Tag: Simi Fehoko

Chargers place two on injured reserve

The Chargers made a few roster moves on Wednesday.

The Chargers announced on Wednesday that linebacker Junior Colson and wide receiver Simi Fehoko were placed on injured reserve.

In correspondence, WR Jalen Reagor was signed to the active roster. Reagor takes the spot of tight end Eric Tomlinson, who was released on Tuesday and signed to the practice squad today.

Additionally, LB Shaquille Quarterman was signed to the practice squad and TE McCallan Castles was released from the practice squad.

Reagor, who was signed by Los Angeles earlier this season, has appeared in three games and has caught four passes on five targets for 76 yards.

The Chargers have two open spots on the 53-man roster.

5 thoughts on the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

Here are five quick thoughts on the decisions the Chargers made to get to their initial roster for the 2024 season.

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

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:

Easton Stick is the backup…at least for now

After showing promise in the final few games of the 2023 season while Justin Herbert was on the injured reserve, Stick took a massive step back this summer. While Herbert was out of practice for a few weeks with the plantar fascia injury in his right foot, Stick struggled to engineer a productive offense in training camp, which then carried over to the preseason. If Herbert were to go down in the season, the Chargers would be in trouble with Stick under center based on his showing. That’s why I expect Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh to be active in calling teams looking to make a trade or sign an available one.

Seven wide receivers

I thought that Hortiz and Harbaugh would only keep six wideouts. However, they made the right decision by rewarding Brenden Rice and Simi Fehoko for their hard work this summer. Rice had an outstanding camp but was limited in preseason play due to the inefficient quarterback play. He showed not only route-running prowess but also high effort as a blocker. It was hard to keep Fehoko off the roster after a productive preseason. He finished with seven catches on nine targets for 170 yards. On top of that, Fehoko shined on special teams.

Donald Parham’s time is over

As much of a reliable target for Herbert over the past four seasons, Parham did not make the cut because he struggled to stay healthy consistently and still left much to be desired as a blocker, something Greg Roman wants from his tight ends. Stone Smartt made the roster after showing growth in the blocking department while managing to be an asset in the passing game. The Chargers would still benefit from another player in this position room, particularly a plus blocker.

Does not have the EDGE

I thought the Chargers would keep five edge rushers, with that spot going to Tre’Mon Morris-Brash. However, they elected to roster four players at the position. Morris-Brash showed proficiency as a pass rusher and capped off a sensational summer with a pick-six against the Cowboys. He should be a practice squad player. Chris Rumph II was making his case to earn a spot on the roster before suffering a foot injury against the Seahawks. He won’t play this year as he was placed on season-ending reserve.

11 defensive backs

I was under the assumption that the Chargers would only keep ten defensive backs, but they ultimately decided to start with 11. Rather than choosing between Tony Jefferson and JT Woods, the team kept both. Jefferson had a quiet summer until the final preseason game, where he played out of his mind, posting 14 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble. He brings another veteran presence and experience to a fairly young defensive back room. Woods’ ability to play safety and cornerback and his signs of improvement, especially as a tackler, earned him a spot.

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

Chargers 53-man roster projection: Who’s in, out ahead of final preseason game

Here’s how we see the Chargers’ roster shaping up ahead of the final preseason game.

The Chargers’ second preseason game against the Rams shed more light on some players and position battles.

Here’s an attempt at predicting the 53-man roster ahead of Los Angeles’ preseason finale against the Cowboys:

Quarterback (2): Justin Herbert, QB via trade or sign

I have a hard time believing that the Chargers’ backup quarterback is currently on the roster. Despite performing well as a starter in the final few games of last season when Herbert landed on injured reserve with a finger injury, Easton Stick has struggled all summer. Luis Perez has flashed, but I don’t think he’s ready for the backup role. I see Los Angeles adding someone like Tyler Huntley, Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Taylor Heinicke.

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

Nothing changes with the first three running backs from my last projection. Patterson has received most of the reps as the third back throughout the summer. I had Isaiah Spiller over Vidal after the first week of preseason, but that changed after Vidal led the team in rushing against the Rams. There’s no denying that Vidal is a talented player who could contribute in his rookie season.

