The Los Angeles Chargers have shuffled their franchise and roster immensely this offseason. They completely overhauled their front office and their coaching staff. New general manager Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh have already made big changes to the Chargers' roster and that will continue during the NFL preseason.
Having said that, some players, like Isaiah Spiller and Cornelius Johnson, will need to shine during NFL training camp and preseason in order to make the Chargers' 53-man roster under this new regime.
The last chance for Isaiah Spiller?
One of the first orders of business Los Angeles' new brass conducted this offseason came at running back. They moved on from longtime staple Austin Ekeler, who signed with the Washington Commanders. The Chargers opted to go with a committee approach to replace him. They signed former Baltimore Ravens running backs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards and drafted Troy's Kimani Vidal in the sixth round.
Those moves have put Isaiah Spiller on the periphery of that position. Spiller was a fourth-round pick back in 2022. To say things haven't gone great for him as a Charger would be an understatement. Spiller has registered a total of 55 carries through two seasons in the NFL. He's turned those carries into just 137 yards, good for a yards per carry average of 2.5.
Spiller was much more productive in college with the Texas A&M Aggies. He put up at least 946 rushing yards in each of his three seasons there and ran for over 1,000 in his final two. He also caught at least 20 passes in all three years he was in college.
Spiller is probably a better player than he's shown in the pros. But now he has to prove it and hold off the likes of Jaret Patterson and Elijah Dotson in preseason for what could be the fourth and final running spot on the Chargers' roster for the 2024 NFL season.
He was rated above those guys entering training camp, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. It will be up to him if he can sustain that and earn the trust of this new staff. Spiller needs a big camp and preseason to remain a Charger.
Will familiarity be enough for Cornelius Johnson?
The Chargers' wide receiver room has been completely revamped this offseason as well. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were both moved in the spring for a number of reasons. Allen and Williams both being in their late 20s or low 30s didn't mesh with a team that is not ready to compete for a Super Bowl. The Chargers needed salary cap relief too and one way to accomplish that was to move on from those two.
Los Angeles responded by adding a number of players at that position during the offseason. They signed DJ Chark Jr., who has a 1,008-yard season under his belt, to a one-year deal. Los Angeles drafted three different receivers during the 2024 NFL Draft too. They used a second-round pick on Georgia's Ladd McConkey and a pair of seventh-rounders on Michigan's Cornelius Johnson and USC's Brenden Rice.
Johnson and Rice, in particular, will really have to earn a spot on the Chargers' with a strong showing in camp and the preseason. Both have a few things working in their favor. Rice is the younger and more productive of the two. He had at least 611 yards in both of his two seasons at USC and scored 16 touchdowns to boot. It also can't hurt to have Jerry Rice's genetics.
Johnson, on the other hand, hit that 611-yard threshold just once in five seasons at Michigan. He also scored 14 touchdowns in that span, two less than what Rice did in the last two years alone. But, Johnson does have familiarity with Harbaugh working in his favor.
Johnson is also a superb contributor on special teams, which will help his chances of making the team. He'll have to show that and some receiving chops during preseason to make the Chargers' 53-man roster. He's a player to keep an eye on during the 2024 NFL preseason.
Follow Us
Subscribe
