Predicting the LA Chargers 53-man roster: Easton Stick's situation and Kimani Vidal's breakout debut

hello everyone welcome into another episode of bull breakdowns here on the guilty is charge podcast YouTube channel my name is Alex as always hosting this show um I wanted to use today's episode to talk about what we saw in the first two preseason games as it relates to predicting the 53 man roster which will be made in about a week and a half two weeks uh you know when we kind of know the final uh Chargers team heading towards uh the end of August here into that September game against the Raiders so um you know obviously there is still one preseason game left against Dallas there are still spots in the air uh and spots that people will be competing for in that game however I do think we actually have a pretty good idea of at least 48 to 50 of these roster spots barring some you know special performances in this last preseason game never write it off though right uh it was you know Austin Eckler back in 2017 who made the final roster spot with some of his final efforts in second you know or third and fourth preseason games uh during that time so you know things could change but this is where I kind of feel the roster is right now doesn't mean I can't have a different thought tomorrow they could also sign a free agent uh By the time this video is uploaded uh but this is just kind of a where we're at now and where I'm kind of leaning type of video so without any further Ado let's get into it uh please don't click off the video because I've seen your comments about East stick as well as Luis Perez I actually spelled Luis Perez wrong that's my bad uh it is with an S not a z but let's let's talk about it um I thought coming into this preseason eastn stick had an opportunity particularly in that Seattle game uh to essentially clinch the qb2 spot and he's done everything but that uh I think that he has put back you know back toback weeks together pretty bad performances he was slightly better this week than he was in week one if you look at at least the statistical analysis of it but I just thought mechanically he still looked very off from what we have come to expect of Easton stick where he didn't really trust his pocket presence you know looked more confident when he was running the ball I guess but um you know three turn turnovers this preseason two turnovers against uh the Rams where they were driving in Rams territory one on the goal line and then another on the errant pass to foko where he just kind of missed him and if he plans his feet you know they pick up a first down so um just unfortunate stuff for him all around I you know the discourse has changed kind of every week but I really thought e stick was pretty good last season season when he was forced to play and I think people forget that you know he was forced to play in pretty bad circumstances too I mean no Run game for the Chargers bad offensive line no Keenan Allen no Mike Williams sometimes no Josh Palmer even um so he was at a disadvantage but really other than that Raiders game the Chargers at least kind of kept games competitive offensively and I think stick kind of minimized um some mistakes but it's been a totally different story this year he you know had the chance to essentially clinch qb2 he may still very well be qb2 I think he currently is um but he's let the door open for the Chargers bringing in Luis Perez for competition um and then you know perhaps after cut day you know the Chargers looking for another qb2 whether that's somebody off the free agent market like Ryan tanah Hill whether that is trading with the team whether that's um you know uh going out and picking up whoever is cut the Browns have a bunch of quarterbacks like PJ Walker and Tyler Huntley who may not make the roster Tyler Huntley pretty notable uh given the Ravens connections but all of that aside I think the stick performances despite what Harbaugh has said in these you know postgame press conferences he named stick the week three starter said he improved I don't fully buy that that's what the coaching staff thinks of stick um I I do think if the season started today stick is your qb2 but there is you know still about a month a little less than a month till week one and the Chargers can experiment and do a lot of things on the free agent market now in regards to Perez who I have listed here as just being off the roster I thought he had a pretty interesting couple of throws against Seattle um he was honestly pretty bad this week against the Rams both he and Eon stick I I really just think had a certain skittishness in the pocket in terms of decision making so I don't think he's done anything to earn that qb2 job either notable from uh I think one of poppers reports last week was that stick or sorry Perez's first team reps uh went up basically uh as you know the qb3 on this team or you know qb2 with Herbert hert so I'll be curious to see how the first team reps go up or down if stick you know gets all of the first team reps this week or if Perez is in there if they go sign another quarterback obviously you know that's still a possibility here um but you know Harbaugh was asked by popper uh and this is the quote I put up here at the top you know does Justin Herbert being injured impact how you think about the roster and Harbaugh or does it affect how you think about the backup quarterback position and the backup quarterback room in particular and Harbaugh said no why would it you know we have the same expectations on Herbert that we would have of the backups you know whether Herbert was there or wasn't there and that sort of got me thinking about keeping three quarterbacks because I think the assumption that a lot of fans had once Herbert got injured was oh well now they're going to keep three quarterbacks and I just think with the way the emergency quarterback rule works with the underwhelming play from all of the Chargers quarterbacks this preseason um I just don't see them keeping three especially like I I don't see someone being like man we got to get