The Chargers will not be playing their starters in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Seahawks at Dignity Health Sports Park, but there are still a few positional battles that will be taking place.
While the starters stand on the sidelines, this will allow players that are fighting for a depth role showcase themselves and make their case for the 53-man roster.
Here are some key position battles to keep an eye on:
Quarterback
Philip Rivers will not play tonight, meaning that Tyrod Taylor, Cardale Jones and Easton Stick will have center-stage. Taylor has stamped himself as Rivers’ backup, so Jones and Stick will be fighting for the QB3 on the depth chart.
After two games, it’s about even between the two quarterbacks. Stick had the more superior game against the Cardinals, and Jones managed to bounce back and rise on top against the Saints.
The Chargers are likely looking to keep their fifth-round selection in this year’s draft on the roster, but Jones could give them a reason to keep him with another solid performance Saturday.
RB3
Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will enter the regular season as the top two running backs, but behind them remains to be seen. There were many that thought it would be Detrez Newsome entering the summer, but Troymaine Pope has given him a run for his money, especially in last week’s performance against the Saints.
Both Newsome and Pope have been underwhelming at carrying the ball through two weeks, but Pope has the leg up due to his big-play ability and special teams value. All eyes will be on the two backs to see if one can run away, literally, and solidify themselves as the last option on the depth chart.
Wide receiver
The Chargers got deeper at the position with the addition of Dontrelle Inman, but it only heated up the battle for the last couple spots even more. The final candidates are likely to come down to Artavis Scott, Geremy Davis and Andre Patton, assuming they keep six receivers on the 53-man roster.
Davis has the leg up over Patton and Scott because he’s been on the team for awhile and he is a key special teamer. Patton and Scott both had great performances last weekend against the Saints, making the competition about equal.
Every target will be critical for these players to determine who will make up the position when the Chargers take on the Colts Week 1.
Edge rusher
Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will be sitting, but there is a heated battle between undrafted free agent Chris Peace and Anthony Lanier. With three spots solidified between Bosa, Ingram and Isaac Rochell, the final spot is up for grabs.
Lanier and Peace have both had great summers thus far in training camp and preseason action. Peace opened up the preseason with a bang, recording a sack and generating a lot of pressure. While Peace missed the second game with an injury, Lanier took advantage of his snaps, recording six tackles and showing out as a pass rusher and run defender.
With both players likely to see the field tonight, who will come out on top?
Cornerback
Michael Davis and Trevor Williams were expected to battle it out for the second cornerback spot, but it’s been all Davis as Williams has been hampered with an unknown injury. The absence of Williams has given the other cornerbacks the green light to earn the final roster spot.
Brandon Facyson, Jeff Richards and Arrion Springs all have shown some promise to make their case. All three players will have the opportunity to stand out over the others going up against Paxton Lynch and Geno Smith.
