The Chargers, who trimmed their roster to 85 players, played their first preseason game last Saturday, giving players on the bubble an opportunity to impress head coach Brandon Staley and the rest of the coaching staff.
Who improved their odds of making the team? Here’s how we see the roster shaking out ahead of this week’s joint practices with the Cowboys:
Quarterbacks (3): Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick
No changes made here. While Stick was more efficient than Daniel against the Rams, having Daniel’s mentorship to Herbert is important. Plus, I believe they elect to keep three for the sake of continuity, and they could envision Stick being Herbert’s backup once Daniel retires.
Running backs (3): Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller, Joshua Kelley
As opposed to four, like I originally had slotted here, there is reason to believe that the Chargers will only roll with three to leave a roster spot open elsewhere. Larry Rountree has been underwhelming thus far, and there has been nothing to suggest undrafted free agents Leddie Brown or Kevin Marks deserve a roster spot.
Fullbacks (1): Zander Horvath
No change made here.
Wide receivers (6): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton, Michael Bandy
As I mentioned, the Chargers could elect to keep three running backs, leaving a roster spot open. In this case, they do for Bandy, who led the team in catches and receiving yards, amassing 73 yards on seven catches, including a touchdown in the preseason opener against the Rams. Reed is another strong candidate for this spot, as he also shined four catches for 61 yards and a score.
Tight ends (3): Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty
No changes made here.
Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Zion Johnson, Trey Pipkins III, Storm Norton, Jamaree Salyer, Brenden Jaimes, Ryan Hunter
The only change here was swapping center Will Clapp for Hunter. Hunter has been a summer standout. He has also shown some versatility, working at all three interior positions, including center and left guard this past weekend.
Defensive line (6): Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Breiden Fehoko, Christian Covington
The change here is having Covington over Tillery for the last spot. Tillery struggled against the run, which has been was an issue for him last season. Further, he was a non-factor in the passing game. Meanwhile, Covington made a couple of positive plays in the run department.
Edge rusher (4): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Chris Rumph II, Jamal Davis
Emeke Egbule led the team in pressures with seven, which would’ve been good enough to earn the last spot at the position. However, he had a couple of opportunities where he could not bring down quarterback Bryce Perkins. On the other hand, Davis finished with five and looked good against the run.
Linebacker (5): Kyle Van Noy, Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray Jr., Troy Reeder, Nick Niemann
Damon Lloyd has been making a strong case to make the 53-man roster. But at the end of the day, I think the team 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
The change here is swapping Taylor for Deane Leonard. Leonard had a rough performance against the Rams. While he was able to stay in phase with receivers, Leonard struggled to get his head around, allowing the Rams’ first passing touchdown. Leonard was also called for pass interference and allowed a two-point conversion. Taylor had a relatively clean game and played gunner on punt coverage teams.
Safety (5): Derwin James Jr., Nasir Adderley, JT Woods, Mark Webb Jr., Alohi Gilman
No changes made here.
Specialists (3): K Dustin Hopkins, P J.K. Scott, LS Josh Harris
No changes made here.