uh Luis Perez we got to get Max Dugen on our practice squad right like I don't see there being a ton of competition to claim them for another 53 man roster so I still think you can have the interactions in the quarterback room that you want to have without keeping that spot and even Tom Tesco realized that last year when he ultimately only kept two uh quarterbacks and decided to wave Max Dugen so you know I think the Chargers keep two quarterbacks I have east in there as qb2 because that's what he is right now um but I sort of mean that as just a placeholder for the time being um you know we'll we'll see what happens as the weeks go on here if the Chargers decide to bring in more quarterbacks if if the Chargers you know feel comfortable after preseason week three but har boss announced stick was starting week three uh despite you know what myself and you know some of the rest of the fan base thinks about his performances um so it is still current L his job to lose even though he's done everything to lose the job so I have them keeping two uh we'll see whether that ends up being East stick or not let's talk about the writing backs uh I have four Gus Edwards JK dobins Jarett Patterson and kamani Vell uh and then Spiller and Dodson off of the roster um I listed guys here as being off in terms of guys who could compete for the practice squad uh doson obviously is a guy who you know has been on the main roster in the practice squad uh last year Spiller has been on the main roster so I wouldn't be surprised if they want to keep one of those guys around um the biggest question on this list you know going to last week in Popper's article where he you know cut kamani ball and his 53 man roster prediction was what's kamani gonna look like when he's healthy he was really good and I'm not just saying that because you know I loved him coming at draft obviously but I just felt like watching his college tape as soon as he got a chance to play when he was healthy his vision his balance the way he cuts um is just so unique and something that this team doesn't necessarily have um as a skill set Gus is more your kind of physical Runner JK sort of had that skill set you know a couple years back but obviously has been through uh you know the injuries unfortunately the last few years Patterson I think has you know proved himself to be sort of your rb3 your rb4 I I think he will be on the roster you know whether that's flipped up or down on the depth chart with the doll we'll see um but he was really impressive against the Rams 11 rushes 49 yards four first downs two catches um I just felt there was a certain calmness and certain you know decision- making chops that he had at the line that Spiller and doson just don't have right and they've all been playing behind the same poor offensive line right and they all played you know actually the offensive line itself had a better day I think in the Run game on Saturday um but you know the numbers are what they are Spillers averaged something like 1.7 yards per attempt rushing uh this preseason and you know Vidal is averaging four and a half yards per carry after that performance so um I I also just think you know this was this regime's first running back draft pick Greg Roman had to be sold on him um and you know uh ultimately you know Joe hortiz uh talked him up a lot you know in terms of what he does both as a runner and not as a runner in terms of his blocking presence on the Luis Perez's uh completion to QJ Kaman Vidal actually had in my opinion a really good block uh that gave Perez a couple extra seconds uh essentially to get that ball off to Quinton Johnston so um yeah I don't know I I'm not I'm not going to blame anyone or you know take my revenge on people who uh cut kamani Bal off of the roster but it it it's clearly you know his spot uh to lose at this point and I think you know with the way Harbaugh talked about now after the game you know just with the way fans kind of watched a decisive running back you know really make those cuts in the preseason um I think it's you know he's got the roster spot uh and we'll see what happens with Spiller and doson kind of on the practice squad but again I I would really like to keep one of Isaiah Spiller or Elijah doson the practice squad perhaps both because you know how much can you rely on Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins from a health standpoint um but you know that is what it is so I've got four running backs my guy kll is making the roster after an electric performance and then we have the other three uh here JK and Jared Patterson who has gotten a lot of the rb3 uh reps to this point but how much that changes during the season we'll see in terms of uh the usage of it all which I know as fantasy people on Twitter um you know keep asking me uh about the running back room I've gotten a ton of messages and and uh ATS about fantasy I don't care about fantasy at all um anyway let's talk about wide receivers I originally in my My bolbe article I wrote in July had the Chargers keeping seven which was essentially this same group uh plus uh Cornelius Johnson I after seeing training camp and after seeing Cornelius Johnson really not be involved much in the offense in the first preseason game and being kind of actively bad on offense in preseason game number two I have him off the roster um I he hasn't contributed quite enough on special teams he's gotten a few reps here and there um but there's other wide receivers on special teams that they clearly trust more including uh Jaylen Gil uh who has had you know a presence in the return game without Darius Davis so I I I think it's Gil or foko um who would ultimately get that roster spot before Cornelius Johnson and I go with six here um it could change due to injury but Palmer makoni uh and DJ CH I think is pretty clearly your top three you know sort of in any package at at least to start the season and then we'll see how Quinton Johnston and Brendan Rice's usage uh will change if it was a complete meritocracy right I think voko would be on this roster uh