Chargers 53-man roster – Page 2

Chargers make roster moves ahead of Week 1

The Chargers made some changes in the secondary.

Chargers cornerback Ryan Smith being on the 53-man roster was short-lived.

After being activated from the COVID-19 reserve list this past Friday, Smith was placed on the injured reserve three days later.

In correspondence, defensive back Kemon Hall, who was waived in favor of Smith then, was re-signed Monday.

Smith spent nearly the entire training camp and preseason sidelined with a core muscle injury. Now, the special teams standout will miss at least the first three games of the season.

Hall, on the other hand, was originally a part of the initial 53-man roster after a strong summer. He was praised by the coaches for his versatility and special teams ability.

Chargers add 3 players to practice squad

The Chargers practice squad currently sits at 15.

The Chargers signed cornerback Brandon Facyson, defensive tackle Forrest Merrill and wide receiver Austin Proehl to the practice squad on Thursday.

Facyson and Merrill were waived to make room for safety Trey Marshall and defensive lineman Eric Banks on the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

The addition of the three brings the practice squad to 15 players, which means that Los Angeles has one remaining spot to fill.

Facyson was seen as a likely candidate to make the roster heading into the summer, but the coaching staff chose the versatility and special teams upside of Kemon Hall, Tevaughn Campbell and Marshall to round out the secondary.

Merrill made the initial cut, but the coaches felt like Banks was more of the type of defensive lineman that they wanted, which is why they made the tough decision to waive the undrafted free agent out of Arkansas even after a promising preseason.

Proehl started training camp on a strong note as a return specialist, but the Chargers ultimately decided to keep K.J. Hill. If Hill was to get hurt at any point during the season or he underperforms, there’s a possibility that Proehl could be promoted.

Chargers’ updated 53-man roster

An updated look at the Chargers’ 53-man roster after a pair of moves made.

The Chargers released their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday.

Not even 24 hours passed and Los Angeles began tinkering with the roster, claiming two players on the waiver, thus releasing a pair in correspondence.

With that being said, here’s an updated look at the Bolts’ 53-man roster:

Offense

Quarterbacks (3): Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick

Running backs (4): Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III

Fullbacks (1): Gabe Nabers

Wide receivers (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Josh Palmer, K.J. Hill

Tight ends (4): Jared Cook, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty, Stephen Anderson

Offensive linemen (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Oday Aboushi, Bryan Bulaga, Trey Pipkins, Brenden Jaimes, Storm Norton, Scott Quessenberry

Defense

Defensive linemen (5): Linval Joseph, Justin Jones, Jerry Tillery, Christian Covington, Eric Banks*

Edge defender (4): Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu, Kyler Fackrell, Chris Rumph II

Linebackers (5): Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Kyzir White, Nick Niemann, Amen Ogbongbemiga

Defensive backs (10): Michael Davis, Asante Samuel, Jr., Chris Harris, Jr., Tevaughn Campbell, Kemon Hall, Derwin James, Nasir Adderley, Alohi Gilman, Mark Webb, Trey Marshall*

Specialists (3): Tristan Vizcaino, Ty Long, Matt Overton

*** New addition

Chargers’ 53-man roster shows a strong commitment to fixing shaky special teams

After finishing with the worst special teams in 2020, the Chargers are expecting a major turnaround.

A combination of poor coverage and return skills, bone-headed penalties and kicking woes led to the Chargers having the worst special teams in the NFL last season.

The first step to fixing the department came with the hiring of Derius Swinton II, who is entering his 14th season as a special teams coach.

While the change in the coaching staff was one thing, the players that make up the 53-man roster shows how a great of an emphasis head coach Brandon Staley and company put on the unit.

“We want to elevate the standard of performance,” Staley said. We’re looking for guys to separate and create roles for themselves. We expect them to do things a certain way.”

The first act of service was finding a starter kicker, which they did by keeping Tristan Vizcaino over Michael Badgley. Staley highlighted Vizcaino as a player who they believe has “real talent,” lauding his leg strength.

The next came when the team established one of their return specialists. Instead of keeping the talented Tyron Johnson, it was K.J. Hill who they decided to roll with as the fifth and final receiver because of his ability to return punts.

Keeping guys that they felt would make an impact on the coverage units was also strongly taken in consideration, which is why bubble players like undrafted rookie Amen Ogbongbemiga, Kemon Hall, Tevaughn Campbell and Stephen Anderson made the cut.

