Just over two years after taking him in the 2021 NFL Draft the LA Chargers have cut ties with running back Larry Rountree. Los Angeles cut Rountree for the first time last season but brought him back on the practice squad. Cutting him now, during the preseason, indicates that his tenure with the Bolts is completely finished.
There is not much to judge Rountree's Chargers career off of as he barely played and when he did he was not very good. Rountree was not a great option running the ball and added little to no special teams value, making it hard to justify a roster spot on him.
It isn't common to see teams give up on recent draft picks so quickly but the Chargers obviously are not interested in keeping a sunk cost simply because he is a recent draft pick. Knowing that the team has this mindset, Chargers fans may have to expect two more recent draft picks to be cut by LA.
2 recent draft picks the Chargers could cut after Larry Rountree:
Mark Webb Jr.
Mark Webb Jr. has also been cut and signed to the practice squad before and like Rountree, he could be on his last legs with the Chargers organization. Webb has shown flashes in practice of being really special but injuries and poor special teams play have held him back.
There are plenty of snaps to fight for at the safety position this season and Webb got a chance to show what he has in the first preseason game against the Rams. The problem is that Webb did not play very well against the Rams, giving him an uphill battle to make the roster.
Webb has a better chance of making the practice squad simply because he is a defensive back and Brandon Staley loves to have depth in that area. But as far as the 53-man roster goes, it is hard to see Webb earning a spot.
Zander Horvath
This may come as a surprise to many as Zander Horvath quickly became a popular name among Chargers fans as he scored two touchdowns in his first two NFL career games. Horvath didn't do much after that and with Kellen Moore in town, he may not have much of a role at all.
Moore didn't utilize the fullback position in Dallas and that is already carrying over some to Los Angeles. Despite utilizing a heavy downhill rushing attack on Saturday, the Chargers only threw Horvath out there for nine snaps. That wasn't to keep him healthy; Moore's offense simply does not utilize a fullback.
Horvath will only get cut if Elijah Dotson continues to thrive in preseason. If so, Dotson may force the team to carry a fourth running back and the only place to really trim the roster to make room for that is at the fullback position.