with what he shown this preseason uh he was the highest graded offensive charger uh against uh the Rams and then had a really really good week against the Seahawks as well so um un fortunately I just think this is one of those spots where unless you keep seven which means taking away running back taking away a tight end um or taking away somebody from the defense I just don't think there's a spot here for one of them uh but yeah this this is kind of what we expected the group to look like heading into the season this is what it looks like right now I I wouldn't be surprised if there was a slight change in either direction whether that's keeping seven uh or you know swapping a name here or there but I thought it was very notable in terms of Brendan rice uh who you know hasn't produced a lot necessarily in this preseason or training camp but the coaching staff had Brendan rice starting essentially that preseason game um and he's been on the field before Quinton Johnston in back-to-back weeks so take that for what you will that doesn't necessarily mean hey this guy's first team in the preseason this guy's second but I did think it was pretty noteworthy in terms of how safe is Brendan Rice's roster spot um you know because people ask us stuff like that all the time it's pretty safe um he he is making the team uh and I think it's this group of six including Darius Davis with his impact uh on special teams that will make the Chargers roster tight end and fullbacks this is where it gets interesting um this is probably the position that I'm least confident in uh from an offensive perspective but Hayden Hurst will disley I mean those are your two locks Donald parm I I think makes it they've talked up parum you know before in terms of you know his ability in the Red Zone obviously you know has had a pair of nice preseason games essentially uh after you know being injured for a portion of training camp and then will you know to some extent always be the conversation with him but I still thank this coaching staff for how cheap parm is is still going to try to use him uh and see what he can do you know we'll see if maybe there's a decision here if you want that receiving tight end between parum and stone smart I kind of think that is the calculus as of now I think they lean parum uh but we'll see if that changes you know uh over the next game or uh any period going forward and I have Tucker Fisk now a lot of people may not know who Tucker Vis is he was just signed last week but he actually played a lot of essentially tight end fullback Allah you know sort of what Ben Mason was supposed to be uh for this team and he leaped into that role pretty nicely on Saturday had a couple key blocks that sprung uh Vidal and others uh for some pretty good runs uh so he was good in run support uh from what I could see he was also pretty decent in pass protection I think even though Zion will probably be the full-time fullback one I think they're going to want to have a guy that is sort of a disly backup if you will right a guy who uh can set in into that blocking role nicely obviously not as good as as dley who's one of the best blockers in the league but I think they want somebody in that mold um just in case right Zion has to play with the first or sorry not Zion um just in case sorry I Jordan mcfaden I don't know if I said Zion before but mcfaden um just in case Jordan mcfaden right somebody gets injured he has to go in at Center he has to go in a guard um you know I think they want a guy that will be there in the fullback room in that tight end room uh that can contribute in that fullback type of way and so I think that Fisk kind of becomes a Jordan mcfaden insurance policy in case he does at some point this season have to start on the offensive line uh and I think his blocking in any respect on in special teams or on offense uh is a pretty decent asset to this team I think that last spot versus you know ston smart and Luke Benson is kind of as well as Zack Hines who's still on the roster is kind of the fight going into the final preseason game but after watching him against the Rams I I give the slight Edge to recently signed uh Tucker Fisk so we'll see that going forward offensive line uh uh pretty cut and dry at this point I really don't know if there's a debate to be had ran Slater starts at left tackle Zion Johnson Starts at left guard Bradley Boseman starts at Center pipkins at Right Guard joal at right tackle and then I have the depth pieces being Foster sell Brendan hez Jamari saller and Jordan mcfaden now I think there was a battle essentially between Foster sell and Alex Leatherwood uh for all intents and purposes on my end I don't think that's much of a battle anymore uh I think Foster cell has actually played pretty nicely in this preseason and Alex lewood has been outright terrible to watch um I I I don't know what else to say like technically PFF graded him pretty well but anytime you watch him he just I think positioning wise he does okay for himself but he's just so slow to react uh right from the jump of the play and that has created a bunch of pressures from the Chargers uh this preseason six in the first preseason game and you know they have not tried Leatherwood at guard at all uh and I think that tells you a little bit of what they think about Leatherwood at guard to some extent um but you know he he did a little bit of that I think in Chicago while he was on Chicago's practice squad so I don't know I I think the fact that they have been more willing you know Foster stws but up better performances at tackle than Leatherwood and they've been more flexible in where surrell plays in the line as opposed to Leatherwood and going into that first preseason game I think it was um you know Greg Roman who said that that battle essentially was kind of a dead heat between the two of them but I really don't think it's a dead heat anymore uh I think for all intents and purposes sell H has clearly defeated Leatherwood and then the the rest of it is pretty self-explanatory himz is your backup center I don't think