Like the puzzling decision to move on from Johnson, the Chargers didn’t shy away from letting notable names go that they felt didn’t bring much special teams value. That includes Brandon Facyson, who was released on Wednesday in favor of Trey Marshall and eventually Ryan Smith.

The reasoning? Staley called Marshall an “outstanding special teams player.”

Los Angeles wants to be a playoff team in 2021, but they need to see improvement in their special teams unit to make that happen. With the staff and players the team boasts, there is hope this department will be much more competent.

Chargers sign 12 players to 2021 practice squad

The Los Angeles Chargers announced 12 players that will begin the 2021 season on the practice squad.

The Los Angeles Chargers began announcing members of their practice squad on Wednesday, signing the following players:

WR Michael Bandy

RB Darius Bradwell

LB Cole Christiansen

DB Ben DeLuca

EDGE Emeke Egbule

DL Breiden Fehoko

DL Joe Gaziano

G Ryan Hunter

TE Hunter Kampmoyer

WR Jason Moore Jr

WR Joe Reed

In addition, the team officially announced the signings of defensive tackle Eric Banks and defensive back Trey Marshall. To clear room for them, Los Angeles waived nose tackle Forrest Merrill and cornerback Brandon Facyson.

Head coach Brandon Staley said they hope to get Merrill on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Teams can have up to 16 players on their practice squad, meaning the Bolts will add four more players in the coming days. Stay tuned for more information.

Chargers claim pair of players off waivers

The Chargers added a safety and defensive tackle.

The Chargers announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, but that didn’t mean it was set in stone ahead of the 2021 regular season.

Today, Los Angeles added two more players to the squad, claiming safety Trey Marshall and defensive tackle Eric Banks off the waivers.

Marshall, a former undrafted free agent out of Florida State, spent the last three seasons with the Broncos. In that time, he appeared in 30 games with Denver, only two of which he started, while the majority of his playing time came on special teams.

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Rams last season, Banks didn’t appear in any games. Prior to that, he amassed 81 tackles (52 solo), 20.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery and five forced fumbles in 48 games at UTSA.

Chargers’ Brandon Staley talks decision to release WR Tyron Johnson

Deciding to let go of the ascending wide receiver was arguably the biggest surprise.

Among the biggest surprises with the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster was the absence of wide receiver Tyron Johnson.

After emerging as one of top pass-catching options last season, it was expected that Johnson was going to take another step. However, it won’t be in the blue and gold.

Upon seeing the report, fans quickly grew puzzled and wondered why Johnson wasn’t going to be back.

Following Tuesday’s practice, head coach Brandon Staley explained the decision to release Johnson, citing that it was a numbers issue and not having a place on special teams for him.

“It was a tough one, a really tough one,” Staley said. “T-Billy has done a lot for this team in the past and he did some good things for us in camp. That was one of the tougher conversations that I had today.

I think that we have a really deep receiver room. There’s a lot of competition. I think that it’s just one of things where it’s more numbers, not so much how we feel about him as a player, because I have a lot of respect for his game.

Just where we’re at from a numbers standpoint, and then the kicking game, being a big aspect of those back-end receiver roles. Just felt like going in this direction would be the right direction for us right now.”

Given that special teams upside is crucial, they elected to keep K.J. Hill as the fifth receiver. Hill made the team solely as the punt returner, with the ability to return kicks, too.

Johnson is a practice squad candidate, but if the Chargers decide to move on from him altogether, a handful of teams will likely be inquiring to bring in the speedy wideout who averaged 19.9 yards per reception in 2020.

Takeaways from the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

Highlighting what stood out from the Los Angeles Chargers’ initial 53-man roster for the 2021 season.

The Los Angeles Chargers released their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon.

Here are some takeaways from things that stood out:

Since the beginning of the summer, it was thought that the quarterback room would be Justin Herbert and Chase Daniel, but Easton Stick played his way into having the coaches keep all three during the preseason. Especially with there being a potential risk of losing out on one, given the uncertainty of COVID-19, the coaches played it safe. Daniel will likely be the other active quarterback on game days.

