The NFL Draft is in the books but the LA Chargers are not done making moves. In addition to the slew of UDFAs the team quickly signed after the draft, the Chargers have potential free-agent fits as well as tryouts during rookie minicamp.
Tryouts during rookie mini camp, which will be the second weekend of May for the Chargers, is a common practice. It doesn't often yield NFL contributors but there's always the chance to find a diamond in the rough.
The Chargers are certainly searching pretty deep in the rough, and they've found themselves staring face-to-face with arguably their biggest rival in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs. Both the Chargers and Chiefs have invited Tulane tight end Johnny Pascuzzi to rookie mini camp. Kansas City's minicamp is happening a week before LA's, so theoretically, Pascuzzi could go to both.
Chargers and Chiefs invite KC-native Johnny Pascuzzi to minicamp
Pascuzzi went to high school in the Kansas City area and was hosted by the Chiefs in early April as part of the team's local pro day. It's clear how Pascuzzi appeared on the Chiefs radar given his ties to the Kansas City area and the networking he did at the event.
It's less clear how the Chargers came to the conclusion that Pascuzzi should be hosted in minicamp other than any potential interest from the Chiefs. Pascuzzi didn't really produce much at the college level and he wasn't on anyone's big boards heading into the draft itself.
Pascuzzi caught 12 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown last season. That's it. He went to Iowa his three years prior to transferring to Tulane but didn't play much. Perhaps there is a baseline interest there from the Chargers because Iowa has been a tight end factory in recent years. There's no indication that Jim Harbaugh scouted Pascuzzi when he was with Michigan.
Pascuzzi has the opportunity to sign with the Chiefs and spurn the Chargers if he so decides. Kansas City could theoretically sign him to a deal after his workout, keeping the Chargers from ever getting him in the building.
Will it matter? Probably not. This is an undrafted player who didn't even get signed as part of the UDFA wave. This is merely a tryout to see if there is something there to be a body during training camp to maybe compete for a practice squad spot.
But there's at least enough interest from the Chargers to invite him alongside the Chiefs. There's got to be some nugget of potential beneath the surface.
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