Roster (Cuts and Trades to Initial 53)

[beachcomber]

https://draftcobern.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/curtis-akins-scouting-report-louisiana-monroe/

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/curtis-akins?id=3219414b-4949-7448-e30a-03aca88d2f3c

still like this guy a lot more.... https://www.nfl.com/prospects/te'von-coney?id=3219434f-4e14-7424-def9-e947684719e2

[beachcomber]

BFTB......

suspect that another reason they kept Geremy over Artavis and Andre is his downfield blocking as a wideout for if and when he might see the offensive side of the ball.... also don't think we're going to be adding an Olineman, partly due to we might well have enough there for now, and that not sure there is anyone out there worth shedding cap space for ??

would also volunteer that we aren't adding a safety, and that Cortez is gonna stay put on the 53.... hopefully as a 3T and not a nose.

and re: Dzoobie.... in comparison to the names mentioned that "need" ST snaps.... Nick is much more durable/dependable, no ??

[Boltgang74]

That's who I was talkin bout earlier,Comey.Dude looked good pre draft.Maybe an attitude problem like Polite?

[beachcomber]

looking over the roster, still think there's one fairly glaring hole, and that's @power RB ??

Pope sure seems redundant w/our two starting RBs, and wonder how Jeremy Cox didn't even make the ps ??

[Boltjolt]

The Raiders cut Coney and only have 5 LBs on their 53 man roster. No backup for Burfect at MLB. Can't say I saw him much in preseason but that don't bid well for him.

[Boltgang74]

looking over the roster, still think there's one fairly glaring hole, and that's @power RB ??

Pope sure seems redundant w/our two starting RBs, and wonder how Jeremy Cox didn't even make the ps ??

Yeah I thought Cox looked decent for the little bit I saw em in preseason.

[Steve]

Quarterback:

• Philip Rivers
• Tyrod Taylor
• Easton Stick

I think most of us left Thursday's game in San Francisco convinced Cardale Jones had probably won the battle for the QB3. As it turns out, the team valued the draft capital it invested in Easton Stick over Jones' considerable on-field progress this preseason. I think team control also played a major factor, as Stick is under contract for four years, while Jones was on a one-year deal AND was entering his final year of practice squad eligibility with the team. Stick wins out and Cardale will probably find work elsewhere fairly quickly.

If this was either of the past 2 preseasons I would agree with him on Stick over Jones. Stick has more intangibles and is not that far behind Jones, so it doesn't take much imagination to see Stick passing Jones as a player fairly fast.

Running Back:

• Austin Ekeler
• Justin Jackson
• Troymaine Pope
• Derek Watt (FB)

Melvin Gordon begins the season on the NFL Reserve/Did Not Report List by virtue of this hold out, which is why he isn't on the 53. Other than that, it was pretty clear to me that Troymaine Pope earned the third spot on the depth chart with his preseason performance. The only real question here is whether or not Detrez Newsome eventually winds up as the fourth running back once the team makes its inevitable slew of moves between now and next September 8.

If a roster spot opens up, I might expect DN to make it, except there are several other spots that might need it.

Wide Receiver:

• Keenan Allen
• Mike Williams
• Travis Benjamin
• Dontrelle Inman
• Geremy Davis

The only question with the wide receivers was whether the Bolts would keep Geremy Davis, Artavis Scott, or both of their young receivers. In the end, they opted to keep five, and they chose Geremy Davis over Artavis Scott. The club obviously decided it was more important to retain Davis, who they know will contribute on special teams, over Scott in spite of the latter's obvious play-making abilities as a receiver. As of this writing, Scott has already signed with the team's practice squad, so nothing was really lost.

Most fans dramatically underestimate the importance of ST guys.

Offensive Line:

• Trent Scott
• Dan Feeney
• Mike Pouncey
• Michael Schofield
• Sam Tevi
• Forrest Lamp
• Trey Pipkins III
• Scott Quessenberry

Russell Okung will open the season on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List, and I suspect the team will eventually settle on an interior trio of Forrest Lamp, Mike Pouncey and Dan Feeney, which gives me some comfort. While I am starting to see some good traits in Trey Pipkins, I don't like this tackle group and seriously question the wisdom of only carrying three inexperienced tackles. That's why I would be stunned if the Bolts don't add at least one lineman through waiver wire or trade before September 8. If they don't, we riot.

It's not their inexperience that I mind as much as the fact that they are all fairly raw. They have talent and upside, but that can be tough in the draconian world of NFL football. I just don't see anyone on the FA lists who can help. There are plenty of guys, just not anyone any better than the ones we have. I would like to see a trade, but then other teams would have holes to fill, which makes that impossible to add at this point.

Defensive End:

• Joey Bosa
• Melvin Ingram
• Isaac Rochell
• Chris Peace

I admittedly preferred Anthony Lanier over Chris Peace. Having said that, I have no problem with the decision to keep Peace, even if I do think he's a little redundant with Melvin Ingram and Uchenna Nwosu already on the roster. This is a fun and deep group that should give Gus Bradley a variety of options for generating pressure off the edge.

I am as big a Lanier fan as there is anywhere, but Peace was the better DE. Slightly better pass rusher, and much better run defender. I like them both but this was an easy choice.

