Roster Watch: Craig Mager closing in on fifth cornerback spot
Craig Mager is like a cockroach that just won’t die. You can bench
him Authentic
Keenan Allen Jersey , banish him to the practice squad, even give
his job to an undrafted free agent, and he just won’t go away. And, to the
dismay of many, it seems Mager is poised to last at least another season with
the Los Angeles Chargers.Yes, you read that right. With two weeks remaining in
the preseason, and the week three “dress rehearsal” looming this weekend, the
team continues to give every indication that Craig Mager has a virtual vice grip
on what figures to be the fifth and final spot on the cornerback depth chart.As
excited as the fans were about undrafted free agents Brandon Facyson and Tony
Brown entering camp, the coaches have been even more excited about the perceived
new-and-improved Craig Mager. They have repeatedly praised him for the way he
handled his demotion to the practice squad in 2017, and Ron Milus, Gus Bradley
and Philip Rivers have all praised his improved attitude and technique. You
might say they’ve been effusive in their praise.They’re all but telling us he’s
going to make the cut, folks.And, while I don’t remember Mager so much as being
targeted in either preseason game, that probably only helps his case. I mean, as
bad as he’s been in the past; it’s hard for him to do anything to hurt his cause
if teams don’t challenge him. This is particularly true if the coaching staff is
actively looking for a reason to carry him.What’s more, if the preseason
rotations in the defensive backfield are any indication Womens
Virgil Green Jersey , Facyson and Brown aren’t really even nipping
at Mager’s heels for that fifth spot on the depth chart, either.It looks to me
like Jeff Richards, who spent all of last season on the Chargers practice squad,
is currently the sixth corner on the depth chart, and might also be the only
player with a chance to unseat Mager. Richards has played every snap with the
second team through two preseason games and hasn’t really done anything to help
or hurt himself.Granted, Brandon Facyson played opposite Richards in Arizona,
and had a pretty good game in doing so, but he was promptly shuttled back to the
third team when Hayward returned against Seattle. While Tony Brown has
functioned as Des King’s primary backup at slot corner in both games, I’m just
not sure he’s done enough on defense or on special teams to overcome the deep
ball he yielded against the Cardinals.What does all this mean? Well, for
starters, barring a major change in the pecking order, it almost certainly means
Craig Mager is going to be the fifth corner when the Los Angeles Chargers break
camp at the end of August. But for all you Facyson and Brown fans, it likely
also means they’re competing with Jeff Richards for what figures to be no more
than two practice squad spots. Right now my money is on Richards and Facyson
nabbing those spots.So, don’t be surprised if Craig Mager makes this team and,
while we’re at it...please don’t shoot the messenger.The Los Angeles Chargers
will win against the Buffalo Bills Every week we look at reasons why the
Chargers will win and lose and most weeks it is much easier to come up with
reasons for one than the for the other. Shockingly, the team favored by over a
touchdown has a lot of reasons to expect a victory.Josh Allen is startingLast
year when the Los Angeles Chargers played the Bills they got to face a rookie
making his first NFL start in Nathan Peterman. For those of you who do not
remember http://www.sandiegochargersteamonline.com/kyzir-white-jersey ,
it did not go well for the young man. He threw five interceptions and was
benched at half time. That same Nathan Peterman beat out Josh Allen for the
starting job this Summer. Now, Josh Allen, a rookie making his first NFL start,
will get to face the Los Angeles Chargers defense that destroyed Peterman’s
career before it could even get started. It is unlikely that Allen will perform
as poorly as his teammate did, but it is also unlikely that he will find much
success. In part, that’s because...The Bills have no receiversKelvin Benjamin,
Andre Holmes, and Zay Jones aren’t keeping opposing cornerbacks up late at night
filled with worry. The likes of Casey Hayward, Trevor Williams, and Desmond King
should have absolutely no problem whatsoever shutting down the Buffalo Bills
wide receiver corps on Sunday. There was a time when people thought Benjamin
might become a good or even very good receiver. Those people no longer exist.
And people who thought such things about Holmes and Jones never existed. LeSean
McCoy and Charles Clay are probably going to get a lot of work on Sunday because
these guys suck.Keenan Allen is unstoppableThe Chargers lead wide receiver,
Allen, is one of the best in the League at his position and he is playing at a
very high level. The Bills have nobody that can lock him down, and he should
have a massive game. This matchup suggests a very positive game script for the
team from Los Angeles and nobody benefits more from heavily positive game script
than Allen (on most teams you’d see it benefit the running back, but that’s not
how the Chargers roll). Expect fireworks when the Chargers offense is on the
field. Custom Philadelphia
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