Despite the durability concerns, the Chargers are keeping running back Justin Jackson. Jackson became unavailable after the first preseason game with a groin injury. Even though he has spent a good portion of his professional career on the sideline, the talent has always been there. The coaching staff is banking on him being healthy, as well as the development of second-year Joshua Kelley.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi incorporates a handful of three- and four-tight end sets, which is why the team decided to carry four. Plus, Stephen Anderson’s upside on special teams and versatility to play fullback is beneficial. Same goes for Gabe Nabers, who will play a similar role.

Among the biggest surprises was the Chargers letting go of wide receiver Tyron Johnson, who was a candidate to fill the No. 3 role after a promising 2020 season. The decision to release him could’ve been internal or scheme, which would be telling from the lack of playing time and misusage in the first two preseason games. The move benefits rookie Josh Palmer, who had a strong summer.

The team sees K.J. Hill as a viable return specialist, which is primarily the main reason why they decided to keep him over Joe Reed, Jason Moore and Johnson.

Even though he struggled in the preseason, offensive tackle Trey Pipkins is still on the roster, which should not come as a surprise. This doesn’t mean that the team won’t pursue any free agents made available. Like I’ve said, the starting five is stout, but behind them is where they’re lacking depth.

Nose tackle Breiden Fehoko was seen as the frontrunner to back up Linval Joseph, but the team decided to go with undrafted rookie Forrest Merrill, who flashed dominance in the middle of the defensive line – showing the explosiveness, strength and active hands to slip through tight areas and be disruptive, as well as the ability to eat up double teams.

The decision to cut Cortez Broughton, however, was a bit of a head-scratcher. Broughton looked like an entirely different player in the new scheme, and I thought he would have done wonders as a rotational defender.

The Chargers have four edge defenders rostered after releasing Emeke Egbule and Jessie Lemonier, both of whom I said would be tough decisions to cut after strong showings this summer. One of them will likely end up on the practice squad, nonetheless.

The Chargers have seven cornerbacks that make up the roster. Special teams standout Ryan Smith is still on the COVID-19/Reserve list which means that the team either has to make another cut or place him on the injured reserve. In the meantime, the additional spot was given to Kemon Hall, who flashed in coverage, run defense and on special teams. Tevaughn Campbell has been talked highly of and he has the ability to serve as one of the team’s gunners on punt coverage.

The Chargers are rolling with Tristan Vizcaino as the starting kicker, at least for now. Despite Michael Badgley gaining momentum towards the end of training camp and preseason, the team favored the leg strength of Vizcaino. Special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II brought Vizcaino in, and now he will have his guy in hopes of bringing competency in that department, barring any additional changes.

A total of 21 players are on the initial 53-man roster who were not with the team last season. Roster turnover is bound to happen when an entirely new coaching staff is brought in.

Chargers’ initial 53-man roster for the 2021 NFL season

The Chargers have finalized the full 53-man roster to start the 2021 season. Take a look at each player on the active roster.

The Los Angeles Chargers have announced their initial 53-man roster heading into the 2021 season, which kicks off next Sunday against The Washington Football Team.

The Chargers can still make additional roster moves in the coming days via waiver claims and free agent signings. They’ll also look to construct a 16-man practice squad.

Breaking down the Bolts’ 53-man roster by position:

Offense

Quarterbacks (3): Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick

Running backs (4): Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III

Fullbacks (1): Gabe Nabers

Wide receivers (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Josh Palmer, K.J. Hill

Tight ends (4): Jared Cook, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty, Stephen Anderson

Offensive linemen (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Oday Aboushi, Bryan Bulaga, Trey Pipkins, Brenden Jaimes, Storm Norton, Scott Quessenberry

Defense

Defensive linemen (5): Linval Joseph, Justin Jones, Jerry Tillery, Christian Covington, Forrest Merrill

Edge defender (4): Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu, Kyler Fackrell, Chris Rumph II

Linebackers (5): Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Kyzir White, Nick Niemann, Amen Ogbongbemiga

Defensive backs (10): Michael Davis, Asante Samuel, Jr., Chris Harris, Jr., Brandon Facyson, Tevaughn Campbell, Kemon Hall, Derwin James, Nasir Adderley, Alohi Gilman, Mark Webb

Specialists (3): Tristan Vizcaino, Ty Long, Matt Overton

Projecting Chargers 53-man roster, 16-man practice squad

Taking a crack at predicting the Chargers 53-man roster to start the 2021 season.

