
Here is Conklin’s ciew of what happened in 2025.
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I also firmly believe that the Lions will use more 6 man OL alignments this year. They have better options to add the 3rd OT when they want to really play bully ball, and it still doesn’t prevent them from utilizing play action passes to the true skill players.
Well that answers the question I originally replied to. He was not even one of the 3 best TEs on his own team for whatever reason. I do hope he comes in with a chip on his shoulder and plays like he has something to prove. I really don’t care how the TEs around the NFL rank I just want ours to be better. I would be very happy if he can block better than Brock Wright and become our TE2.
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He wasn’t selected to play by THAT staff for part of the season, but I wouldn’t say that means he wasn’t one of their top 3 TEs.
I think it simply means that the Chargers wanted 2 large blocking TEs active who weigh 285 and 265 pounds, rather than a 248 pound TE that was probably their 2nd best pass catching TE.
In Detroit, the Lions don’t typically roster massive 285 pound TEs, because they would rather just put a 6th OL player on the field.
Conklin played between 70-80% of offensive snaps in EACH of the 4 seasons (with Vikings and Jets) before signing with Chargers.
I would attribute his change in playing time to a slightly unusual philosophy that Harbaugh and Greg Roman implemented.
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Is Meeks actually converting to TE, or is that just speculation from the Den?
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Njoku visiting the Chargers on Monday. Doubt we’re looking to spend what it takes but Drew was his TE coach at one point in time.
What suggests to you that you are correct here? The fact that we only brought in Conklin and didn’t take a TE in the draft? A draft that was supposedly loaded in the middle rounds with TE talent?
Or do you just know/understand the position better than everyone else? Including BH and DC…
I just looked up 3 random depth charts just to see at a glance how accurate you are here…
Packers - Josh Whyle ~350 yards in 3 seasons including 5/36 last year…
Colts - Drew Olgetree ~285 yards in 3 seasons including 4/27 last year…
49ers - Luke Farrell ~400 yards in 5 seasons, 11/85 last year…
You won’t find 5 better thank Conklin. Teams either roll out a rookie or a camp battle player for that spot.
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That’s pretty crazy Wolf considering he has accumulated some really solid seasons over his career. He’s quite the accomplished TE