Tag: Chargers roster

Takeaways from Chargers first depth chart of 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers released their first initial depth chart ahead of the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Chargers are days away from the start of the regular season against the Bengals.

Los Angeles released their first initial depth chart on Tuesday. Even though it’s subject to change at any given time, it’s unlikely it changes much before the opener on Sunday.

  • Jalen Guyton is listed as the No. 3 receiver, opposite of Mike Williams. If Williams can’t go on Sunday, I could see the team rolling with Jason Moore to fill the void. Moore has live game experience and he fits the mold from a physical standpoint.
  • Joshua Kelley is the No. 3 running back, even after he shined during training camp, and Justin Jackson missed a good chunk of time. While the team covets experience and familiarity, I expect Kelley to still get a decent amount of carries, given the change to a run-heavy offense. The back that produces more will get the bulk of carries as the season goes on.
  • On paper, Drue Tranquill is listed as the backup SAM linebacker to Kyzir White. But Tranquill worked as the starting WILL linebacker throughout camp. Meanwhile, rookie Kenneth Murray is penciled in as the starting WILL. This will likely change on the field, and we can expect to see a tandem of Murray and Tranquill the majority of the time with Denzel Perryman on obvious running plays.
  • Nasir Adderley and Rayshawn Jenkins are listed as the starting safeties, which means Jenkins could be slated to slide down to strong safety while Adderley plays the single-high role.
  • Desmond King is listed as both a cornerback and safety. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the bulk of the snaps as the team’s dimebacker.
  • Joe Reed is the starting kick returner, which is to be expected after the team released Darius Jennings. Meanwhile, King will resume his duties as the punt returner. If he struggles, rookie K.J. Hill will be next in line.

Chargers don’t make any waiver claims after roster cuts

The Los Angeles Chargers appear to be confident with their players after making roster cuts.

After NFL roster cuts, the Chargers elected to not claim any available players off waivers.

Los Angeles is looking pretty with their 53-man roster after cutdown day. However, the team could afford to add one more safety after the loss of Derwin James, who was placed on the injured reserve.

General manager Tom Telesco reiterated that they chose not to make any claims, signifying their confidence in the safeties that they have on the roster right now.

This isn’t to say the safety group of Rayshawn Jenkins, Nasir Adderley, Desmond King and Alohi Gilman isn’t reliable. But for the sake of depth, the Bolts could have added one with experience.

The most notable free agent safeties are Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Tony Jefferson, among others. But for a team that covets scheme familiarity, I thought Jaylen Watkins and Jahleel Addae, who are both free agents, would’ve garnered attention.

Other positions that could afford to have depth added are at wide receiver and left tackle.

We will monitor to see if Los Angeles makes any roster moves ahead of the season opener against the Bengals.

Chargers announce 2020 practice squad

Find out who made the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad to start the 2020 season.

The Chargers announced the members of their practice squad on Sunday, agreeing to terms with the following players:

Linebacker Asmar Bilal

Running back Darius Bradwell

Cornerback John Brannon

Linebacker Cole Christiansen

Wide receiver Jeff Cotton

Nose tackle Breiden Fehoko

Guard Nate Gilliam

Guard Ryan Groy

Wide receiver Tyron Johnson

Defensive end Jessie Lemonier

Defensive back Quenton Meeks

Fullback Gabe Nabers

Defensive tackle TJ Smith

Center/guard Cole Toner

Cornerback Donte Vaughn

With the COVID-19 pandemic, practice squads can include up to 16 players in 2020. Six of those players may be veterans with no restrictions on service time.

Quick takeaways from the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez delivers his thoughts on the team’s initial 53-man roster for the 2020 season.

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

Here are some quick takeaways from things that stood out on the first roster:

  • The Chargers elected to not carry a fullback on the roster, even after coach Anthony Lynn said that there would be one to fill the void of Derek Watt. Gabe Nabers and Bobby Holly showed promise during camp, but instead, the team chose to release both of them. It’s likely at least one will end up on the practice squad.

 

  • The Chargers chose to roll with four tight ends, rather than three. Both Donald Parham and Stephen Anderson have a spot, joining Hunter Henry and Virgil Green. With the new offensive scheme, we could see a lot more two-three tight end sets, which could explain the decision to release both fullbacks, as they would have a similar role in the blocking department.

 

  • It was only a matter of time to see how the wide receiver room would shape up. Darius Jennings was one of the more surprising cuts. He was fighting for one of the final spots, but the team chose to roll with Jason Moore, who could fill in for Mike Williams if he is unable to play Week 1.

 

  • With Derwin James sent to the injured reserve, they have four safeties – Rayshawn Jenkins, Nasir Adderley, Desmond King and Alohi Gilman. I wouldn’t be surprised if they look to see a free agent for cheap for depth purposes, such as recently released Jaylen Watkins, who formerly played with the Bolts.