he's been the best this preseason but that's what it is Jamari saller uh you know kind of your swing guard can also play tackle as well uh and then mcfaden who is probably going to be this team's fullback uh after training camp uh and after the way the preseason has played out we haven't seen too much fullback Jordan mcfaden in these preseason games but I think they're still working him pretty clearly into that role so these are the nine along the offensive line Edge um this is an interesting one obviously the four that will make the roster are guaranteed to make the roster are pretty well known you have Joey Bosa C Mack T Lee as well as Bud dpri who they signed in the offseason to a two-year contract um you know what we've seen from Tuli and Bud I think this preseason has actually been pretty interesting particularly that first preseason game where I think you see some of what Jesse Minter wants to do with uh Joey boson khil Mack and all these guys when they are playing in the regular season together and I remember one play particularly I think on that first drive uh of the Seattle game where you had uh Bud Dupri and traymon Morris Brash on the edge and then the kick Tuli inside and that results in a uh a couple pressures but also a deflected P deflected pass by moris Brash on that play and I think that is sort of the type of int the type of moving around with these chest pieces that Minter wants to do in the regular season um as far as keeping a fifth Edge because I know this has been mentioned by Tyler I know this has been mentioned by others and I think from a special team standpoint it's not the worst idea in the world certainly to keep a fifth Edge if it was to be anybody I really do think it would be rum um who's contributed on Fick and special teams but the complication of course with that right now is that rump is injured and so he was in a walking boot uh I think during Saturday's game and from reports from Chris Rim from the team is that he's going to be out from for quite some time that that is you know what the quote was uh I do not think they intend on this being a you know week- toe injury it sounds like he's going to be out a while um so does that result in him getting placed on IR does that result in him getting waved with some type of injury settle I don't know um but he's not in a position right now with his health essentially to be the team's fifth Edge that they would keep for special team so uh I have therefore gone with four traymon Morris Brash again a guy that I think could be a practice squad contender in this capacity especially if rump is injured with how much M liked his performances but I think he just misses the cut uh here in regards to uh The Edge room interior defensive line line uh I have the Chargers keeping six uh Morgan Fox otito aona Puna Ford uh you know kind of essentially in some order like your starters uh Scott Matlock figures into that as well with how much he's played in in both training camp in the preseason and then uh they signed Tor tart uh who was caught by Miami uh this week previously in Seattle and so uh he honestly looked really good in this limited action that he had on Saturday uh I think he was one of the highest graded defensive Chargers uh as well by PFF just pretty consistently like affecting plays uh getting pressures uh and getting having a lot of presence about him in that interior defensive line I thought his performance was really solid in the snaps that he did play again limited uh sort of in the vein of Lis Perez because he just joined team a couple days ago uh but he showed what he has left in the tank uh it wigby uh the team's fourth round draft pick did not play in the preseason game I think he's working through some type of injury but I mean I don't see them cutting the fourth round pick that they just got I wish we had a little bit of a better sense of where he stood in the on in terms of the roster entering uh training camp and entering the preseason than we do now but again I I think he makes the roster or you know if there is some injury he gets placed on high are and they bring someone else up uh but certainly would not uh be cut or anything in this scenario so I do think these are your six I feel a certain way about the interior defensive line because I really want it to be good and I think there are some you know guys that can be good performers on the line but this is like a really concerning area of the team I think just not having a whole lot of pass rush presence consistently in this group Morgan Fox obviously not necessarily your prototypical every down player and so I am a little bit concerned with what this interior defensive line looks like right now essentially kind of relying on breakout seasons for uh Ford and Matt lock credit to a Tito agbona who I think has played uh really well in the preseason and it's a good story for him uh you know who I who I mentioned up here um you know he essentially talked about this being his first offseason he's been fully healthy you you know coming into the league after the injury his first eager so I think you can really see him you know ratcheting up the pressure and the intensity uh on that interior defensive line whenever he's played uh this preseason so that's been a positive sign I think to see from the interior defensive line room linebackers uh I have the team keeping five and this is uh the one spot I wish the team could kind of keep more uh as I uh show in my you know off uh the roster oh sorry jumped ahead uh as I mentioned in my off the roster portion here I do not have Shane Lee or sha quarterman making the roster they also just signed uh Frank ginda formerly from Michigan formerly from the uh UFL he played I think with the Michigan Panthers so um you know I I think that that's an interesting piece to all this you know in terms of going after this linebacker depth that makes me think a little bit about Neiman is he you know a little injured and they want to you know show up the linebacker depth I don't know that is kind of the interesting part uh in all this