It's the time of year when we all reflect on what we are thankful for. For some members of the LA Chargers, this means being thankful that they are still employed as the calendar creeps closer to the new year.
An NFL roster is a never-ending machine that sucks players in and recycles them out only for said players to start the process over again on another team. As such, fans have seen various players come and go on the Chargers roster over the years, particularly this season as the team battles the injury bug.
Despite this constant reshuffling, there are certain members of the Chargers roster who have held onto their roster spot longer than anyone would have expected. When sitting around the dinner table enjoying some turkey, these Chargers should be mindful of that.
3 Chargers who should be thankful that they're still on the team:
Tyler Conklin
The way the Chargers have handled the tight end position this year has been baffling. It started with making rookie Oronde Gadsden II a healthy scratch to start the season. Gadsden only got his chance once Will Dissly suffered an injury.
It didn't take long for Gadsden to prove he is the best tight end on the roster. He is now a mainstay in the Chargers' offensive attack, particularly as one of Justin Herbert's most-trusted pass catchers.
To make room for Gadsden, the Chargers have made Will Dissly a healthy scratch in recent weeks. The team had to make room somewhere, but it's strange that the Bolts chose to essentially cut Dissly out of the game plan instead of Conklin.
Conklin has been woeful this season and has seen his playing time reduced as a result. Dissly isn't some game-changer, but he at least adds a quality blocker to the equation, which is needed much more than whatever Conklin theoretically provides the team.
Austin Deculus
The Chargers traded a future seventh-round pick for Austin Deculus after training camp to give the team some sort of offensive tackle depth. That depth has been tested this season, with both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt out for the year.
Los Angeles has everything against the wall at tackle and most of it hasn't worked, but it really hasn't worked with Deculus. Deculus has legitimately played like the worst tackle in the sport with no redeeming qualities about his game to this point.
This forced the Chargers to trade a future sixth-round pick for Trevor Penning at the deadline, but that didn't work, either. Penning somehow lowered the bar even further in his one appearance for the Chargers thus far, producing the worst game of any lineman on the Chargers to date.
The Chargers have other options to play left tackle, such as Jamaree Salyer and Bobby Hart, so Deculus, hopefully, shouldn't see the field again. But because Penning looked awful, Deculus will likely continue to keep his roster spot longer than he deserves.
Bud Dupree
Bud Dupree has a special place on this list because he should have already been cut by the Chargers. Los Angeles had a roster-crunch situation earlier this season and by all intents and purposes, made the wrong decision.
The Chargers had to part ways with one of their edge rushers when Khalil Mack returned from injury earlier this year. Los Angeles opted to waive Caleb Murphy, who wasn't playing much on defense, but became a legitimate ace on special teams.
The hope was probably that Murphy would pass through waivers and return to the Chargers' practice squad. Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots didn't allow that to happen, claiming Murphy in the process. This forced the Chargers to use Tuli Tuipulotu, who has too important of a role on defense, on special teams.
Why? Dupree can't play special teams. But he's additive on defense, right? Well, not really. He's generated only 16 pressures in over 160 pass-rush snaps while being a liability in the run game. The net impact of Murphy would have been far greater.