Final roster cuts have come and gone, and now all NFL teams are down to 53-man rosters. Usually there will be some surprises each year, depending on how competitive certain positions were. Teams are forced to make some tough choices. Let’s take a look at the Los Angeles Chargers roster cuts and discuss the surprises or non-surprises, or just other notable decisions as we gear up for the regular season.
Reacting to the 2022 Los Angeles Chargers Roster Cuts
Biggest Surprises
This may be less of a surprise for some who did not have much hope to begin with, but the waiving of standout preseason receiver Michael Bandy is still a disappointment. He was easily the best backup player on the offensive side of the ball in the preseason, but too many spots at receiver were locked down, and the Chargers seem to be refusing to keep six wide receivers lately (even if there’s not much reason to keep three quarterbacks on the active roster at this point, which would have opened up a spot). The Chargers receiving depth is strong enough that this will not break them, but they may find themselves regretting it if another team scoops him up. He’s unlikely to clear waivers and make the Chargers practice squad.
On the defensive side of the ball, an unexpected release was defensive lineman Christian Covington. Despite being a rotational piece and not a starter in 2021, he was still arguably one of the better linemen the team had that year. However, Breiden Fehoko had a strong preseason and was able to take Covington’s spot.
Running Back Group Remains the Same (Aside From Fullback)
There was some degree of competition for running back spots, given that coming into the season, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that on most other teams, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree probably would not make a 53-man roster. Undrafted free agents Leddie Brown and Kevin Marks Jr were given a chance to take their spots. Kelley showed some marginal signs of improvement this preseason – enough that his job was not in question. Brown attempted to make a play for Rountree’s job, but ultimately the latter made the cut and the roster remained the same as before with the addition of Isaiah Spiller, and the switch at fullback from Gabe Nabers (who got cut) to Zander Horvath.
Other Notable Cuts and Keeps
Some fans were hoping that edge rusher Jamal Davis would squeak in, but he did not make the cut. Between Chris Rumph and Kyle Van Noy, the backup edge rusher spots were pretty much gone anyway. However, among the inside linebackers, Amen Ogbongbemiga did make the roster despite increased competition at the position, as the Chargers kept a total of five inside linebackers.
Elsewhere, despite there being rumors of them keeping a fourth tight end, Hunter Kampmoyer, the front-runner for that spot, did not make the roster. They ended up sticking with Gerald Everett and the incumbents Tre McKitty and Donald Parham.
Safety Mark Webb was also released after just one year with the team. This might come as a surprise to some, but he has struggled both to stay healthy and to make an impact. With the arrival of J.T. Woods, there also ended up not being much need to keep a fifth safety – or room.
Concluding Thoughts
Essentially all of the other roster cuts are more inconsequential – either undrafted free agents that never made enough of an impact, or other perennial practice squad contenders (Joe Gaziano, Jason Moore, Joe Reed, Emeke Egbule). There were not a lot of outright surprises, aside from Bandy and Covington – and maybe the fact that no one could take Rountree’s spot. The Chargers can now move forward with their final 53-man roster that for the most part looks quite strong, and the team and the fans can start preparing for Week 1 as they face the Las Vegas Raiders and hope to get payback for how last season ended.
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