Tag: Zack Bailey

Chargers make roster moves ahead of Week 3 vs. Vikings

Chargers OL Zack Bailey was signed to the active roster.

The Chargers made some roster moves ahead of their matchup with the Vikings.

Los Angeles signed offensive lineman Zack Bailey to the active roster. In correspondence, they waived undrafted rookie AJ Finley.

Additionally, L.A. promoted safety Dean Marlowe from the practice squad to the active roster.

Bailey, a preseason standout, appeared in one game for the Chargers last season. He played just four snaps. Bailey has the versatility to play tackle and guard.

Marlowe played in Week 2 against the Titans, posting 21 snaps on special teams.

7 recently cut or waived players Raiders should consider adding

Still some talent out there to be had from roster cuts. Here are 7 of them the Raiders should consider adding.

There are always a few players that teams cut who instantly stun a lot of people. Many of those players are talented enough or fit another team’s need so well, that they are scooped up quickly or claimed off waivers. But not all of them.

Some players still slip through and either remain unsigned or join a team’s practice squad.

Either way, what many refer to as the “final 53-man roster” is anything but final. A better term is “initial 53” because more moves inevitably occur afterward.

Sometimes those moves are a team seeing a player or players become available that they like better than those they kept initially. Other moves include injured players who the team expects to have back in short order, but in order to be added to the IR Designated for Return list, those players must be on the roster after the initial cuts are made.

Now that the dust has settled from the cuts, signings, and claims, I have compiled a list of those players still out there who the Raiders should consider adding this week as they prepare for the season opener.

Chargers practice squad tracker: Latest additions to roster

Keep track of all the signings to the Chargers practice squad right here.

After setting their initial 53-man roster, the Chargers began constructing their 17-man practice squad. They signed 12 and added three over the past two days.

Here’s the full list of the players signed to the Bolts practice squad:

EDGE Brevin Allen

RT Zack Bailey

WR Terrell Bynum

DT Jerrod Clark

DT Christian Covington

QB Max Duggan

WR Keelan Doss

EDGE Andrew Farmer

CB Matt Hankins

TE Hunter Kampmoyer

DT CJ Okoye (IPP)

G/T Austen Pleasants

WR Alex Erickson

S Dean Marlowe

TE Nick Vannett

Chargers sign 12 players to 2023 practice squad

The Los Angeles Chargers announced 12 players that will begin the 2023 season on the practice squad.

The Los Angeles Chargers began announcing members of their practice squad on Wednesday, signing the following players:

EDGE Brevin Allen

RT Zack Bailey

WR Terrell Bynum

DT Jerrod Clark

DT Christian Covington

QB Max Duggan

WR Keelan Doss

EDGE Andrew Farmer

CB Matt Hankins

TE Hunter Kampmoyer

DT CJ Okoye (IPP)

G/T Austen Pleasants

Teams can have up to 16 players on their practice squad, but for the Bolts, they can have up to 17 players because they have an exemption to add Okoye as an extra player through the International Player Pathway Program.

Therefore, five more players will be added to round out the group.

Stay tuned for more information.

5 recently cut players the Jaguars should consider adding

The Jaguars won’t pick through the waiver wire like previous years, but these five players could still catch their eye.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ initial 53-man roster was set Tuesday, but there are also more than 1,000 new free agents for the team to parse through.

In previous seasons, the Jaguars have picked through the waiver wire to snag new talent. This year, the team doesn’t have many holes to fill.

It seems highly unlikely that Jacksonville would consider adding any receivers or running backs, and there are really only a few spots where a newcomer could have much of a chance at earning a place. And even if the Jaguars do like a player, they’re buried in the waiver wire order.

Still, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke’s job is never really over and these five players who just hit the market could catch his eye:

18 recently cut players the Colts should consider adding

The Colts will have plenty of options to choose from on the waiver wire.

The Indianapolis Colts officially set the initial 53-man roster before Tuesday’s deadline, but more changes to the group are expected to come.

With over 1,000 players being waived and released in one fell swoop Tuesday afternoon, the Colts will have a strong chance to claim as many players as they want from the waiver wire.

They hold the No. 4 spot in the order and there’s no limit to how many claims they make as long as they can make the corresponding moves to satisfy the 53-player limit.

General manager Chris Ballard is typically a pretty active member of the waiver wire the day following roster cuts.

Here are a few names the Colts should consider adding either through free agency or through the waiver wire:

Projecting the Chargers’ 17-man practice squad

The Chargers can start constructing their practice squad on Wednesday. Here is who we think will make it.

The Chargers trimmed their roster to 53 on Tuesday, but the work in building the roster is not yet done. More moves will come before the opening of the season, beginning with the construction of LA’s practice squad on Wednesday afternoon.

