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The Chargers have reduced their roster to 53 players. Here are five takeaways from the decisions made to this point.
The Chargers announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday.
Keep in mind that this roster is subject to change as waiver wire claims are made on Wednesday and other players are moved around.
Here’s what we learned from Los Angeles’ initial 53-man roster:
Considering the Chargers’ future and the necessities for what the offense will require, six WRs makes more sense than the traditional five.
By the end of August, the Chargers will face tough roster decisions for the 53-man roster cutdown. Making the proceedings more interesting this year is the NFL’s new 2023 rule: teams will be able to have one round of cuts from 90 to 53 instead of having three specified cutdown dates.
In both of his first two seasons at the helm, Brandon Staley has elected to keep five receivers on the final roster. Traditionally, it’s been four true wide receivers plus a special teams returner. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, and Jalen Guyton were the core four wide receivers in 2021 and 2022. K.J. Hill and DeAndre Carter were the two returner receivers that made the final roster in those seasons, respectively. Carter muddies the waters a bit, given the injuries last season and the fact that he had to step up, but the original intention was for him not to be as active in the offense as he was.
Fourth-round selection Derius Davis is expected to step into Carter’s role from last season as the full-time kick returner/punt returner. That itself feels like a pretty seamless transition. But drafting Quentin Johnston in the first round was a shake-up to that aforementioned core four from Staley’s first years.
If the Chargers decided to carry five wide receivers for the upcoming season, Jalen Guyton would be the odd man out in a final Allen-Williams-Johnston-Palmer-Davis depth chart. Given his connection with quarterback Justin Herbert that has been built up over the years and his straight-line deep speed, it’s a hard cut to truly imagine taking place.
Guyton is still rehabbing an ACL injury from the 2022 season, but indications to this point are that he’ll be ready by the time the season kicks off in the fall. An alternative option if he isn’t ready in time for September would be starting the season on the PUP list post-training camp. Until more information comes out about his injury recovery or other guys winning out in camp, it would be a surprise not to see Guyton on the team’s final roster.
Aside from it being unlikely that any of the primary receivers are waived, position group health is another factor to consider. Allen and Williams missed a combined 11 games last season (12, if including Williams’ missed playoff game). A harsh reality for the Chargers is that Allen is 31 and Williams is approaching 30. It doesn’t become easier for wideouts to stay healthy in the NFL as they age.
Most of what went into the decision to draft Johnston and Davis was the long-term view of the franchise. The last time the Chargers selected multiple wide receivers within the first four rounds of the draft was 1996. Contract restructures of Allen and Williams only strengthen the idea that the wide receiver group will look different in 2024. But part of the decision also had to be a short-term view for this season. The Chargers played games last year in which Carter and Palmer were their top two wide receivers when Allen and Williams couldn’t play. If Los Angeles is truly going to contend this year, that type of depth problem couldn’t be allowed to happen again.
Versatility is another reason the Chargers should carry six receivers aside from depth. All of the Chargers’ wide receivers tend to specialize in their specific skill sets. Allen’s finesse route running has always meshed well with Williams’ big body jump ball game. To supplement those guys, Palmer is a little bit of a mix of both in terms of functionality and can step in when asked, considering an injury. Guyton, as mentioned earlier, is the prototypical straight-line speed guy. Johnston adds an insane YAC factor that all of the aforementioned wideouts lack, and Davis could be the fastest player in the league with the ball in his hands. It would make the Chargers ultimately more one-dimensional if they gave up any of these skillsets to keep five wideouts instead of six.
In most of Kellen Moore’s five seasons with Dallas, they kept six receivers partly because they wanted to stay versatile and have guys develop in the background. It would be counterintuitive to cut a player like Guyton or Palmer that allows the team to be multiple and access the deep parts of the field.
Considering the Chargers’ future, current position group health concerns, and the necessities of what the Moore offense will require, rolling six deep at wide receiver makes more sense than the traditional Staley five.
Here’s how we see the Chargers’ roster shaping up ahead of the final preseason game.
The Chargers’ second preseason game against the Cowboys shed more light on some position battles.
Here’s an attempt at a roster projection a week before cut day:
Quarterback (3): Justin Herbert, Easton Stick, Chase Daniel
There are no changes here, although Tom Telesco said on Saturday’s broadcast that the team will carry three quarterbacks. Stick and Daniel are still competing for the backup job.
Running back (4): Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree III
Telesco also indicated that the team will keep four running backs and use all of them, which means Rountree is back on the menu. Spiller suffering an ankle injury on Saturday will also help Rountree’s chances of making the initial roster.
Fullback (1): Zander Horvath
No change here; Horvath still seems like the favorite over incumbent Gabe Nabers.
Wide receiver (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton
It causes me physical pain to leave off preseason superstar Michael Bandy here, but the numbers are not in his favor. Keeping three QBs and four running backs and potentially having to carry a fourth tight end make it seem like a foregone conclusion that the sixth wide receiver is not a spot on this roster. So what more does Bandy have to show to change that seems unknowable at this point?
Tight end (4): Gerald Everett, Donald Parham Jr., Tre’ McKitty, Hunter Kampmoyer
Speaking of four tight ends, I think Kampmoyer will squeak through, initially, because Parham and McKitty have both missed time in training camp with injuries. If one or both of them aren’t ready to go by Week 1, TE4’s place on the roster is assured. Kampmoyer has also been working with the starting units on special teams, which could aid his case.
Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Zion Johnson, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton, Jamaree Salyer, Brenden Jaimes, Will Clapp
Pretty chalk here, although Ryan Hunter continues to gain ground on Jaimes on Clapp. I think those three are battling for two spots. Telesco’s teams have been notoriously reluctant to give up on draft picks, which makes me believe Jaimes is safe despite arguably looking like the worst player of the three. Clapp could be on the block after a rough performance against the Rams, considering Hunter can play center in a pinch. Salyer seems to have all but won the backup guard job, while the loser of the still undetermined right tackle battle will serve as the swing tackle.
Defensive line (6): Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Breiden Fehoko, Christian Covington
No changes here. Once again, Tillery struggled against the run and missed two tackles. Further, he was a non-factor in the passing game. Meanwhile, Covington and Fehoko continued to be the only ones to make plays against the run, despite the porous product against the Cowboys.
Edge rusher (4): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Chris Rumph II, Jamal Davis
No changes here. Davis continued to make his case for the fourth edge defender spot against Dallas, especially as Emeke Egbule did not play. There aren’t a lot of tools in his bag as a pass rusher, but Davis is plenty impactful as a run defender with his power to set firm edges and effort to chase down plays, finishing with two tackles for loss.
Linebacker (5): Kyle Van Noy, Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray Jr., Troy Reeder, Nick Niemann
Damon Lloyd continues to make a push to make the 53-man roster. But at the end of the day, I think the team still favors Niemann’s special teams prowess. He finished with 14 special teams tackles on coverage units last season, which tied for fourth-most in the NFL.
Cornerback (5): JC Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., Bryce Callahan, Michael Davis, Ja’Sir Taylor
No changes made here. While Deane Leonard was cleaner in coverage, he missed a tackle. On the other hand, Taylor had a tackle for loss, and I believe he has more upside on special teams.
Safety (4): Derwin James Jr., Nasir Adderley, JT Woods, Alohi Gilman
After standing out early in camp, Mark Webb has yet to take a single snap in preseason play, as he is now nursing a calf issue. After undergoing knee surgery, Webb missed the final nine games of his rookie season in 2021. I think Webb could be reliable depth across multiple positions in the secondary. But as the saying goes, the best ability is availability. Unfortunately, for Webb, that has not been the case.
Specialists (3): K Dustin Hopkins, P J.K. Scott, LS Josh Harris
No changes made here.
The Los Angeles Chargers made a signing on Tuesday.
The Chargers lost guard Oday Aboushi for the remainder of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL.
After losing Aboushi, head coach Brandon Staley said that Michael Schofield would fill in as the starter. However, he added that the team could look to bring someone in, which is what they did on Tuesday.
Los Angeles signed Senio Kelemete from the 49ers practice squad, the team announced.
Drafted by the Saints in 2012, Kelemente has appeared in 88 games, 42 of which he started.
There are some ties, as Kelemente played for New Orleans while offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive line coach Frank Smith was there.
Following his four seasons with the Saints, Kelemente spent three seasons with the Texans, appearing in 14 games and starting in five.
The Los Angeles Chargers may have themselves a gem in linebacker Nick Niemann.
The Chargers drafted linebacker Nick Niemann in the fifth-round with the intentions of him aiding a special teams unit that finished last in the league last season.
While the majority of his money will be made in that department in his first season, Niemann profiles as a player that can make an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
Niemann comes from a school that has a knack for producing quality NFL linebackers, with the likes of Ben Niemann (Nick’s older brother), Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, Josey Jewell.
Niemann had a solid career at Iowa. Even though he didn’t start until his last season, he was a key piece as an every-down weak-side linebacker, in which he posted 77 tackles (team high) and helped the team finish as a top-10 national defense in scoring and yardage.
Niemann, however, really turned heads at the Hawkeye’s Pro Day, where he posted a 40 time of 4.45, a shuttle time of 4.14, a 10-yard split in 1.48 seconds, which would have tied Jonathan Taylor for the fastest at the 2020 combine and a 6.67 second three-cone drill.
The testing numbers are eye-popping, but Niemann’s tape shows a player with the core traits that can contribute at the position at this level.
Niemann’s calling card is his tackling ability, as he ranked fourth in the Big 10 in tackles per game last season, averaging 9.6 hits per game.
Niemann is good interior run defender, showing very good mental processing to recognize blocking schemes quickly, which allows him to maximize his quickness to attack gaps, displaying physical toughness on contact to secure tackles in his gap.
Against outside runs, he shows the speed and range to be able to cover the field sideline-to-sideline. In addition, his processing ability helps him take good angles to intersect the ball carrier, helping raise his pursuit ability.
While Niemann does a great job of evading blockers in space and makes for a difficult second-level target for offensive linemen, he does lack technique and strength which will force him to struggle to match at the point of attack.
In today’s NFL, playing linebacker is more than just run defense, however.
Even though Niemann wasn’t tasked with a lot of responsibilities in coverage compared to other linebackers, he did enough sufficiently in that department to fare well in this league.
In man coverage, he has the speed to hang in space with slot receivers, and he should have no issue doing the same with athletic running backs and tight ends in the NFL.
In zone coverage, he shows comfort and route recognition skills across the middle as well as in the flats. When he sees the ball in the air, he has impressive movement skills to close the distance.
Finally, Niemann brings quickness and sufficient effort as a blitzer.
The bottom line is that Niemann is a talented linebacker who looks to fit the mold of the NFL’s new-age linebackers. He has the ability to make stops inside and outside the tackles and the coverage instincts and athleticism to stay on the field on third down.
Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray and Kyzir White stand above him on the depth chart at the moment, but if an injury were to occur, Niemann is the ideal guy that can be counted on to start in the upcoming season.
By Year 2 or 3, Niemann could be in a position where he is fighting for a starting job for the Chargers, given the fact that White will be a free agent at the end of the season and Tranquill will be at the end of the 2022 season.
With his skillset and developmental potential, Los Angeles might have a good one on their hands for years to come.