 

  • Tevaughn Campbell was the surprise player who made the 53-man roster. Campbell wasn’t a big-name player, but he has some experience on the active roster. The former CFL standout could provide depth in the secondary and a serviceable player on special teams.

Chargers announce initial 53-man roster for 2020 season

The Los Angeles Chargers cut 27 players to get their initial 53-man roster for the 2020 season.

The Los Angeles Chargers have announced their initial 53-man roster heading into the 2020 season, which kicks off next Sunday against the Bengals.

The Chargers can 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, a six-player increase from previous seasons.

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

Quarterbacks (3): Tyrod Taylor, Justin Herbert, Easton Stick

Running backs (3): Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Justin Jackson

Tight ends (4): Hunter Henry, Virgil Green, Donald Parham, Stephen Anderson

Wide receivers (6): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Jason Moore, K.J. Hill, Joe Reed

Offensive linemen (10): Sam Tevi, Dan Feeney, Mike Pouncey, Trai Turner, Bryan Bulaga, Trey Pipkins, Forrest Lamp, Storm Norton, Scott Quessenberry, Tyree St. Louis

Defensive linemen (9): Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Linval Joseph, Justin Jones, Jerry Tillery, Damion Square, Isaac Rochell, Cortez Broughton, Uchenna Nwosu

Linebackers (6): Denzel Perryman, Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Nick Vigil, Emeke Egbule, Kyzir White

Defensive backs (9): Rayshawn Jenkins, Nasir Adderley, Casey Hayward, Desmond King, Michael Davis, Chris Harris, Jr., Brandon Facyson, Alohi Gilman, Tevaughn Campbell

Specialists (3): Michael Badgley, Ty Long, Cole Mazza

Final Chargers 53-man roster projection heading into cuts

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez takes a crack at projecting the 53-man roster for the Los Angeles Chargers.

NFL teams must cut their current rosters down to 53 by this Saturday at 1:00 PM PT.

Beginning this Sunday, teams can put together their 16-person practice squads (with COVID rules increasing that number this season). During game weeks this season, the active roster will grow to 55 players, and 48 dressing on game day, with the promotion of two practice squad players.

With that being said, here is my final 53-man roster projection for the Chargers:

Offense

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
QB Tyrod Taylor Justin Herbert* Easton Stick
RB Austin Ekeler Justin Jackson Joshua Kelley*
FB Gabe Nabers
WR Keenan Allen K.J. Hill*
WR Mike Williams Darius Jennings
WR Jalen Guyton Joe Reed*
TE Hunter Henry Virgil Green Stephen Anderson
LT Sam Tevi Trey Pipkins
LG Dan Feeney Forrest Lamp
C Mike Pouncey Scott Quessenberry
RG Trai Turner Trent Scott
RT Bryan Bulaga Storm Norton

Defense

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
LDE Joey Bosa Isaac Rochell
NT Linval Joseph Damion Square Cortez Broughton
DT Justin Jones Jerry Tillery
RDE Melvin Ingram Uchenna Nwosu
SAM Kyzir White Emeke Egbule
MIKE Kenneth Murray* Denzel Perryman
WILL Drue Tranquill Nick Vigil Malik Jefferson
CB Casey Hayward Brandon Facyson
CB Michael Davis
SLOT Chris Harris Jr. Desmond King
FS Nasir Adderley
SS Rayshawn Jenkins Alohi Gilman*

Special Teams

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
PK Michael Badgley
P Ty Long
PR K.J. Hill*
KR Joe Reed* Darius Jennings
LS Cole Mazza

 

Chargers cut 6 players, get roster to 80 players prior to NFL deadline

A notable player was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers cut bait with six players on Saturday, bringing their roster to 80 players.

Those players are as followed:

  • WR Andre Patton
  • DT P.J. Johnson
  • OT Koda Martin
  • TE Jared Rice
  • S Roderic Teamer
  • TE Andrew Vollert

Los Angeles could have started training camp with the traditional 90-man roster but needed to get down to 80 prior to the agreed-upon deadline of August 16 that the NFL and NFLPA settled in their negotiations for how the league will handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

By making cuts now, it gets the Bolts ahead of the pack, and also opening up the door for some of those waived players to find a new team ahead of the upcoming season.

Below is the official team statement:

The Los Angeles Chargers today announced the release of defensive tackle P.J. Johnson, tackle Koda Martin, wide receiver Andre Patton, tight end Jared Rice, safety Roderic Teamer and tight end Andrew Vollert. The moves bring the roster to 80 players for the start of training camp.