The Chargers’ 2021 preseason has concluded, which means that it’s time to finalize the 53-man roster.

Head coach Brandon Staley and company will have until 1:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday to compile the team that will start the regular season when Los Angeles visits The Washington Football Team on Sunday, Sept. 12.

But before we find out what the roster looks like, I decided to give it one more crack. Along with that, I also predicted what the 16-man practice squad roster could look like.

Let’s take a look.

Offense

Quarterbacks (3): Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick

Misses the cut: N/A

Running backs (3): Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III

Misses the cut: Justin Jackson, Darius Bradwell

Fullbacks (1): Gabe Nabers

Misses the cut: Hunter Kampmoyer

Wide receivers (6): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, Josh Palmer, K.J. Hill

Misses the cut: Joe Reed, Jason Moore, John Hurst, Michael Bandy

Tight ends (4): Jared Cook, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty, Stephen Anderson

Misses the cut: Matt Sokol

Offensive linemen (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Oday Aboushi, Bryan Bulaga, Trey Pipkins, Brenden Jaimes, Storm Norton, Scott Quessenberry

Misses the cut: Tyree St. Louis, Nate Gilliam, Ryan Hunter, Darius Harper

Notes

Since the beginning, it was thought that the quarterback room would be Justin Herbert and Chase Daniel, but Easton Stick played his way into having the coaches keep all three.
In a surprise manner, Justin Jackson gets the boot. Jackson is a talented player when healthy, but the problem is that he hasn’t shown the ability to consistently stay on the field. Plus, he’s entering the final year of his contract.
K.J. Hill gets the nod for the final wide receiver spot because of his special teams upside as a return specialist.
Given the fact that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi incorporates a handful of three- and four-tight end sets, the team carries four. Plus, Stephen Anderson’s upside on special teams and versatility to play fullback is beneficial.
Despite Trey Pipkins’ struggles throughout the offseason, I can’t see the team letting go of him, especially since they’re already thin at the position.

Defense

Defensive linemen (6): Linval Joseph, Justin Jones, Jerry Tillery, Christian Covington, Breiden Fehoko, Cortez Broughton

Misses the cut: Joe Gaziano, Willie Yarbary, Forrest Merrill

Edge defender (4): Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu, Kyler Fackrell, Chris Rumph II

Misses the cut: Jessie Lemonier, Emeke Egbule, Davin Bellamy

Linebackers (5): Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Kyzir White, Nick Niemann, Amen Ogbongbemiga

Misses the cut: Cole Christiansen

Defensive backs (9): Michael Davis, Asante Samuel, Jr., Chris Harris, Jr., Brandon Facyson, Tevaughn Campbell, Derwin James, Nasir Adderley, Alohi Gilman, Mark Webb

Misses the cut: John Brannon, Kemon Hall, Ryan Smith

Specialists (3): Tristan Vizcaino, Ty Long, Matt Overton

Misses the cut: Michael Badgley, Cole Mazza

Notes

Projecting the interior part of the defensive line was difficult because there were a handful of players who flashed. Breiden Fehoko flashed as an all-around player, and brings infectious energy to the locker room.
Emeke Egbule would have likely earned a spot on the roster, but the time missed with an injury hindered his chances.
Despite missing the preseason finale, Staley hinted that Ogbongbemiga will make the team with his comments from last week: “Ogbongbemiga will be ready for Game 1.” The undrafted free agent supplies the team will be a special teams ace.
Ryan Smith will likely remain on the COVID-19/Reserve list which means that there will be an additional roster spot. Tevaughn Campbell has been talked highly of and he has the ability to serve as one of the team’s gunners on punt coverage.
Michael Badgley had the slight edge all the way until the end, but I believe the coaches favor Tristan Vizcaino’s leg strength, despite having more missed field goals in practices.
Matt Overton gets the nod with Cole Mazza dealing with a shoulder injury.

Practice squad

RB Darius Bradwell
WR Jason Moore
WR Michael Bandy
TE Matt Sokol
FB Hunter Kampmoyer
OL Ryan Hunter
OL Nate Gilliam
OL Tyree St. Louis
NT Forrest Merrill
DL Joe Gaziano
LB Cole Christiansen
EDGE Jessie Lemonier
EDGE Emeke Egbule
CB John Brannon
CB Kemon Hall
S Ben DeLuca