Wide receiver (6): Josh Palmer, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, D.J. Chark, Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko

No changes to the first five wide receivers listed. But in this projection, I am giving the nod to Fehoko over Brenden Rice. Not only has Fehoko excelled on offense, as a pass-catcher and a blocker, but he’s also flourished on special teams.

Tight end (4): Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst, Donald Parham Jr., Tucker Fisk

Parham has been back on the field after missing some time with an injury early in the summer and has shown what he brings to the table as a receiver. I have Fisk over Stone Smartt and the undrafted free agents Luke Benson and Zach Heins because he showed some real juice as a blocker against the Rams last weekend.

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

No changes.

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

In my last projection, Chris Rumph II made the roster as the fifth edge rusher. However, he suffered a foot injury in the preseason opener against and has been out since. I think he could end up on the injured reserve to start the season. Tre’Mon Morris-Brash has made his case to make the roster. But ultimately, I think he ends up being a practice squad candidate.

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

I had the Chargers rostering five defensive tackles before. But that changed when they signed Tart, who already flashed his playmaking skills this past weekend.

Linebacker (5): Denzel Perryman, Junior Colson, Daiyan Henley, Nick Niemann, Troy Dye

No changes.

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

No changes.

Safety (4): Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, AJ Finley, Thomas Harper

The fourth safety spot between Harper and JT Woods will be a tough decision for the coaching staff. You can make the case for both players. While Woods has shown improvement and is getting reps at outside cornerback, where I believe he is better suited, Harper has made plenty of plays on defense and special teams to warrant a spot.

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

No changes.

Chargers roster bubble: 4 players who helped their cause in preseason Week 2

Which Chargers helped themselves as a result of their performances in Week 2 vs. the Rams? Let’s take a look at who impressed.

There’s just a little over a week until all NFL rosters must be cut down to 53 players.

Which players helped themselves the most due to their performances in Week 2 against the Rams? With one preseason game left, let’s look at who impressed.

RB Kimani Vidal

Vidal did not play in the preseason opener as he was dealing with an injury. But in his first NFL game, he showed why he’s worthy of being a part of the running back rotation. The former Troy product finished with 49 yards on 11 carries. He gained 13 and 8 yards on his first two carries, respectively. Vidal displayed tremendous vision and burst to pick up yardage.

WR Simi Fehoko

I’ve had rookie Brenden Rice in my 53-man roster projections for the past month, but that will likely change. Fehoko has put together a solid summer, and he continued to show up on Saturday. He led all receivers with 52 yards on two catches. However, his performance went beyond what he did as a pass-catcher. Fehoko showed great effort as a blocker and made a huge tackle on kickoff coverage.

S Thomas Harper

AJ Finley has made his case for the third safety, but there should be one more spot in the position room. While JT Woods has shown improvement, Harper, the undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, has also impressed enough to be considered for it. Harper had a pass breakup on fourth down. In the first game of the preseason against the Seahawks, he had a sack.

TE/FB Tucker Fisk

The run blocking was good and Fisk played a part in it. Signed just last week, Fisk came in and was integral as a blocker at tight end and fullback, including on Vidal’s 13-yard run. If he continues to show up in this department in the preseason finale against the Cowboys, he could earn the spot as the fourth tight end.

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in preseason loss to Rams

Find out who Pro Football Focus tabbed as their winners and losers from the Chargers’ loss to the Rams.

In the second preseason game, the Chargers fell short to the Rams, 13-9.

The starters remained sidelined, while the majority of the playing time went to those at the middle to the back end of the depth chart who are vying for a role or a spot on the 53-man roster.

With that being said, here are the best and worst performers from Saturday’s game, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

WR Simi Fehoko — 91.3

OL Rashawn Slater — 81.2

OL Willis Patrick — 75.3

OL Alex Leatherwood — 73.1

OL Trey Pipkins — 72.3

Top 5 Defense

LB Denzel Perryman — 91.4

LB Daiyan Henley — 90.8

CB Deane Leonard — 82.8

S Akeem Dent — 79.1

DT Teair Tart — 76.8

Bottom 5 Offense

TE Luke Benson — 29.5

QB Easton Stick — 29.8

WR Cornelius Johnson — 37.2

QB Luis Perez — 39.2

TE Stone Smartt — 45.8

Bottom 5 Defense

DT Morgan Fox — 29.6

EDGE Bud Dupree — 31.8

CB Zamari Walton — 37.0

DT Chris Hinton — 40.8

DT Scott Matlock — 46.8

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz speaks on state of wide receiver room after taking Joe Alt

The new front office doesn’t seem to be phased as much by the lack of clarity at wide receiver as much as the fanbase is.

