Chargers Roster Moves Before Week 1 Quietly Give LA Deepest Position Group in NFL

Even small roster moves news is big for the Chargers at this position.

Derwin James | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some teams get known for finding stars and gems at positions like wide receiver. For the Los Angeles Chargers, it’s all about cornerback. 

The Chargers are, after all, the team that was trading away excess cornerback talent at final cuts because they just couldn’t fit them all and teams knew to put in waiver claims on their guys. This, despite premium cornerback talent being so hard to find across the NFL. 

Just before the Week 1 kickoff, the Chargers made another roster move, too, signing cornerback Isas Waxter to the practice squad, dropping wideout Gary Jennings in a corresponding move. 

The result? A simple embarrassment of riches at one of the hardest-to-find positions in the NFL. 

Chargers roster moves news creates win

Tarheeb Still | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Normally, a roster move with someone like Isas Waxter wouldn’t create that many headlines. 

But peep this cornerback list on the Chargers’ 53-man roster right now: 

• Tarheeb Still
• Cam Hart
• Derwin James
• Rodney Shelley
• Donte Jackson
• Deane Leonard

That’s a wild list. Derwin James is one of the best outright players in the NFL. Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart were mid-round finds who have and will serve as starters. Donte Jackson was a sound starter last year. Rodney Shelley is versatile depth and so is Deane Leonard, who also plays meaningful reps on special teams. 

And now, the Chargers practice squad: 

• Isas Waxter
• Nikko Reed
• Kaiir Elam

Also wild. 

Nikko Reed has seen notable reps in the base defense and still has big upside. It’s a similar story for Isas Waxter. And Kaiir Elam hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing, but we’re talking about a 25-year-old former first-rounder who might just blossom with an organization that just knows cornerbacks, period. 

More than a few of these supposed depth guys would be higher up on depth charts around the NFL. Cornerback is a premium spot and not easy to find. The Chargers…just do. 

And yes, the change to defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary is an overarching concern for the defense. But the theme is continuity and his specialization, as it turns out, was in the secondary. 

Granted, fans would probably like it if the Chargers could apply this sort of proficiency to the offensive line. But doing it at a premium position at all is a big win and provides some nice comfort to a team that seems to suffer injury woes at an above-average rate. 

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