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Highlighting what stood out from the Los Angeles Chargers’ initial 53-man roster for the 2022 season.
The Los Angeles Chargers released their initial 53-man roster for the 2022 season on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are some takeaways from things that stood out:
Spotlighting five defensive players to keep an eye on for the Chargers when they take on the Rams.
The Chargers roster will begin to take shape this Saturday when preseason play kicks off against the Rams.
Here are five players on the defensive side of the ball to keep an eye on.
Here are four players on defense who should bring some intrigue as the Chargers look to build the 53-man roster.
The Chargers boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, with notable players at every position.
However, a few have gotten little press coverage that will be worth keeping an eye out on when the team reports to training camp in a couple of weeks.
Here are four names on defense that should bring some intrigue as Los Angeles looks to build the 53-man roster.
The Chargers boast one of the league’s most talented edge defender duos in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Chris Rumph is entering his second season and is in a prime position to make a leap. Kyle Van Noy was signed to add another pass-rush presence off the edge, but he should also see time at inside linebacker. This group would benefit from another player for depth, and Davis could make a strong push to earn it. Davis possesses the athletic ability, physical profile, and tools to be a nice rotational rusher. He recently played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes, where he recorded 17 tackles, four sacks, and a defensive touchdown through nine games.
Chargers EDGE Jamal Davis has a good chance to fill out the group if he performs in camp.
+ Athletic & physical profile (34 1/4" arms)
+ Good speed around the edge
+ Nice inside/spin move
+ Wingspan & upper body strength to win leverage battles
+ Good pad level in gaps vs. run pic.twitter.com/ieRPravLZc— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) July 15, 2022
The Chargers are excited about the additions of Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson in hopes they can improve their porous run defense from last season. But on the back end of the unit, there will be a battle for one of the final spots and Fehoko presents an intriguing candidate that would also help against the run, as he made an impact in the trenches in his limited opportunities. On 65 run snaps, he had a stop percentage of 16.1, which ranked fourth, according to Pro Football Focus.
Breiden Fehoko made the most of every time he was on the field. He is more than deserving of more snaps next season. pic.twitter.com/5kA62Ft9sH
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) January 17, 2022
The Chargers’ middle-of-the-pack special teams did not have a lot of veterans; instead, they rolled with their rookie class as the main core last season. Among the crop, Niemann ended up being a bright spot, finishing with 14 special teams tackles on coverage units, which tied for fourth-most in the NFL. Los Angeles let their best linebacker, Kyzir White, walk in free agency and while they added Troy Reeder, the talent at the position still lacks talent. However, Niemann could prove to earn playing time on defense if he performs in camp.
The Chargers have a solid cornerback group after the additions of J.C. Jackson and Bryce Callahan to complement Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis. But in an ever-revolving secondary in Brandon Staley’s system, the team’s sixth-round pick could be a nice depth piece. Taylor has the versatility to play in the slot and outside, has experience as a return man, and the speed to serve as a gunner. At Wake Forest, Taylor logged 184 tackles, six interceptions, 24 passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 62 career games. He also returned kicks in his final season, averaging 26.3 yards per attempt, including one touchdown, on eight attempts.
The Chargers made another addition to their offseason roster.
The Chargers made another addition to their offseason roster.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles signed edge defender Jamal Davis to a reserve/future contract.
Davis most recently played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes, where he recorded 17 tackles, four sacks, and a defensive touchdown through nine games.
Before that, Davis was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent out of Akron in 2019.
After being waived by Houston, Davis spent time on the practice squads of the Colts and Titans before signing with the Dolphins, where he appeared in three games in 2020.
Davis finished his NFL career before joining the CFL with stints with the Titans and Browns on their practice squads.
In his senior season of college, Davis recorded 82 tackles, 16 for losses, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and an interception and was named second-team all-conference for the Zips.
Jamal Davis II gets the sack off of a jab step/head bob. Look at what it does to the blocker. His head drops, hands shoot & feet stop!
It doesn’t take much to set up your rush moves & the payoff can be huge!@JamalDavisII plays for the @MTLAlouettes of the CFL! #passrush pic.twitter.com/iKbfiS76c5
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) October 24, 2021
The team also made a change at the bottom of the practice squad
The Browns were busy making roster moves on Tuesday. In addition to placing starting RG Wyatt Teller on the reserve/COVID-19 list and activating Porter Gustin off the same list, the team placed reserve wideout Taywan Taylor on injured reserve.
Taylor injured his neck in a practice session and did not play in Week 13. Coach Kevin Stefanski indicated on Monday that the team was in need of further evaluation, and that resulted in Taylor going on I.R.
Moving Taylor to I.R. opens a space for Marvin Hall, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions. Hall remains on the exempt list while he clears COVID-19 protocols.