Defensive Tackle:

• Brandon Mebane
• Justin Jones
• Jerry Tillery
• Damion Square
• Cortez Broughton

The only real surprise in terms of the depth chart is Cortez Broughton, who flashed a few times during the preseason but was mostly quiet. As they did with Easton Stick, the team ultimately decided to protect a draft pick over keeping a player like TY McGill, who had a better preseason. It wouldn't shock me if Cortez wound up being a place-holder for an as-yet unsigned safety or offensive lineman, with designs on stashing him on the practice squad after the other teams fill out their practice squads.

The only real suprise is that Square is still on the roster. I like the guy and think he has some value, but we have guys all over the roster with talent, and Lanier can play inside too. Broughton has much more upside than Square does, so this isn't so tough a choice to figure out. He just needs to use his hands better.

Linebacker:

• Uchenna Nwosu
• Kyzir White
• Thomas Davis
• Drue Tranquill
• Denzel Perryman
• Jatavis Brown
• Emeke Egbule
• Nick Dzubnar

I'll be blunt: Nick Dzubnar no longer belongs on this roster after all the time, money and draft capital spent rebuilding the linebacker group. Players like Drue Tranquill, Jatavis Brown and Emeke Egbule need the special teams snaps Dzubnar would presumably receive if he remains on the roster and, as we know, Nick offers nothing on defense. That's why I suspect he will probably be among the first to go if the team adds anyone off of waivers. Look for the Chargers to head into the Colts game with seven linebackers, as opposed to the eight they decided to break camp with.

OK, on a team that plays so much nickel and dime, in a day and age when nobody plays many LB, why are we carrying 8 LB? I don't disagree with him on Dzubnar, but Brown is not been able to stay healthy and is just still rookie inconsistent. We would be better off adding 2 other players, rather than them.

Cornerback:

• Casey Hayward
• Michael Davis
• Desmond King
• Brandon Facyson
• Trevor Williams

Quite frankly, I would have bet money the team had lost patience with Trevor Williamsseemingly never-ending list of nagging injuries and opted to keep the far more available Jeff Richards, even if Richards isn't very good. They obviously went with ability over availability when they decided to keep Williams. We can only hope Trevor is nearing a return - both to good healthy and productivity - because, let's face it; none of the other corners the Chargers had in camp are very good. I'd keep an eye out for a potential waiver wire addition here during the week leading up to the Colts game.

Williams played at a pro bowl caliber level. I understand the impatience with injuries, but Facyson is probably never going to get to the level Williams was/is at.

Safety:

• Jaylen Watkins
• Rayshawn Jenkins
• Adrian Phillips
• Roderic Teamer
• Nasir Adderley

The streak of UDFA making the final roster stays alive with Roderic Teamer, although Adarius Pickett was pretty close behind.

Special teams:

• Michael Badgley
• Ty Long
• Cole Mazza

No real surprises here, with the exception of the decision to cut Mike Windt mid-way through the preseason. I'm just glad Ty Long is able to handle punting, kick-off and holding duties, which allowed the team to avoid carrying an extra specialist on a roster with needs at safety and offensive line.

Summary

There you have it: that's the Chargers initial 53-man roster for the 2019 season. As I stated above, I would expect some movement over the next few days. The team will presumably add an offensive lineman (or two?), a safety, attempt to stash Cortez Broughton on the practice squad mid-week, and hopefully, release Nick Dzubnar. I also still think there is a chance we see the team carry four running backs, depending on what happens at offensive tackle and safety.

I don't see them trying to stash Broughton on the PS mid-week. Maybe in the near future, but not this week.

[SYB]

https://draftcobern.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/curtis-akins-scouting-report-louisiana-monroe/

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/curtis-akins?id=3219414b-4949-7448-e30a-03aca88d2f3c

still like this guy a lot more.... https://www.nfl.com/prospects/te'von-coney?id=3219434f-4e14-7424-def9-e947684719e2

Considering how much our scouting dept loves Golden Domers, I'm guessing that he's simply not very good.

[SYB]

The Raiders cut Coney and only have 5 LBs on their 53 man roster. No backup for Burfect at MLB. Can't say I saw him much in preseason but that don't bid well for him.

Especially with his propensity for concussions and suspensions. But RaiDUHS gonna RaiDUH :dunno::biggrin:

[dmac_bolt]

nice summary, Steve. interesting Q on LBs - maybe Dzub is really just on the roster as ST, not as a LB. we don't really want to play him at LB absent a mult-car wreck wiping out the roster above him. Same with GDavis - they don't intend to put him in as a receiver.

As for OL what bugs me isn't that they are young, as we were all young once. Its not that they are raw, i like raw - most notably sushi. No - what bugs me about them is they miss a lot of blocking assignments, and others that they pick up they just get beat. Lets see them with Pouncey back in the middle again with Feeney back at OG. Early schedule is not alarming, they could get a bit of time to become average. They don't need to be all pro.

[Lone Bolt]

Especially with his propensity for concussions and suspensions. But RaiDUHS gonna RaiDUH :dunno::biggrin:

If you coined that, your a fucking genius....I love it!!

[Lone Bolt]

looking over the roster, still think there's one fairly glaring hole, and that's @power RB ??

Pope sure seems redundant w/our two starting RBs, and wonder how Jeremy Cox didn't even make the ps ??

I, too, usually like to have a bruiser on the roster...but with a fullback, you can get away with not having that a little more. Though I would like it if Watt was a little better in carrying the rock..