Chargers waive 2016 third-round OL Max Tuerk

The Los Angeles Chargers have released one of their offensive linemen.

The Chargers parted ways with center/guard Max Tuerk. Tuerk was suspended the first four games of the 2017 season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Tuerk was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The former USC Trojan fell to the third round because of injury (tore his ACL year his final year at USC). Prior to the draft, many scouts felt that Tuerk was one of the top linemen prospects, and that he would have been drafted higher had he not been rehabbing his injury.

Unfortunately, there’s not much to write on Tuerk because, well, he never played a snap in the NFL. He redshirted his rookie year and, like I mentioned above, was riding out a suspension.

Even so, I’m not sure Tuerk would have seen the field. He never stood out in training camp and his play in the preseason was subpar, as he was overmatched by bigger defensive linemen. Despite having athleticism, Tuerk is undersized, which was the knock on him coming out of college. It’s a bit surprising that they gave up on the second-year pro, but he never did anything to prove his worth.

Tuerk adds to a long list of failed draft picks by general manager Tom Telesco. Take a look at Telesco’s third round selections since taking over as GM in 2013:

2013 – WR Keenan Allen

2014 – OL Chris Watt

2015 – CB Craig Mager

2016 – OL Max Tuerk

2017 – OL Dan Feeney

Keenan Allen is a stud, no question about that; but he’s failed to stay healthy, suffering season-ending injuries in three of his first four seasons. Allen, who is coming back from a torn ACL, is off to a great year. Chris Watt, Craig Mager and now Max Tuerk are no longer with the team. Dan Feeney is the backup to starting center Spencer Pulley. However, head coach Anthony Lynn is looking to switch things up on the offensive line.

Lynn said Feeney and Schofield will be rotated in with the starters over the coming week.

— Ricky Henne (@ChargersRHenne) October 2, 2017

Overall, it says something that the Chargers were willing to waive Tuerk despite having some issues and lack of depth up front.