Los Angeles Chargers sign TE Jerand Bradley

Jerand Bradley's three-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers at roughly $1M AAV earns a fair-value Contract Value Index (CVI) grade of C+ — a signing that represents neither a market-beating bargain nor a financial risk worth losing sleep over. At that price point, the Chargers are essentially paying minimum-adjacent money for a tight end who projects as a depth piece or developmental option on the roster, which is exactly what this contract reflects. The CVI lands in middling territory because the upside of a low-cost, multi-year commitment is offset by the uncertainty around what Bradley can actually contribute at the NFL level — this is a bet on potential, not proven production. A three-year structure at $3.1M total is sensible roster-construction thinking: it keeps Bradley under team control without creating meaningful dead-cap exposure if he never carves out a role. Without guaranteed money on record, the Chargers hold all the leverage here, and the contract functions essentially as a low-risk audition stretched across multiple offseasons. For a team sitting at 11-6 and holding a playoff seed, adding a below-market tight end depth option in the offseason is precisely the kind of quiet, low-stakes roster management that doesn't move the needle on the win-now calculus but doesn't hurt it either. The CVI reflects what this is: a sensible flier that earns its grade by avoiding excess, not by delivering obvious surplus value.