in terms of signing all these linebackers that they have but assuming everyone's healthy I do think this is the five sorry I just meant uh G to played with the Michigan Panthers not the Michigan football team he played at San Jose State um but yeah so I think this is your pretty clear one through five group pman and Henley have looked really great this preseason um and I think the linebackers have a certain intensity and Poise to them that has not existed in there in in previous uh seasons for this team or in previous off Seasons thear buman credit to him I think has really coached these guys really well when you look at the product on the field um they fit really nicely into Jesse Minter scheme which I think has benefited them but parman looked great Henley's looked great Coulson obviously we're waiting to kind of see as he recovers from his append is an appendectomy but you know I think eventually he'll kind of crack that rotation as well obviously they drafted him for a reason but um I did not expect to come into August being really confident in the linebackers you know a couple months ago and I'm really confident in the linebackers this group um has played really well in the preseason I think the development that you see with Henley uh in terms of how he's able to read and react to plays and always be in the right position at the right time uh is just something you know we didn't see last year as he was obviously playing more of a special teams role uh but he's come along very nicely in pass coverage I'm really excited to see this top three group play out and then I think Nick Neeman and Troy Dy right now are your special teamers so Shane Le is a guy who I think has been disruptive in this preseason and I hope there is a spot for him on the practice squad uh or even this 53 men roster if the coaching staff thinks he can crack it um but but I think he is at this point more of a practice squad uh proposition if you will 10 DBS uh so I just combined all of the corners and safeties into you know one slide here but your Corners I don't think there's any surprises starting Trio is Christian Folton Sant Samuel Jr and J Taylor um you know I I think we've seen positive things from fton in this trading camp in preseason how much I buy that translating into the regular season remains to be seen right and obviously we kind of have to worry about injuries um you know with him but you know hopefully he does have the breakout season that the Chargers uh coaching staff and and defense believes he can have asj starts on the outside as well confident in him he's talked about this being a contract here so we'll see how he plays JN Taylor's in the slot uh and then I have three uh other corners on the roster essentially in Dean Leonard tar Heap still and cam Hart two of them being draft picks I thought still actually had a really nice game uh versus the Rams Dean Leonard also had a really nice game versus the Rams I'm a little surprised we haven't seen more ham har but um don't think that's necessarily a problem at this stage safeties Derwin James alohi Gilman and then things get interesting right I I think AJ Finley for all intents and purposes has locked down safety 3 uh you know as uh the guy there I am a little surprised we have not heard more about Tony Jefferson you know like just kind of being involved uh really in any way here he's been pretty consistently on the third team didn't practice all of this week I don't think he played on Saturday if I'm uh correct uh or at least I don't remember seeing him on the field and then um you know JT Woods is an interesting thing here too because he has been playing outside corner and trying you know the coaching staff is trying to see what they have at him as potentially Corner in the second half of both preseason games um so I don't know what to make of that in terms of his safety uh on the roster at safety um because it just seems that they don't really trust playing him there and they want to experiment to see if you know there is a use for his athleticism Elsewhere on the roster so um I don't know I I don't see JT Woods kind of making it if that's what they're already doing and Thomas Harper um you know has had a really great training camp and preseason played really well against the Rams has played pretty well on special teams uh and played you know has played great in both preseason games just kind of constantly being disruptive again knowing where to be in this Mentor read and react scheme as of now I don't know if this is how it will play out but I give Harper a lot of credit in terms of how he's come along uh and and made his presence felt on the roster as opposed to JT Woods and Jefferson and some of these other guys who are you know competing for that safety role could they get the spot perhaps um I wouldn't be shocked if it ends up being JT Woods at the end of the day um but I think Tony Jefferson is kind of out of the race at this point and uh I I think Harper has just come on stronger at safety uh more so than JT Woods has in my opinion and then to wrap it up uh no surprises here these are your three Specialists cam Dicker who has had an amazing preseason he's been the only source of chargers points um you know in this preseason with a 58 yard field goal and he's been long bombing them all over the place uh you had that special teams tackle in week one which was really fun to watch uh so Dicker uh the kicker is obviously on the roster Josh Harris at Long Snapper and then JK Scott as the team's punter but that is just my 53 men roster prediction let me know if there's any surprises upsets you guys think uh will make the roster whether that's a surprise cut or a surprise make uh on the team as the Chargers get closer to the eventual final preseason game and then cut down day but that'll do it for me uh I hope you guys have a fun week watching this final preseason game real football is almost here uh it'll be time for Joey Bosa and K Mack to give uh Garder mchu hell before you know it uh and without any further Ado uh my name is Alex and as always BT up