Johnson was a seventh-round selection by Detroit in the 2019 NFL Draft and finished the season on the Bolts’ practice squad.

Martin spent the 2019 season on injured reserve after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Patton initially signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2017, spending two seasons on the practice squad before appearing in 13 games last year.

Rice was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Fresno State this offseason.

Teamer, an undrafted rookie free agent, made the 53-man roster in 2019, playing in seven games.

Where does the Chargers’ roster rank in NFL right now?

ESPN doesn’t think the Chargers have as talented of a roster as many boast them for.

On paper, the Chargers are seen as having one of the most skilled rosters in the NFL. However, those over at ESPN don’t necessarily agree with the narrative.

Using Pro Football Focus’ advanced grades and statistics, ESPN ranked every roster in the league, and Los Angeles came in at No. 16.

Safety Derwin James and the secondary was highlighted as the team’s biggest strength, while the left side of the offensive line was pegged as the biggest weakness. The X-factor is quarterback Tyrod Taylor, as his play will have a huge impact on the Bolts’ results in 2020.

X factor for 2020: The expectations for Tyrod Taylor — the presumed starter at quarterback to begin the season — are understandably low. When we most recently saw him as a starter he was crashing and burning in Cleveland. Taylor did have several seasons of success under Chargers coach Anthony Lynn in Buffalo, though, and from 2015 through 2017, his PFF grade of 82.3 ranked ninth among qualifying quarterbacks. This roster is talented enough that the Chargers could have success if Taylor plays to that level again. The plug could also be pulled quickly if Los Angeles gets off to a rough start with Justin Herbert waiting in the wings.

Los Angeles lost a few notable players like Philip Rivers, Russell Okung, Melvin Gordon, Adrian Phillips and Derek Watt. But they gained a handful, most notably Chris Harris Jr., Bryan Bulaga, Linval Joseph, Trai Turner and a draft class led by Justin Herbert and Kenneth Murray.

While some may disagree with where Los Angeles ranks, it hasn’t been the level of talent as the reason why the team has produced a mixed bag of results the past few seasons. It’s been the injury bug that they can’t shake off and some coaching mishaps.

L.A. is capable of making some noise this upcoming season, especially with the players that are returning and the additions they made. But when it comes to on-field performance, there are four factors that will ultimately make or break the Chargers in 2020.

3 best bargain contracts for Chargers in 2020

General manager Tom Telesco has done a fine job at acquiring players on great deals.

The Chargers present one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. A handful of those players were obtained by general manager Tom Telesco on great deals, too.

With that being said, here is a look at three of the best bargain contracts that Los Angeles has on the roster for the upcoming season:

OT Bryan Bulaga

Average salary: $4,833,333

In need of solid play along the offensive line, the Chargers were able to land one of the best players at the right tackle position for a heck of a deal. Bulaga was signed to a three-year deal worth $30 million. There are 37 tackles in the league that will make more than him this upcoming season, some of which are backups. The 10-year veteran should accelerate the transition process for new offensive line coach James Campen who coached him during their shared time with the Packers. But most importantly, protect Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert and aide in paving the way for the members of the backfield.

S Derwin James

Average salary: $3,378,806

It only took a season for James to make his mark as one of the league’s best safeties. His 105 tackles (75 solo), six quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in his rookie campaign hardly showed how phenomenal he was, as the do-it-all defender helped take the defense to another level. Had he not been hurt in Year 2, the former Florida State product would have been a prime candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors. There are 37 safeties who are set to make more than James during the 2020 season. If James cranks it up another notch this season, a contract extension could be in discussion.

CB Desmond King

Average salary: $2,202,998

The Chargers boast a strong secondary, but one player who hasn’t gotten as much recognition as he should is King. He has been tabbed as Second-Team All-Pro (2018), snubbed from a couple of Pro Bowls and has the second-highest three-year Pro Football Focus grade on defense from the 2017 NFL Draft (90.7). There 62 cornerbacks set to make more than the former Iowa product this upcoming season. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, it would be difficult to see a key defensive back leave, but the signing of Chris Harris Jr. might leave him out of a job with the team after 2020.

Chargers sign OL Ryan Groy

The Los Angeles Chargers signed a familiar face on Wednesday.

The Chargers signed offensive guard Ryan Groy to the 90-man roster on Wednesday.

Groy appeared in nine games for Los Angeles last season after signing with the team on Oct. 9. He played 36 offensive snaps and 37 on special teams.

Groy, the former Wisconsin product was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bears in 2014. Groy played in 16 games in 2016 and 2017 and appeared in 15 contests in 2018, all for the Bills. He also spent time with the Patriots, Buccaneers and Saints.

Groy enters camp looking to earn a spot on the roster once again to serve as depth on the interior part of the offensive line and play on special teams.