Los Angeles Chargers: Early roster predictions for the 2020 season
By Samuel Teets
Safeties (5): Nasir Adderley, Alohi Gilman, Derwin James, Rayshawn Jenkins, Roderic Teamer
After an All-Pro rookie campaign, Derwin James missed 11 games last season. He returns in 2020, along with starting free safety Rayshawn Jenkins. Jenkins became a full-time starter last year and played 99% of the team’s defensive snaps. Even with Nasir Adderley on the roster, Jenkins should keep his starting role.
The Chargers drafted Adderley in the second-round last year. Some analysts viewed Adderley as a potential first-round selection, but he landed on injured reserve in late October. Even when he was healthy, Adderley didn’t play a large role in Los Angeles’ defense.
As a sixth-round pick from this year’s draft, Alohi Gilman should also make the active roster. Gilman’s appearance could push Roderic Teamer off of the roster, but I think he’ll stick around for at least one more year.
Specialists (3): Michael Badgley, Ty Long, Cole Mazza
All three of Los Angeles’ specialists should resume their roles this year. Kicker Michael Badgley did miss half of the season, but he connected on all of his extra points and 81.3 percent of his field goal attempts. In Badgley’s absence, punter Ty Long showed his versatility by taking over field goal duties.
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Long snapper Cole Mazza saw his first NFL action last season. The Alabama product spent some time playing for the Birmingham Iron in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) before signing with the Chargers last year. He surprisingly beat out veteran Mike Windt for the long snapper job and looks to further cement himself on the team this year.