Chargers bubble watch: Kenneth Farrow, Isaiah Burse state their case

The clock is ticking down to the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline on Saturday when NFL teams must meet the league-mandated 53-player roster limit. Though the San Diego Chargers have yet to make any releases official, some names have started to trickle in on Twitter.

It appears Chargers roster cuts indeed are on their way. ILB James Ross, TE Tim Semisch among those who have been waived.

— Michael Gehlken (@sdutGehlken) September 2, 2016

Chargers have waived RB Gus Johnson, source says. Joined team this week, saw reps in final exhibition game.

— Michael Gehlken (@sdutGehlken) September 2, 2016

Other Chargers cuts today include G-T Marcel Jones, CB Richard Crawford, WR DeAndre Reaves and G Vi Teofilo, sources said. More on Saturday.

— Michael Gehlken (@sdutGehlken) September 3, 2016

None of those names should come as a surprise, but some of the remaining decisions could be quite difficult for the coaching staff. That said, two players proved in the team’s preseason finale on Thursday night that they belong on this roster.

Kenneth Farrow should be the team’s No. 3 running back, without any question. The undrafted rookie out of Houston has had a terrific summer, capped off by a 63-yard rushing performance against the San Francisco 49ers.

Farrow had a 44-yard run in the game and added two receptions for 20 yards. With the release of Johnson, the team appears confident that Farrow can be the primary replacement for Branden Oliver, who is out for the season.

Kenneth Farrow cannot be touched.

He sprints for 44 yards…and then scores on the next play! #SFvsSD https://t.co/fNNRKkXqxJ

— NFL (@NFL) September 2, 2016

Farrow played in only two preseason games, but ran for 123 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. He added four receptions for 45 yards. Again, that’s in just parts of two games. Good enough for me.

With Stevie Johnson going down for the season in training camp earlier this summer, the Chargers needed someone to step up and help add depth at the wide receiver position. Keenan Allen and Travis Benjamin should be solid starters, but the team doesn’t have a sure bet behind them, although Tyrell Williams has really stepped up.

Isaiah Burse is a player with NFL experience who has shown he can provide a spark off the bench.

Against the 49ers, Burse led the team with five receptions for 63 yards. He also found the end zone after catching a 17-yard pass from Mike Bercovici. In addition, he returned the only kickoff he attempted to run back for 27 yards.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/771561523441303552

I’m not suggesting that you go out of your way to get Burse into the game, but he’s earned a spot on this team. Whether the Chargers decide to keep five wide receivers or six, he should be one of them.

He can return kickoffs and punts and perhaps provide that boost off the bench that guys like Dontrelle Inman have failed to show.

We will all wait patiently to hear all of the names of the players the Chargers’ organization has chosen to release, but as far as I’m concerned, Farrow and Burse should be exempt from that list.