In their joint press conference following the selection of Joe Alt, Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz were both asked about the plans for the wide receiver position.

First, they were asked why they went with a tackle despite quality receivers available on the board. Hortiz responded:

Yeah, there were. I think I’ve said it from the beginning, when we started talking about the draft, that we’re going to take the best player available for the Chargers, and that’s what we did today. That’s what we’re going to do at 37 [overall] and every other pick that we have. Obviously, he helps our team and he helps us get better. That’s what we want to do. We want to get better with every pick. That’s what we feel like we did.

Asked in a follow-up that came later in the press conference about plans to address the wide receiver position throughout the rest of the draft and offseason, Hortiz said this:

We’re going to address more than just the receivers, too, absolutely. I’ve said this before — you look at it and there are certainly more needs at different spots, but there are needs at every position. That’s why we’re living by the best player philosophy. Again, you’re never one player away and you’re never one position away. You have to improve every single position on your team at every opportunity you get. We’re going to still be working on a few of the positions. We’re not done with offensive line, either. We’re just going to try and make the team better.

Some Day 2 wide receivers who could be available at 37 include Adonai Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and Roman Wilson, amongst others. However, with the value on the board at cornerback, defensive tackle, and interior offensive line, I’d have to wonder if the best player available mentality causes them to wait one more round for a wideout.

Harbaugh advised against “counting out” rostered wideouts like Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer, Simi Fehoko, and Derius Davis. The new front office doesn’t seem to be phased as much by the lack of clarity at wide receiver as much as the fanbase is.

Chargers Highlight: Simi Fehoko scores first NFL touchdown vs. Bears

Simi Fehoko scored his first career touchdown.

A Chargers receiver has his first career touchdown. And no, it’s not first-round pick Quentin Johnston. Nor is it fourth-round pick Derius Davis.

No, it’s third-year receiver Simi Fehoko, signed from the Steelers practice squad after the Mike Williams injury, who hit paydirt for the first time as a professional on Sunday night.

With third and three from the Bears 9 after another impressive drive, Justin Herbert dropped back and surveyed the field. Without Joshua Palmer, who reinjured his knee earlier in the series, Herbert took an extra beat to find an open man. That was Fehoko, who beat his defender on a shallow crossing route. Fehoko did the rest, outrunning Chicago’s defense to the end zone to give LA a 14-0 lead.

Chargers WR Joshua Palmer added to injury report, questionable vs. Cowboys

The Chargers could be without their No. 2 wide receiver on Monday night.

Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer was added to the injury report Sunday due to a groin injury and is now questionable for the Week 6 matchup against the Cowboys.

Palmer participated in practice all week, so it isn’t clear what caused the injury. It’s possible that it could have occurred during the team’s final practice of the week on Saturday.

With Mike Williams out for the season with a torn ACL, Palmer has a more prominent role. In Week 4 against the Raiders, Palmer posted three catches for 77 yards on eight targets.

If Palmer can’t go, rookie Quentin Johnston would be the No. 2 wideout behind Keenan Allen.

Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko are the other two wide receivers on the roster. Keelan Doss could be promoted from the practice squad.

Watch: Highlights of Chargers new WR Simi Fehoko

Check out the Chargers’ newest wide receiver in action.

The Chargers made a move after the unfortunate news of Mike Williams’ season-ending knee injury, signing Simi Fehoko to the active roster.

Fehoko, originally a fifth-round pick in 2021 by the Cowboys, has played in five games so far in his career. He has three catches for 24 yards.

Prior to his professional career, he put together a solid resume in his final two seasons at Stanford, with 61 catches for 1,140 yards and nine touchdowns.

To get familiar with the Bolts’ newest addition, check out some of his highlights below.