The team also shuffled the practice squad. Cleveland activated WR Ryan Switzer from the practice squad/injured list and released DE Jamal Davis.
Browns add DE Jamal Davis to the practice squad
The Browns filled the vacancy on the team’s practice squad on Wednesday by signing defensive end Jamal Davis to the squad.
Davis tried out for the team over the weekend. The EDGE is in his second NFL season out of Akron. Davis spent time with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins as a rookie. He did get into three games with the Dolphins, playing 12 snaps on defense and four on special teams.
Davis is more of an outside linebacker-type of EDGE at a long-levered 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds. He is a Canton native, and his familiarity with this week’s opponent is not overlooked.
The Browns created the space for Davis by releasing CB Stephen Denmark on Tuesday.
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Davis has bounced around several NFL teams since 2019
With a crunch on personnel at defensive end, the Cleveland Browns held a private visit with free agent EDGE Jamal Davis.
Davis is a second-year undrafted free agent from Akron. He played in three games with the Dolphins last season, all on special teams. At 6-4 and 244 pounds, Davis is more of a stand-up OLB-type rusher than a 4-3 defensive end. He has also spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans.
In related news, Evan Brown had a tryout with the Detroit Lions. Brown was on Cleveland’s active roster through the first eight weeks of the season as a backup offensive lineman. He played 17 total snaps on special teams in his Browns stint.
The team hosted three free agent defensive linemen and one linebacker for tryouts.
The Panthers are looking to add some defensive front-seven help based on today’s official NFL transaction report. The team hosted three free agent defensive linemen and one linebacker for tryouts.
Here is a look at who came in Tuesday.
LB Daniel Bituli (Tennessee)
Bituli (6-foot-3, 252 pounds) was one of the three players who came in for visits last week, including QB/TE Tommy Stevens, who was signed to the practice squad yesterday. Bituli offers more depth at linebacker and on special teams after Adarius Taylor was recently placed on injured reserve.
DT Myles Adams (Rice)
Adams (6-foot-2, 284 pounds) should be a familiar name for Carolina fans. He was one of the team’s original 17 undrafted free agent signings this offseason. Adams was cut just before the regular season began and put in some time with the practice squad early on. At Rice, he totaled 4.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss in 39 games.
DE/OLB Jamal Davis II (Akron)
Davis (6-foot-4, 235 pounds didn’t get much playing time as a rookie last year. He wound up playing 16 just snaps for the Dolphins. During his last two seasons at Akron he racked up 7.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for a loss.
DE Jonathan Wynn (Vanderbilt)
Wynn (6-foot-4, 260 pounds) wasn’t on the field much in 2019, either. He played only 12 snaps, in his case with the Lions. Most of the time was passed going on and off Detroit’s practice squad. In college, he only had five sacks but he did knock down seven passes.
These tryouts and visits have usually gone to players who wind up on the fringes of the practice squad. Speaking of which, the team has waived tight end Seth DeValve from the practice squad and hosted kicker Taylor Bertolet for another visit.
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The Titans made a few moves on Tuesday, and one of them could signal that another signing is coming.
The Tennessee Titans made a few moves on Tuesday, one of which included waiving wide receiver Cody Hollister, who made the team’s initial 53-man roster out of training camp.
Additionally, the Titans replaced outside linebacker Jamal Davis on the practice squad with fellow outside linebacker, Tuzar Skipper.
Skipper entered the league as an undrafted free agent signing of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, but was cut prior to the season. He then latched on with the New York Giants, where he played in six games last season.
The move to waive Hollister is an interesting one. The Titans now only have four wide receivers on their active roster, so it has to make you wonder if Tennessee is planning on adding another wideout at some point.
After winning their Week 1 contest over the Denver Broncos on Monday night, the Titans will take the field for their home-opener on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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The Titans have added another outside linebacker.
The Tennessee Titans have added another new outside linebacker to their training camp roster.
The team announced on Sunday that it has agreed to terms with outside linebacker Jamal Davis, who was brought in a for a visit just a few days ago.
Davis is a familiar face in Tennessee. He was signed to the Titans’ practice squad last October, although he never played in a game for the team.
Prior to his stint with the Titans, Davis was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Akron by the Houston Texans. He also spent time on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad during the month of September.
Davis saw his first regular season action in Week 15 after signing on with the Miami Dolphins. He went on to play in three games and was on the field for a grand total of 12 defensive snaps and four special teams snaps.
The second-year pro was signed by the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason, only to be cut about a week ago.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker is the second player added at the position in the span of a week. Tennessee also inked outside linebacker Wyatt Ray to a deal following roster moves that included waiving Reggie Gilbert, and placing Vic Beasley on the NFI list and Josh Smith on the COVID-19 list.
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