With the preseason now officially in the books, the Los Angeles Chargers will have until Tuesday to form their 53-man roster. After cuts are made, they must wait 24 hours for players to clear waivers and they can then assign them to their 17-man practice squad.
In theory, only 20 players from the current 90-man roster could be gone for good but many variables exist, such as trades with other teams as well as one of the other 31 teams claiming one of the players that were cut.
When the dust settles, this is how the Chargers 53-man roster will look heading into the 2024 season.
Los Angeles Chargers 53-man roster prediction
Quarterback (2)
Justin Herbert, Tyler Huntley
Cuts: Easton Stick, Luis Perez
Easton Stick makes the 53-man squad initially, but the Chargers drop him after claiming Tyler Huntley, who gets waived by the Cleveland Browns.
Running Back (4)
J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Kimani Vidal, Jaret Patterson
Cuts: Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson
This seems pretty cut and dry at this point.
Wide Receiver (6)
Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey, D.J. Chark, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko
Cuts: Brenden Rice, Cornelius Johnson, Jaelen Gill, Jaylen Johnson, Isaiah Wooden
Simi Fehoko came out of nowhere to take a roster spot but his performance can't be denied. The Chargers will hope they can sneak Brenden Rice onto the practice squad.
Tight End (3)
Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst, Stone Smartt
Cuts: Donald Parham Jr., Tucker Fisk, Luke Benson, Zach Heins, Isaac Rex
The Chargers would probably like to keep four tight ends, but the numbers just don't allow for it. Look for at least two of the players who are cut to be placed on the practice squad.
Offensive Line (9)
Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Trey Pipkins, Joe Alt, Jamaree Salyer, Jordan McFadden, Brenden Jaimes, Foster Sarell
Cuts: Tyler McClellan, Alex Leatherwood, Karsen Barnhart, Brent Laing, Willis Patrick, Bucky Williams
Though there is a lot to sort through here, this group seems pretty easy to predict.
Defensive Line (6)
Morgan Fox, Poona Ford, Otito Ogbinnia, Teair Tart, Scott Matlock, Justin Eboigbe
Cuts: Jerrod Clark, CJ Okoye, Christopher Hinton
These six players should be on the team, but who takes the three starting spots is anyone's guess.
Edge Rusher (5)
Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tui Tuipolotu, Bud Dupree, Tre'Mon Morris-Brash
Cuts: Chris Rumph II, Andrew Farmer, Ty Shelby, Savion Jackson, Chris Collins
Tre'Mon Morris-Brash played his way onto this team as an undrafted free agent. One option the Chargers would have would be to try and float Morris-Brash over to the practice squad to keep a fourth tight end, but all of the other teams around the league saw the performance he put together this summer and it would be a risky move to expose him to waivers.
Inside Linebacker (5)
Daiyan Henley, Junior Colson, Denzel Perryman, Nick Niemann, Troy Dye
Cuts: Shane Lee, Shaq Quarterman, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Frank Ginda
Daiyan Henley looked great this summer and if the Chargers get what they think they are getting out of third-round pick Junior Colson, they could be solid in this area. Ginda and Jean-Baptiste are good practice squad options.
Cornerback (6)
Asante Samuel Jr., Kristian Fulton, Ja'Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard, Cam Hart, Tarheeb Still
Cuts: Matt Hankins, Robert Kennedy, Zamari Walton
Early in preseason, it looked like Matt Hankins could challenge for a roster spot but Deane Leonard stopped any talk of that with his play. The team also has a couple of good, young options for the future in Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still.
Safety (4)
Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, AJ Finley, Tony Jefferson
Cuts: JT Woods, Akeem Dent, Thomas Harper, Jayln Phillips
It may seem a bit controversial to have Tony Jefferson over JT Woods, but after the way Jefferson looked in the preseason finale against Dallas, I wouldn't be able to send him packing. Give me that level of effort over the uncertain, inconsistent (even if growing) play of Woods.
Specialists (3)
Placekicker: Cameron Dicker
Punter: JK Scott
Long Snapper: Josh Harris
There you have it. Your final 53-man roster for the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of the 2024 season! How close will this be to the actual thing come Tuesday?
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