As the deadline for roster cuts approaches for the Los Angeles Chargers, they'll have a number of difficult decisions to make.
Who takes over the remaining one or two roster spots along the offensive line now that Tyler Biadasz has been sidelined? Has UDFA Nadame Tucker done enough to displace either Kyle Kennard or Bud Dupree? Will Avery Smith or Rodney Shelley's push for the roster be successful?
The edges of this roster are tight, and as Mike McDaniel put it in his press availability yesterday, that's a good problem to have.
But it leaves Scott Matlock somehow in a worse position than he was in even at the start of camp. The Chargers replaced Matlock this offseason as the starting fullback with their signing of Alec Ingold. They quickly announced that he would be making a positional change to a Y tight-end role during the offseason program, but even the path there looked steep with Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, and Oronde Gadsden II already filling out that room.
Any chance he had to make a last-minute push for the roster, though, now seems to have been erased. Matlock hasn't practiced since the Chargers' last preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, and it's nearly impossible to see any path forward for the fourth-year depth piece.
Scott Matlock had a very slim path to the roster, but even that's now been erased
Matlock, despite his inconsistent performance, has done everything possible to earn the favor of Jim Harbaugh and the coaching staff to this point in his career.
He's now willingly made two position changes, which is no small ask for a player on their rookie contract. He's taken punishment on the field, and he's improved steadily as both a lead blocker in the run game and an in-line blocker in the passing game across his three seasons.
He's the type of versatile piece Harbaugh would likely love to have on the roster if there was room. But there simply isn't any.
The Chargers, at this point, are deciding between carrying 10 offensive linemen, six wide receivers, an extra inside linebacker, or five pass rushers. Bringing Matlock on as a fourth tight end is theoretically still on the table.
But will Los Angeles be willing to keep him on the roster at the cost of someone like Tucker, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, or Marlowe Wax? Is there any world in which that's justifiable? Probably not— especially because Matlock has now missed almost a week of valuable practice reps in getting accustomed to his new tight end role.
There's a case to be made for Matlock to stick on the practice squad, especially because of his experience at multiple positions. If Ingold or one of the tight ends were to suffer an injury, Matlock could at least provide replacement-level reps at those positions.
But it seems as though the end of the line may be rapidly approaching for the former sixth-round selection. It's been the expected outcome all along, and his absence from practice over the past week has only confirmed it.
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