Tag: Chargers depth chart

Chargers trade for QB Taylor Heinicke

The Chargers have acquired quarterback Taylor Heinicke in a trade with the Falcons.

The Chargers have acquired quarterback Taylor Heinicke in a trade with the Falcons.

In return, Los Angeles is sending a 2025 sixth-round pick to Atlanta.

The acquisition of Heinicke comes after Easton Stick’s struggles in training camp and preseason. He will now compete with Stick for the backup job behind Justin Herbert.

Heinicke has played for six teams (Vikings, Patriots, Texans, Panthers, Commanders, and Falcons). Across six seasons, he has a 62.5 completion rate with 39 touchdowns to 28 interceptions and 112 carries for 588 yards and three touchdowns.

As a starter, Heinicke is 13-15-1.

Undrafted out of Old Dominion, Heinicke finished his collegiate career with a 67.7 percent completion rate for 14,959 yards, 132 TDs and 39 interceptions to go with 367 carries for 1,320 yards and 22 more scores.

What the trade for Elijah Molden means for the Chargers

Breaking down what the Elijah Molden trade means for the Chargers defense under coordinator Jesse Minter.

On Wednesday, the Chargers acquired defensive back Elijah Molden from the Titans, adding another versatile piece to the secondary.

Molden takes the spot vacated by JT Woods, who was waived on Wednesday after Los Angeles claimed Titans running back Hassan Haskins earlier in the day. A player like Molden is likely the ideal outcome the Chargers were hoping for when they moved Woods to corner midway through the preseason – the former Titan played almost the same amount of snaps in the box, at deep safety, and in the slot for Tennessee last season.

For Los Angeles, it also gives them four safeties they can truly rely on. Derwin James and Alohi Gilman have been penned in as the starters ever since Gilman re-signed with the team in March. AJ Finley took a massive step forward in training camp and earned the third safety job over Woods. But beyond that, the Chargers had Woods – who again, moved to corner – and veteran Tony Jefferson, who made the 53 off the back of a stellar performance in the preseason finale.

With Molden on the roster, they can now rotate James, Gilman, Finley, and Molden into different spots depending on matchups and disguises, a hallmark of the Jesse Minter defensive scheme. Molden’s experience as a starter – he started eight games for Tennessee last season – likely propels him into the third safety spot. That also has the consequence of pushing Finley back into a primarily special teams role, where he excelled in 2023. Los Angeles would have relied on Woods, who has struggled on special teams, in that role if the initial 53-man roster stuck.

But Finley has also played well enough to earn a role on defense, and it’s not out of the question that the Chargers could play three or even all four safeties together depending on the package. Dime packages could include Molden and James moving into the slot with Gilman and Finley as the deep safeties. James and Molden both can play in the slot, which will allow the defense to be much more multiple under Minter.

For as little as the Chargers gave up—NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that LA sent late-round draft compensation to the Titans—it may end up being a move that unlocks a new level of this defense.

Chargers sign 15 players to 2024 practice squad

The Chargers announced 15 players set to be on the practice squad.

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

G Karsen Barnhart

TE Luke Benson

EDGE Andrew Farmer

TE Tucker Fisk

CB Matt Hankins

DL Christopher Hinton

LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste

WR Cornelius Johnson

WR Jaylen Johnson

CB Robert Kennedy

OT Alex Leatherwood

EDGE Tre’Mon Morris-Brash

DL CJ Okoye (IPP)

LB Shaq Quarterman

RB Isaiah Spiller

Teams can have up to 16 players on their practice squad, but for the Bolts, they can have up to 17 players because they have an exemption to add Okoye as an extra player through the International Player Pathway Program.

Therefore, two more players will be added to round out the group.

Chargers claim RB Hassan Haskins off waivers

The Chargers submitted one waiver claim following NFL cutdown day, adding Hassan Haskins.

The Chargers submitted one waiver claim following NFL cutdown day, adding running back Hassan Haskins.

By claiming Haskins, Los Angeles has to add him directly to the 53-man roster, which means someone will be waived.

Before joining the Bolts, Haskins spent the past two seasons with the Titans, whom he was selected by in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

In his rookie season, Haskins rushed 25 times for 93 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and caught 11 passes for 57 yards.

Special teams was his calling card, however. Haskins was a kick returner and returned 19 kicks, averaging 21.8 yards per return. He was also second in special teams tackles with 13.

Last season, Haskins spent the entirety of it on injured reserve.

Haskins played for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan from 2018-21. He finished his collegiate career with 2,324 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns.

With the Chargers, Haskins will primarily serve as a core special teamer. This move was likely made after Nick Niemann was placed on injured reserve to start the season.

Nick Niemann among 5 Chargers players placed on injured reserve

Nick Niemann is dealing with a hamstring injury.

The Chargers placed linebacker Nick Niemann on injured reserve as they narrowed their roster to 53 players on Tuesday.

Niemann is currently dealing with a hamstring issue.

Niemann is designated to return at some point this season and could be back as early as Week 5. That is the team’s bye week, so he could return for their Week 6 game against the Broncos.

