Official 2025 Chargers Discussion | 2025 Roster Build | Training Camp

[Boltinloudguy]

But Hortiz can't get lazy

AJ Smith got lazy, too chances, thought the roster was stacked enough so trades like Hester, draft picks like Crompton and the LB Waters - and boom, all of the sudden, your roster is gone
Its every year - keep grinding every year

But I agree in principal that it should be tougher every year to make the roster. And those last few spots will be between those 6th and 7th rounders or UDFAs. Where with Telesco, it was likely all of those day 3 picks make the roster

I don’t think AJ got lazy, I think he got arrogant and thought he was smarter than anybody else, everywhere else. Larry English, Jonas Mouton are the names that come to mind immediately.

[Bolt4Knob]

I don’t think AJ got lazy, I think he got arrogant and thought he was smarter than anybody else, everywhere else. Larry English, Jonas Mouton are the names that come to mind immediately.

Fair enough - arrogant is a better term than lazy

Mouton for sure

English I think was borderline 1st
but Mouton wasn't
Crompton -- I saw him play in college - zero passing skills

[Riverwalk]

Hortiz is clear spoken. He means what he says. If it isn't clear, read it again. Still not clear? TBD. He doesn't BS to the press.
Harbaugh may be a little more vague as he takes a little knowing to understand at times. He does not lie either.
Writer's conclusions? All over the place. Pay attention to who is being quoted and who is saying it's a quote.

Exactly. There’s no reason for Hortiz to single out Rocket and praise him other than he is genuinely impressed and grateful they picked him

I think those underestimating Rocket haven’t followed his college career closely but for me the ONLY reason he wasn’t drafted was because of his extensive shoulder injury.

If he is truly healed and fully recovered than he is in fact a steal. The shoulder is the only thing that will derail an auspicious NFL career.

[Topcat]

I don’t think AJ got lazy, I think he got arrogant and thought he was smarter than anybody else, everywhere else. Larry English, Jonas Mouton are the names that come to mind immediately.

All those generous contract extensions AJ did in his later years were also real head scratchers...Lazy Gaither and Jyles Tucker also come to mind here...

[dmac_bolt]

Every year there is different wonder xD

- Kamai Vidal
- Zender Horvath
- Isaiah Spiller
- Larry Roundtree
- KJ "new KA#13" Hill
- Brendan Rice

Calm down it will be less painful when those new super starts from 7th rounds of the draft and UDFA will not make roster.

lol. was it KJ or the "other" guy that many her projected to be Deebo 2.0 for almost 3 years? I'm feeling it was the other whoever guy ... not sure anymore.

[CanadianBoltFan]

I don’t trust blurbs at press conferences just yet. I recall a certain backup OG being praised as their OC of the future, or their FB of the future, or something big. He disappeared before Ladd was renamed La-Dee-Dee

I trust what he did in the SEC when healthy and how he was handled at rookie mini camp...like a drafted player

We will see how he performs in the competition with Vidal, who should surely show better in year 2 of NFL

[dmac_bolt]

I trust what he did in the SEC when healthy and how he was handled at rookie mini camp...like a drafted player

We will see how he performs in the competition with Vidal, who should surely show better in year 2 of NFL

Can't wait to see. If he's not slowed by past injury, I think he could pass Vidal.

I'm still not jumping too high about mid-May press blurbs. apologies for my skepticism, its not my first rodeo. I've seen that movie. I've been down that road before. I've (add your favorite cliche ______)

[CanadianBoltFan]

They had Cornelius Johnson as a draftable player ..... And they drafted him. Branden Rice as a draftable player,..... They drafted him. Vidal as a draftable player they drafted him.

Sanders as a draftable player,..... Did not draft him but are so high on him as a UDFA? OK.

I'm not going to bash the kid. Never been about that. I just don't see anything special about him,...not saying he isn't a decent player. But,..... we'll see what he can do but to have him penciled in as a Harris replacement and #2 for 2026 I think is premature.

This years OL should be better so I expect all the RBs to look better ..... Even the less talented.

Still betting we will draft another RB in 2026 by round 3.

Yes he in the mix, in the RB competition after the top 2. We will see how he plays.

I will point out the difference with Johnson and Rice though. Neither of these players were anywhere close to the top their position group while in college. Johnson barely caught passes as a blocker in that offense. While at Arkansas, before injured, Sanders was considered one of the top 2 or 3 RBs in college football and was trending as an early day 2 pick.

I dont ever recall JH2 raving about how good Cornelius Johnson's tape was

[CanadianBoltFan]

The worse a team is, the more room there is for UDFAs to come in and make the team.

Conversely, the better a team is, the LESS room there is for UDFAs.

So as the Chargers improve under Joe Hortiz' stewardship, it makes sense that UDFAs will occupy a lesser space in the team building arena.

For now, I'm excited and relieved that even the Day 3 picks have a legit shot at making the final roster. There are also a few interesting UDFAs who have a chance to be something more than Practice Squad players in 2025. Stevo Klotz and Rahiem Sanders come to mind immediately.

The NFL is made up of 30% UDFAs . There are UDFAs making every team in the NFL. Less maybe on stacked teams like the Eagles, but it happens, look no farther than their stud ALL PRO left tackle

[CanadianBoltFan]

Can't wait to see. If he's not slowed by past injury, I think he could pass Vidal.

I'm still not jumping too high about mid-May press blurbs. apologies for my skepticism, its not my first rodeo. I've seen that movie. I've been down that road before. I've (add your favorite cliche ______)

Fair enough, he could be cut as an outcome, time will tell. I am a little stoked because i wanted him before the draft as our 2nd RB drafted, predicting 6th round ish. I lked him in college. We all have our guys.

Hampton was my dream pick, my Bowers this year and I know he is going to be a star so to also get Rocket as a freebie is the icing.

[Boltjolt]

Yes he in the mix, in the RB competition after the top 2. We will see how he plays.

I will point out the difference with Johnson and Rice though. Neither of these players were anywhere close to the top their position group while in college. Johnson barely caught passes as a blocker in that offense. While at Arkansas, before injured, Sanders was considered one of the top 2 or 3 RBs in college football and was trending as an early day 2 pick.

I dont ever recall JH2 raving about how good Cornelius Johnson's tape was

Shit changes all the time. His last two years he was mediocre. Averaged 3.4 YPC before injury and 4.8 last year.

Obviously you are high on him but I'm sure it's only because Harbaugh and Hortiz mentioned him..they also mentioned Grimm and Slotz. May not be room for Grimm but we'll see.

Whoever makes it is fine with me, I want the best players we got, I just don't really see Sanders as one of them. His agility measures weren't good. You can get away with that in college but not necessarily the NFL.

But let's see.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

The NFL is made up of 30% UDFAs . There are UDFAs making every team in the NFL. Less maybe on stacked teams like the Eagles, but it happens, look no farther than their stud ALL PRO left tackle

Those aren't all ROOKIE UDFAs, though, which is what the discussion has been about. Adding UDFAs that are, say, 5-8 year vets, is a separate matter and process.

Back in the era of UDFAs like Jacque Cesaire and Jaleel Addae, the organization used tout itself as savvy in the UDFA Department because for something like 10 years in a row, a rookie UDFA made the final roster, going into the season. What they didn't acknowledge-- for obvious reasons-- was that the team had room for rookie UDFAs because so many of their rookie draft picks weren't making the team, creating roster space for non-draftees.