The LA Chargers were able to keep most of the 2022 roster together as the team looks to make another run in the playoffs with health hopefully on its side. While the on-field improvements have not been massive this offseason, the team has still made the right improvements elsewhere to hopefully accomplish its goals in 2023.
Plus, there is a lot of young talent on the roster that might end up having a big impact in 2023. There are several players from the 2022 draft class that were taken as projects and now have a year of development under their belts. Add in a solid-looking 2023 rookie class and we could see an even more talented Bolts team.
With the influx of new talent on the roster there are naturally going to be several veterans on the roster that end up losing their jobs — whether they be big or small.
3 Chargers veterans who could lose their job to rookies:
1. Easton Stick - Chargers' backup QB to Max Duggan
Taking Max Duggan in the seventh round was not something that we were huge fans of here at Bolt Beat at the time. However, a new NFL rule after the draft that allows NFL teams to dress a third quarterback without using an active roster spot makes this selection make more sense. Typically, three quarterbacks on the active roster is bad roster management. With this new rule, it makes more sense.
With that rule or without, it seemed pretty obvious that the Bolts were drafting Duggan to be the backup quarterback instead of Easton Stick. Los Angeles has not trusted Stick to be the backup at all during his tenure with the team and if anything were to happen to Herbert it will likely be Duggan who takes snaps.
This gives Stick a small window of several weeks in which he looked like the bonafide backup quarterback. Now, he once again looks like the QB3 that is on the team for scouting purposes and to boost workplace morale.