Also, Los Angeles placed edge rushers Chris Rumph II, Chris Collins and offensive linemen Bucky Williams and Tyler McLellan on season-ending injured reserve.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

A look at how social media reacted to the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster.

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

Let’s take a look at how social media reacted to it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chargers’ initial 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season

The Chargers have finalized the full 53-man roster to start the 2024 season. Take a look at each player on the active roster.

The Chargers announced their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season, which kicks off against the Raiders next Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Los Angeles can still make additional roster moves via waiver claims and free-agent signings in the coming days. They’ll also begin constructing a 16-man practice squad.

Offense

Quarterback (2): Justin Herbert, Easton Stick

Running back (4): Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Jaret Patterson, Kimani Vidal

Wide receiver (7): Josh Palmer, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, D.J. Chark, Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko, Brenden Rice

Tight end (3): Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst, Stone Smartt

Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Trey Pipkins, Joe Alt, Brenden Jaimes, Jamaree Salyer, Jordan McFadden, Foster Sarell

Defense

Edge rusher (4): Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree

Interior defensive line (6): Poona Ford, Morgan Fox, Teair Tart, Scott Matlock, Otito Ogbonnia, Justin Eboigbe

Linebacker (4): Denzel Perryman, Junior Colson, Daiyan Henley, Troy Dye

Cornerback (6): Asante Samuel Jr., Kristian Fulton, Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard, Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart

Safety (5): Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, AJ Finley, JT Woods, Tony Jefferson

Specialists (3): K Cameron Dicker, P J.K. Scott, LS Josh Harris

3 hardest cuts from our final Chargers 53-man roster projection

Here are the toughest cuts from our latest 53-man projection.

The Chargers are less than 24 hours away from announcing their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 regular season, meaning a handful of players will be cut, even some who had strong performances this summer.

Here are the toughest cuts from our latest 53-man projection:

WR Brenden Rice

It will be interesting to see how General Manager Joe Hortiz and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh approach the wide receiver position. It’s hard to see the Chargers keeping seven wideouts, and I think Simi Fehoko’s production will earn him the sixth spot. Rice flashed as a route runner, with most of his plays coming in training camp. Unfortunately, due to the lackluster play at quarterback, he wasn’t able to replicate that in the preseason.

TE Donald Parham

The tight end position is vital in Greg Roman’s offense, but something he wants from his players at the position is the ability to block. That was one of Pathan’s weaknesses coming into the summer and he didn’t show any signs of improvement in that department. As much as he and Justin Herbert built a solid rapport in the passing game the past four seasons, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him not make the cut due to his lack of blocking skills and struggles to stay healthy consistently.

S Tony Jefferson

After being quiet for most of the summer, Jefferson had the best preseason game against the Cowboys, posting double-digit tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack. The 10-year veteran made a strong case to make the roster from that performance alone, as he showed that he’s still capable of making plays on the back end. However, I think JT Woods showed enough growth and his versatility to play outside cornerback lands him a spot on the roster.

Chargers 53-man roster cuts tracker 2024: Live updates

Keeping you updated with the players the Chargers release ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

The Chargers concluded their training camp and preseason. Now, coach Jim Harbaugh, general manager Joe Hortiz, and company must reduce the roster to 53 players by Tuesday’s deadline at 1 p.m. PT.

That said, we are here to keep you updated on the latest news and reports about Los Angeles’ roster cuts and potential trades, so make sure to bookmark this page.

Update: Initial 53-man roster

Chargers players released:

  • TE Donald Parham Jr.
  • LB Shaq Quarterman

Chargers players waived:

  • G Karsen Barnhart
  • TE Luke Benson
  • DL Jerrod Clark
  • S Akeem Dent
  • RB Elijah Dotson
  • OLB Andrew Farmer II
  • TE Tucker Fisk
  • WR Jaelen Gill
  • LB Frank Ginda
  • CB Matt Hankins
  • S Thomas Harper
  • TE Zach Heins
  • DL Christopher Hinton
  • OLB Savion Jackson
  • LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste
  • WR Cornelius Johnson
  • WR Jaylen Johnson
  • CB Robert Kennedy
  • C Brent Laing
  • T Alex Leatherwood
  • LB Shane Lee
  • OLB Tre’Mon Morrish-Brash
  • DL CJ Okoye
  • G Willis Patrick
  • QB Luis Perez
  • S Jalyn Phillips
  • TE Isaac Rex
  • OLB Ty Shelby
  • RB Isaiah Spiller
  • CB Zamari Walton
  • WR Isaiah Wooden

When do the Chargers have to make final roster cuts?

Find out when the Chargers will have their roster set to the mandatory 53 players.

The Chargers will begin trimming their roster now that the preseason is in the rearview.

Los Angeles must reduce its roster to 53 players by Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 1 p.m. PT.

In previous seasons, teams had multiple deadlines during the cutdown process. But now, the league reverted to just one big cut to the mandatory 53 players.

On Wednesday, the claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 9 a.m. PT. Then, L.A. will begin assembling its practice squad of 16 players.