The Los Angeles Chargers, now that OTAs are officially in full swing, are in the business of shaving down their roster.
The deadline for teams to cut their rosters down to 53 players is now set for Sunday, Aug. 30, which is slightly earlier than was expected based on previous years' deadlines. Between now and then, the Chargers will be scrupulously analyzing their roster, waiting to see which players at some of their deeper positions stand out from the crowd.
Of course, the offensive line group will be one to watch over the coming weeks, and not just because of the uncertainty at left guard. There are currently 17 offensive linemen vying to make Los Angeles' roster, and there are roughly 13 that have a real chance to earn a roster spot. It's likely the Chargers only devote nine or 10 roster spots to the position group.
But of all the holdovers from last year's roster, this portion of the offseason presents two clear cut candidates— FB/TE Scott Matlock and OLB Bud Dupree. While the Chargers wouldn't get major savings against the cap by cutting them post-June 1, the shift in the league schedule means that the team's decision on their status may not be far away.
Scott Matlock and Bud Dupree are the two most likely post-June 1 cuts for the Chargers
Neither Dupree nor Matlock are in necessarily immediate danger now that we've crossed the June 1 threshold. But both are serious cut candidates for the Chargers, and both must now officially begin the fight for their spots on the roster.
Matlock was drafted as a defensive tackle before shifting to a fullback role last season. He played 31% of the offensive snaps in Greg Roman's blocking-heavy scheme, but his contributions never truly came to fruition. Los Angeles upgraded the position this offseason, adding fullback Alec Ingold. Ingold has ties to Mike McDaniel through his time with the Miami Dolphins.
TEs coach Chandler Henley announced earlier this offseason that Matlock would begin 2026 as a 'Y' tight end, in hopes that his blocking abilities would allow him to carve out a spot on the roster. But with Oronde Gadsden II, David Njoku, and Charlie Kolar already in the fold, it's hard to see a path for Matlock to stick between now and the August 30 deadline.
Dupree, meanwhile, has a more direct path to the roster. He's lost a lot of his juice as a pass-rusher, but he was still a viable run defender off the edge in 2025 for the Chargers. He played 41% of the team's defensive snaps last season, posting two sacks and 16 combined tackles across 16 games.
But Akheem Mesidor, the Chargers' first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, is already a roster lock. Dupree must duke it out with rookie UDFA Nadame Tucker and second-year pass-rusher Kyle Kennard for a spot on the roster this offseason. If Los Angeles values his veteran presence, he may have an edge over these players. If it prefers an injection of youth, Tucker and Kennard may have the edge.
The Chargers would save about $1.1 million against the cap by cutting Matlock post-June 1. They would save about $2.5 million by cutting Dupree.
While a decision on either player will likely wait until the end of offseason workouts, June 1 therefore represents a pivotal date for both players.
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