LA Chargers 2019 rookie report card: Roderic Teamer and team’s overall grades

Rounding out our 2019 rookie report card series will be LA Chargers defensive back Roderic Teamer, who played the majority of the season as an undrafted free agent.

This report card will also include a full summary of the team’s rookies, with links to their individual report cards.

Teamer was signed by the Chargers following the draft process as a safety out of Tulane. Right as training camp got underway, reports began to come out about how this player was standing out at practice, putting his name on the map early as one who could make the team’s 53-man roster.

The Chargers have long had success with undrafted players and Teamer was the most promising out of this year’s crop. He did enough to make the 53-man roster, making it 23 straight seasons in which the Chargers have had an undrafted player make the team.

Undrafted spotlight

With players that are selected in the draft process, we hand out a letter grade. In the case of undrafted players, I have long put out the undrafted rookie spotlight series, which includes a 1-10 chance of making the team.

I was a bit off on the assessment of Teamer, giving him a 2 on that 1-10 scale. He obviously proved that wrong.

Of course, the fact that Derwin James went down so early with a major injury opened a big door for him, Teamer still excelled during the preseason and showed he belongs on the stage of professional football.

Stats

Tackles: 40

Sacks: 1

Interceptions: 1

Pass deflections: 2

Considering he played in only seven games, those are solid numbers for Teamer. He was able to fill in nicely for the team when Adrian Phillips went down with a broken arm, making six starts at the safety position.

What does Teamer’s future hold?

With names like James, Phillips (if he is re-signed), Nasir Adderley and Rayshawn Jenkins, the Chargers are very deep at the safety position, but because of the experience he gained in Gus Bradley’s defense last season, Teamer should be on the team again in 2020.

He’s young, he’ll be on a cheap contract and he has some great experience under his belt. Unless something unforeseen takes place, Teamer should be a solid role player on the defense in 2020 and into the future.

Grade

For a guy to come out of Tulane and not only make the roster but also contribute in the way that Teamer did, particularly with the talent around him at the safety position, 2019 has to be seen as a big success for him.

He may not have been perfect when on the field, but he was an undrafted free agent and has plenty of room to grow.

Consider this: Teamer’s 40 total tackles ranked ninth on the team. He did that in seven games. Of the players ahead of him on the list, none of them played in any less than 13 games.

Grade: B+

Overall report card

Jerry Tillery: D (view report card here)

Nasir Adderley: Incomplete (view report card here)

Trey Pipkins: C+ (view report card)

Drue Tranquill: A (view report card here)

Easton Stick: Incomplete (view report card here)

Emeke Egbule: C+ (view report card here)

Cortez Broughton: C- (view report card here)

Roderic Teamer: B+

Overall grade: C+

Averaging each of the grades out (and disregarding the two incompletes while doing so), we arrive at a grade of C+. Recently, Gennaro Filice and Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked all 32 rookie classes from the 2019 season.

The Chargers came in at No. 26 on their list and they also received a C+ grade from the two of them.

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