The LA Chargers aren't waiting for training camp to make roster moves. In fact, the team is confident enough to make a roster move just days after the culmination of minicamp.
Los Angeles cut second-year offensive tackle Tyler McLellan on Tuesday to make room for offensive lineman Elijah Ellis. McLellan was in his second year with the team and appeared in multiple preseason games last year before suffering a season-ending injury.
Ellis went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft after a promising season for Marshall in 2024. Prior to his solid senior season in 2024, Ellis spent three seasons at Baylor but hardly played. Without his short stint at Marshall, the Chargers would have never signed him.
Chargers swap out one camp offensive lineman for another
Ellis may have beaten McLellan out for a roster spot heading into training camp but he does not have a higher chance of making the 53-man roster. Ellis has just as big of an uphill battle as McLellan; he just fits better for what the Chargers need in a camp body.
McLellan is only a tackle and has been injury-prone throughout both his professional and collegiate career. It does the Chargers no good to have someone who often gets hurt (and may not even be ready for training camp) in the preseason.
The Chargers are pretty locked at tackle with McLellan having no real shot of ever making the 53-man roster. Instead of wasting a roster spot in training camp on someone who may be injured, the Chargers are making the right move by tapping in Ellis.
Ellis does not have the same injury concerns (granted, without any NFL experience) and he plays on the interior offensive line. This gives the Chargers a body that isn't just reliable, but can actually play some snaps in the preseason at a position with less depth.
The former Marshall offensive lineman still has a snowball's chance in the Sahara of actually making the roster. He would have to either be the most impressive UDFA since Antonio Gates, or there would have to be severe injuries that hit the Chargers on the offensive line.
However, because of his position and his versatility, there is a better path of him at least getting a practice squad spot whereas McLellan was likely going to be outright cut.
The Chargers are simply just cutting McLellan earlier than they otherwise would have to give him a chance to earn a roster spot elsewhere. By doing so, the Chargers now have a more versatile offensive lineman who fits what the team needs in the preseason.