[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”]
[et_pb_row admin_label=”row”]
[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]
Happy Wednesday, Chargers fans!
Here's an open thread for StormCloud members to post any and all updates they see throughout the post-cuts day. Here is the 53-man roster as it currently stands today:
The roster is far from solidified. Every season, the 53-man roster goes through three main phases of evolution before somewhat stabilizing:
Initial Cut Day: From 90 to 53
Tuesday was the NFL's initial cut day, cutting rosters almost in half from 90 to 53.
Some players will remain on the 53 man roster with little to no intention by their General Manager to actually keep them rostered through Week 1 of the season. Players who haven't reached "vested veteran" status (4+ seasons of accrued service time) can immediately sign to a team's active or practice squad roster, but all other players must pass through waivers first. Teams making waiver claims must stash the claimed player on their active roster. Only players that safely pass through waivers can be signed to a practice squad.
If a GM has a player that may fill an active-roster need on another team, but he hopes to slide that player through to his practice squad, he may retain said player for a couple extra days while waiting for that opposing team to address their need elsewhere. Or, such as with the Browns and their current four-QB roster, a GM may retain players he believes have some trade value and attempt to leverage a deal in the days following the initial cuts.
Players may be on our 53-man roster now, but may be waived and re-signed to the practice squad prior to the Week One Raiders game, may include Stone Smartt, Jaret Patterson, Simi Fehoko, Brenden Rice, or Deane Leonard. JT Woods may even be on this list as well. All these players won't be waived, but it's a list to keep and eye on, as their roster spots are no where near safe at this point.
Waiver Claim Day: What Fruit Shakes Lose?
Some riches typically fall from the branches when the rosters get trimmed down to 53 and teams have to make difficult cuts.
Chargers Fans are expecting Easton Stick to be replaced in the coming days, whether it be by waiver claim or by trade. At the time of this writing however, news dropped that the waiver claim would in fact be for a running back, Jim Harbaugh's own Hassan Haskins.
As speculated above, this could signal Patterson being waived, and hopefully landing on the practice squad tomorrow.
Vested Veteran Shake-Up... Pre-and Post Week 1 Rosters
The third phase of the roster cuts boils down to terms negotiated in the CBA aimed at benefitting veterans, but often just burns the fringe-players. If a vested veteran is on a 53-man roster through Week 1, their base salary becomes fully guaranteed. If a team signs a vested veteran to their active roster after Week 1, these guarantees don't come into play.
Breiden Fehoko broke 2022's camp on the active roster, after Christian Covington was released on cut day. Covington was signed to the practice squad, and Fehoko believed he had finally "made the team" after being a practice squad call-up in his previous seasons. After Week 1, Fehoko was waived and landed back on the practice squad, and Covington was brought back on the active roster. Covington missed out on the fully guaranteed year, and Fehoko went through a media circus around his "making the team" only to be cut a week later. It was an incredibly awkward and rare miscue from the Chargers social media team.
Donald Parham may have fallen victim to this same concept. Stone Smartt will receive no additional guarantees if he is on the active roster in Week 1. If Parham was rostered in Week 1, his base salary would be fully guaranteed, but if he's signed after Week 1, those guarantees are no longer an issue. It wouldn't be a shock to see Parham brought back to the practice squad, and back on the active roster by Week 2.
Tony Jefferson is another name to look out for. He may have been seen as a player that played too well in his final preseason game to cast off to the initial waiver vultures - but he is also a player they might not want on a fully guaranteed contract. Should the Chargers find positional upgrades elsewhere, Jefferson might be a late cut-and-stash, before signing him back to the active roster in Week 2.
What do you think, StormCloud? How else might this roster shake up in the coming days?
He is a very good special teams player and a big back (6'2" 230lbs). I don't think he is a "special" running back, but maybe the special teams aspect since Nieman is on IR for 4-weeks helped tilt his value.
He was noted to be a candidate for a switch to FB by multiple scouts, apparently is an excellent pass and run blocker.
@kylededi If they did have a plan to bring Parham onto the team in week #2 that just flew out the window to Denver. They are really light at TE, but maybe the plan is to load up on the practice squad.
@spanos-must-go They technically could sign him from their PS if the Donks don't protect him ... but yeah, this signals to me that they're OK letting him go. I'm sure they would have explained the situation to him if that's what they were aiming to do, and he would have signed with our PS squad.
UNLESS... ESPIONAGE!
@kylededi shame he just never worked out. I thought that circus catch, near TD where he injured his neck was gonna be a coming out party....until the injury occurred. I'm not at all certain he's ever fully recovered from that and you can add other injuries along with it.
All the ability in the world means nothing if you don't have availability.
Agreed! That concussion was so tough to watch. It's nerve wracking to know that our current starting TE also suffered a very, very scary concussion last year.
Shaq Quarterman to the Chargers practice squad.
Isaiah Spiller to the practice squad. Seems like a lot of running backs. I really thought it was time to move on from Spiller.
Interesting practice squad addition is a veteran Center from Denver, Sam Mustipher.
Very big fan of that one. Apparently he was targeted by other teams but saw the most opportunity here.
I am hopeful that we target this position in the draft and find ourselves our Center for the next decade. Make Charger Centers great again.
If they get a stud center next year, this offensive line will be HUMMING.
I'd also love seeing them pick up Justin's brother Patrick. Dude's a selfless run blocking TE... would be very fun to have those two on the same squad.
“Patrick Herbert is the epitome of toughness,” tight ends coach Drew Mehringer said. “This is a guy that doesn’t say a whole lot, that does the right thing, that misses very, very, very rare assignments, is prepared, plays through injury. He’s banged up? Doesn’t care. He breaks his finger in the middle of practice? Doesn’t care. Will not put on a red jersey. He is an awesome human being.”
Certainly seems like a Buck Melanoma Lunch Pail candidate!
Seriously. He'd be such a fun add, even if he's just a 7th round pick. I haven't watched any tape on him yet so I have no idea
@kylededi Not a huge fan of JT Woods, but this move does not make a ton of sense to me. The Chargers have a full room of running backs so I'm not sure how this really changes anything other than Hassan is an excellent special teams player. And the Chargers still have 7-wide receivers.
Chargers finalizing a trade for Tennessee DB Elijah Molden for a late round draft pick.
Elijah Molden 5'10" 190lb safety drafted in 2021 3rd round from Washington Huskies.
PFF Defensive Grades: 2021 62.0, 2022 67.5....
2023 56.0 86th out of 95. Pass Coverage 52.4, 83rd out of 94. Run Defense 66.1, 51st out of 92.
Hopefully they can fit him into Minter's defense and raise those scores A LOT. Yikes.
I’m just glad Morris-Brash cleared waivers. Sorry to see Harper not clear waivers. Still need a QB2, and we’ve already used a draft pick for Molden (great move). Come on, Hortiz, close strong!!
[/et_pb_row]
[/et_pb_section]
