San Diego Chargers 2011: Practice Squad Analysis

The Chargers have made their final roster cuts this past weekend. Players were either picked up by other teams, such as Seyi Ajirotutu (Panthers) and Scott Tolzien (49ers), placed on the practice squad, or sent packing to their respective homes. 

As of this past Monday, the Chargers have made final additions to their practice squad. Here is a look at each player in depth:

Bront Bird - ILB - Rookie - Texas Tech

After going undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, Bird (6'4", 250) was signed by the San Diego Chargers on July 26, 2011. Due to a plethora of injury concerns at the ILB position, Bird will act as an insurance policy, as he tunes his skills on the practice field.  

Charlie Bryant - DT/OL - Rookie - Memphis

Bryant, a monster at 6'8" 230 pounds, will spend his rookie season on the Chargers' practice squad. Although he was signed as a defensive tackle, he has shown promise at the offensive tackle position, so the Chargers have decided to convert him, temporarily, to the offensive side of the ball.

"He doesn't have a lot of background on offense so we’re just going to do some stuff to get him up to speed (for practice squad purposes),” Turner said. “If he’s good it could end up being a permanent deal”. 

Steve Schilling - OL - Rookie - Michigan

Schilling (6'5", 304) was selected in the 6th round (201st overall) of the 2011 draft by the Chargers. Since the Chargers O-Line was already full of proven veterans, there wasn't much room for Schilling. 

He was honored as the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team's best offensive lineman as a red-shirt sophomore before being nationally recognized as a Lombardi Award watch list candidate in 2009.He was selected as a 2009 and 2010 All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention and was a 2010 Outland Trophy watch list candidate.

Schilling will most likely be the first offensive lineman called up to the squad if someone goes down, due to his solid preseason performances. 

Traye Simmons - CB - 2nd Year - Minnesota

Simmons (5'9", 180) joined the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. 

Simmons was a star at the University of Minnesota in the two years he was there. The talented transfer jumped right into the Gophers starting lineup and helped to solidify the secondary in the first year. He emerged as one of the Big Ten’s top cornerbacks, earning second team all-conference honors from both the league’s coaches and media behind 2009 first round Big Ten corners Malcolm Jenkins and Vontae Davis.

This will be Simmons' second straight year as a part of the Chargers' practice squad. Look for him to find his way onto the Chargers roster sooner rather than later. 

Frank Summers - FB - 3rd Year - UNLV

Summers (5'10", 240) was drafted in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

After playing the first two games of the 2009 season as the Steelers starting fullback, Summers was inactive for the Week 3 game vs. the Bengals and was then placed on Injured Reserve, ending his rookie season.

He was signed by the Chargers in February of 2011 after being on the Steelers practice squad for the entire 2010 season.

Brad Taylor - TE - Rookie - Baylor

Taylor (6'3" 240) will spend his rookie season on the Chargers practice squad after being signed as an undrafted free agent.

Taylor was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at tight end at Baylor and started all 13 games his senior season. Taylor will act as an insurance policy if one of the veteran tight ends (Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael, Kory Sperry) goes down with an injury.

Eric Young - OL - 4th Year - Tennessee

The Chargers signed Young (6'3", 304), a rookie offensive tackle out of the University of Tennessee, to the practice squad on December 21, 2010, where he remained for the last two weeks of the regular season.

Young will act as an additional back-up to an injury prone Chargers offensive line. Young was highly touted coming out of college, but fell in the draft and has failed to perform so far in his career.

Drew Willy - QB - 3rd Year - Buffalo

Willy was the final addition to the San Diego Chargers practice squad due to the loss of Scott Tolzien to the San Francisco 49ers.

He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Willy has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Locomotives, and New York Jets. He spent this 2011 training camp with the Jets, so maybe he can supply some insight when the team travels to New York to play them. He will be the third quarterback on the Chargers roster.