LA Chargers: Potential hidden gems on the Chargers roster
By Steven Haglund
The LA Chargers have a strong history of finding hidden gems. Who could be next on the Chargers roster?
Whether it be Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, Dontrelle Inman, Jahleel Addae, Seyi Ajirotutu or even the great Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates, the LA Chargers have done a great job of uncovering hidden gems on their roster. Whether they be by necessity or luck, that’s a whole another story.
Ekeler has pretty easily been the best of the bunch since Gates and Floyd but they are still doing a fine job of finding solid contributors through undrafted free agents and late-round draft picks such as Roderic Teamer, Michael Davis, Andre Patton and others.
Our own Jason Reed wrote about the best undrafted free agents in team history and you can check that out here.
That being said, let’s talk about four guys the Chargers currently have that could be the next uncovered hidden gem. With the COVID-19 circumstances surrounding the league and the overall lack of a preseason I think it will be harder for these gems to be uncovered this year, but if there’s a team that can do it, it’s the Chargers.
Disclaimer: This is not a ranking of who I think is most likely to make a roster, rather it’s four players who I think have sneaky potential to be impact players.
LA Chargers hidden gem number one: Bobby Holly, fullback
If you follow me on Twitter you’ve likely seen me rave about the former Louisiana Tech Fullback. He was the first undrafted free agent I watched on film after the team came to terms with all of them and let me tell, I’ve never had so much fun watching someone block before. Simply put, he is a people mover.
Louisiana Tech had the misfortune of running into the buzz saw that was the LSU Tigers last year, but that just so happened to be one of Holly’s best games. In that game, and in several others there is a moment near the goal line where he is tasked to set the edge for the running back behind him. Not only did he set the edge, he nearly took the LSU defender off the screen. It was incredible.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Holly last month and upon doing so I learned that he played tight end in high school, where he also lettered in powerlifting. The strength and quickness he displays on film make him an ideal NFL fullback. Not only that, but he also has a strong background on special teams. He registered nine total special teams tackles as a Sophomore at Louisiana Tech.
The Chargers did sign another potential fullback in Gabe Nabers, but I don’t think he’s anywhere close to the blocker or special teamer that Holly is. I believe Holly is going to make the roster and has the potential to be an even better fullback than Derek Watt was.