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…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Chargers Wire…