The LA Chargers cut the roster down to 53 players this week and it was full of surprises. While the foundation of the team was always set in stone, the surrounding moves certainly took Chargers fans by surprise.
Los Angeles wasn't done there. The Bolts quickly followed roster cuts with a very predictable move, putting cornerback Eric Rogers on IR to re-sign Del'Shawn Phillips. After that, the Chargers tried claiming for Michigan guard Trevor Keegan, but were usurped by the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, the Chargers are making moves to the practice squad. Just days after establishment, the Chargers have made their first practice squad cut of the year. Los Angeles has released cornerback Harrison Hand from the practice squad to make room for offensive lineman David Sharpe.
Harrison Hand becomes first Chargers' practice squad release
Hand was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and has bounced around the league since. His two-year stint with the Vikings was followed by stints with the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons.
The Chargers signed Hand midway through the preseason and opted to re-sign him to the practice squad when he was waived from the roster on Tuesday. He lasted all of three days on the practice squad as he was released to make room for more offensive line help.
Sharpe has previous ties to the Chargers via the Baltimore Ravens and was signed by the Bolts after Rashawn Slater's injury. He is now one of five offensive linemen on the Chargers' practice squad, giving the Bolts the most in the league alongside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Chargers opted to re-sign Hand to the practice squad over Sharpe only to change course days later. This line of thinking can best be described by the moves the Chargers tried to make on the waiver wire.
General manager Joe Hortiz was seemingly hopeful the team could land an offensive lineman on the waiver wire. Hortiz certainly tried with Keegan but there was nothing he could do when a team higher than the Chargers on the waiver wire also made a claim.
With the Bolts missing out on Keegan and the initial wave of offensive linemen on waivers, it now makes sense for the Chargers to use that additional practice squad depth on an offensive lineman. After all, the Bolts only have eight linemen on the active roster. Someone from the practice squad, perhaps Sharpe, will be elevated early in the season.