While the NFL has a limit of 16 players on the practice squad, Los Angeles has an exemption to add defensive lineman CJ Okoye as a 17th player through the International Player Pathway Program. For that reason, this projection includes 17 players.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

A look at how social media reacted to the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster.

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

While the majority of the spots filled were to be expected, there were still a couple of surprises, like two undrafted free agents making the cut and letting go of the best offensive lineman of the summer.

Let’s take a look at how social media reacted:

7 Chargers players to watch vs. the 49ers in preseason finale

The final Chargers’ preseason game takes place on Friday. Four days after, LA will announce their final 53-man roster.

The final Chargers’ preseason game takes place on Friday in San Francisco as they take on the 49ers. Just four days later on the 29th, Los Angeles will announce their final 53-man roster after final cuts.

For a lot of roster bubble Chargers, this will be their last chance to make an impression on the coaching staff with training camp wrapped up.

Here are seven players to watch:

RB Elijah Dotson

Dotson burst onto the scene in Week 1 of the preseason with nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams. Against the Saints, he didn’t manage to keep that momentum. The physicality in his runs still showed, but Dotson finished the game with just 21 yards on six carries. On the final drive, Dotson also had two critical drops on passes from Easton Stick.

I’d maintain that Dotson still has a shot at the final 53-man roster, but the outlook isn’t quite as rosy as it was after Week 1. The question for the Niners game is if the North Colorado product can put a performance that makes the Chargers keep a fourth running back as opposed to placing him on the practice squad.

QB Max Duggan

According to Brandon Staley, “the flow of the game” was what kept Easton Stick on the field for all four quarters last week. Duggan did not get a chance to play against the Saints.

Considering that the tradition of the third preseason game tends to be playing fewer of the second-string starters than in the first two games, Duggan should get some significant run in this one. My guess is that the Chargers will stick with what they did in the first preseason game and play both quarterbacks in separate halves.

Staley also inferred that keeping three quarterbacks is not set in stone with his “every year is a new year” comment. While I’m not sure that there’s much of a chance of Duggan actually being left off the roster given the new quarterback rule, a standout performance from the TCU product wouldn’t hurt him.

TE Stone Smartt

The Chargers had three tight ends in the bottom five of their PFF offensive grades last week. Stone Smartt was not one of them. While Tre’ McKitty and Donald Parham have both underperformed in the preseason, Smartt has played fairly well.

Smartt did get significant enough playing time last year to infer that the coaching staff could give him a look for one of their final roster spots if he impresses on Friday. The Chargers certainly need all the help they can get behind Gerald Everett as it currently stands. How safe McKitty’s seat is and how much they want to test the tight end market will be pivotal questions for Smartt.

WR John Hightower

Hightower had a rather disappointing preseason debut last week. Hightower had just one reception for ten yards and came up short on some of the routes that Stick intended to throw. Some of the deep shots weren’t there because of the pass protection with the offensive line, but it was still a far-from-ideal performance even with that consideration.

Hightower will probably remain a favorite for the practice squad regardless of his performance simply because he’s been in the system. He does have irreplaceable speed. But it feels like his chances of making the roster are dwindling with a rough preseason game and Jalen Guyton getting ready to return. Let’s see what he does in San Francisco.

S Raheem Layne

JT Woods took advantage of his “prove it” game as lead safety last week with a good effort. Against San Francisco, I’d figure we see less of him and more of Layne in a starting role. So far, Layne has been an improved tackler on both defense and special teams.

In particular, I’d like to see Layne get some reps where he gets tested in coverage a few times.

RT Zack Bailey

Bailey has shown up with good performances for multiple weeks in the preseason now at right guard. The question for the final preseason matchup at San Francisco is whether the Chargers could kick him back outside for some reps at right tackle.

Foster Sarell has been up and down at points and Austen Pleasants has been largely unplayable when it comes to the tackle spots. Perhaps the Chargers believe Bailey’s long-term NFL future is inside, but I’d like to see some semblance of good competition for the swing tackle spot.

DT CJ Okoye

Friday will probably represent the last chance for Chargers fans to see CJ Okoye in 2023 given the nature of the International Player Program. He’ll likely be stashed on the practice squad as an extra body for the purposes of the regular season.

Every time Okoye has played this preseason, it’s just hard to believe it’s his first time playing professional football. Okoye followed up the sack against the Rams with another pressure, two tackles, and a run stop vs. New Orleans. He seems to only be gaining more confidence in himself as a football player and he’ll get quality playing time vs. the Niners.

Roster bubble update after first week of Chargers training camp

After a full week of training camp, here is an update on Chargers players fighting for a roster spot.

While highlight reels from superstar players tend to grab the headlines during NFL training camps, there are upwards of 40 players on every team fighting for their professional survival.

The Chargers are no exception, with a handful of final roster spots available for the taking.

Here are the ones making an impression.