Newly signed Chargers WR Isaiah Wooden may have a trick up his sleeve

The LA Chargers made a pair of signings on Monday after falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the first preseason game of the year. First, the Chargers signed former Jacksonville Jaguars draft pick Shaquille Quarterman, who will compete for the special teams snaps Chris Rumph II might be leaving behind.

Then the Chargers went and addressed the offensive side of the ball, signing San Diego native Isaiah Wooden. Wooden, who played for Southern Utah last season, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons before being released.

Wooden takes the spot of Praise Olatoke, who was released in a subsequent move earlier in the morning. Wooden is naturally going to have an incredibly tough path to be in the roster conversation in Los Angeles but there is an added wrinkle to his game that could help his chances.

Isaiah Wooden could get running back snaps for the Chargers

If Wooden is going to have any chance of making the Chargers practice squad, let alone the roster, then he is going to have to showcase his versatility in more ways than one. As a pure wide receiver, he simply has no chance as there are at least 10 wideouts ahead of him in the team's pecking order.

However, there are two areas where he is valuable and that could help his case. The first is special teams as Wooden has the athletic make-up to be a successful returner in the right system. Unfortunately for him though, Derius Davis is on the Chargers.

The other area he can showcase his versatility is in the backfield. The shifty, five-foot-seven rookie has the makings of being a Tarik Cohen-like weapon out of the backfield. Granted, those are big shoes for someone who has not played an NFL snap, but the athletic profile is at least there.

Wooden has gotten some reps at running back before, too. In 2022 he carried the ball 21 times for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He was not a traditional every-down back by any definition of the word, but he did average over 10 yards per carry. That is significant.

Wooden himself is also open to the idea of playing running back in the NFL. During a Q&A with Evan Birchfield of SB Nation, Wooden said he was excited to help the Falcons in any way possible, including in the backfield.

Considering Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is playing offensive guard Jordan McFadden at fullback, it would not be beyond his football mind to give Wooden some snaps at running back.

And who knows, the door is wide open for the fourth running back spot on the depth chart with Isaiah Spiller failing to impress in the preseason opener. If Wooden proves he can be a dynamic change-of-pace option, while also adding special teams juice, then he has as good of a chance as anyone.