EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Between his special teams flexibility and some promising moments on defense, edge rusher Chris Rumph II was making a strong push for the Los Angeles Chargers’ 53-man roster heading into the preseason opener.
Now Rumph’s status is up in the air after he sustained a significant foot injury in the Chargers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Rumph missed the final eight games in 2023 after undergoing surgery to repair a foot fracture. It is unfortunate timing for Rumph, who is in the final year of his rookie deal.
In the NFL, though, injuries can mean opportunities, especially this time of year. And that is the case for rookie edge rusher Tre’Mon Morris-Brash. A spot has potentially opened on the 53-man roster. Morris-Brash is the next man up in the edge rusher room after a very strong camp. He is seizing his chance.
Morris-Brash’s playmaking continued in Wednesday’s practice. During a third-down 11-on-11 period, Morris-Brash was working with the first-team defense in three-edge-rusher packages alongside Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack. Morris-Brash had pressures on back-to-back snaps.
He rushed off the offense’s left edge and separated against left tackle Rashawn Slater with an inside spin move — a move that has become a favorite of Morris-Brash’s through camp. Quarterback Easton Stick checked down to running back Gus Edwards short of the sticks.
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On the next snap, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter crowded the line of scrimmage with a Cover-0 look. He then dropped all but four players into coverage on a simulated pressure. Morris-Brash was again rushing off the edge. The disguise created confusion up front. Morris-Brash pressured Stick, who spiked a throw into the ground.
Then in one-on-one pass rush drills against the offensive line, Morris-Brash had the best move of the period. He showcased that inside spin move against rookie tackle Tyler McLellan, winning virtually untouched.
Morris-Brash also had a few splash plays in the preseason opener against Seattle.
In the first quarter, he won on a power pass rush off the edge. He got to quarterback Sam Howell and forced an incompletion by hitting Howell’s arm. Morris-Brash should have drawn a holding call, as well, later in the first half on a rushing touchdown for Seahawks back George Holani. The refs missed this call.
Morris-Brash created pressure on two more snaps later in the game. On the first, he came unblocked off the edge and forced a wide throw from Howell. On the second, he showed off his bend as a pass rusher and forced Howell to step up in the pocket.
Morris-Brash can clearly rush the passer at this level. He is undersized, though, which is one reason he went undrafted despite a highly productive career at Central Florida. That lack of size can show up in the running game when trying to set the edge. At the same time, he should be able to find a role early with the Chargers as a sub-package pass rusher and special teams contributor.
“He played pretty well,” Minter said of Morris-Brash’s performance against the Seahawks.
Morris-Brash will get more opportunities in the remaining two preseason games, starting Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
“I think a lot of the guys, just the first game and getting through that, now they kind of realize what it is, what it takes, the consistency that it takes, the play-after-play mentality,” Minter said. “Just excited for him to get that. Now that he’s done it, now that he kind of has a little bit maybe better self-expectation of how the game goes and everything, that he’ll go out there and really be able to put his best foot forward out on Saturday.”
Colson in 11-on-11
Rookie linebacker Junior Colson got his first team reps of camp on Tuesday in seven-on-seven after working his way back from an appendectomy. On Wednesday, he was in 11-on-11 for the first time, and he showed up.
Colson, working with the second team, got home for a sack off a blitz up the middle on the second play of 11-on-11. In a later series in the period, Colson blew up a screen attempt to running back Elijah Dotson from quarterback Max Duggan.
Colson, of course, played for Minter and coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He was a third-round pick in April.
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“We drafted him where we drafted him for a reason,” Minter said. “We think he’s a really good player.”
Colson missed most of the spring with an undisclosed injury before the appendectomy derailed his start to training camp.
Now, though, he should get an opportunity for reps with the second-team defense. Nick Niemann, who led the Chargers with 12 tackles against the Seahawks, is dealing with an injury.
Minter said he is “not 100 percent sure” if Colson will play Saturday against the Rams.
“Obviously a guy I know very well, and have a good idea of what he knows about our defense,” Minter said. “But want to see him do it at this level and against these caliber of players. So excited to continue to see that ramp-up happen.”
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News and notes
• Chargers who did not practice: quarterback Justin Herbert; edge rusher Joey Bosa; running back J.K. Dobbins; center Bradley Bozeman; tight end Hayden Hurst; receiver Derius Davis; Rumph; Niemann; defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe; edge rusher Andrew Farmer II; edge rusher Ty Shelby; offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer; safety Tony Jefferson; receiver Simi Fehoko; linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste; receiver Jaylen Johnson; cornerback Cam Hart; and Niemann.
• Minter was cross-training a number of defensive backs during Wednesday’s practice. Cornerbacks Matt Hankins and Deane Leonard line up at safety. Safety JT Woods lined up at outside cornerback. Hankins had an interception during 11-on-11 while in coverage on tight end Donald Parham Jr. down the seam in the red zone.
“I think you got to be really careful sometimes of who is the next best football player,” Minter said. “If your fourth guy goes down, I want the next best player in the game. OK, he’s a safety, he’s a corner, he’s a nickel. I want the next best football player in there. And I think we try to approach it that way in teaching the guys positions. … The versatility allows you to try to keep your best players out there and always have that next best guy available. And then also for those guys to try to create value for themselves.”
it’s giving versatility pic.twitter.com/vZ6hjLuL5K
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 14, 2024
• Rookie right tackle Joe Alt had two impressive reps against Tuipulotu in one-on-ones. Alt lost some initial ground on both reps. His immediate anchor is something he is going to have to improve as he enters his first NFL season. But Alt was able to recover on both reps and reset to prevent Tuipulotu from getting to the quarterback. Alt’s ability to recover at his size is outstanding.
• Quarterback Luis Perez took three reps with the first-team offensive line in Wednesday’s practice. Harbaugh said earlier this week that he will let this week’s practice decide which quarterback — Stick, Perez or Duggan — starts Saturday against the Rams.
• The Chargers signed tight end Tucker Fisk on Wednesday. Fisk played in college at Stanford for David Shaw, one of Harbaugh’s former assistants with the Cardinal. Fisk took some first-team reps Wednesday. He caught one pass in the flat from Stick. He was also beat off the edge by Khalil Mack on a run play. Mack had a tackle for loss on Edwards on the play. Hurst has not practiced since he took a big hit over the middle against the Seahawks.
• Brenden Jaimes continues to take the first-team reps at center with Bozeman sitting out. Bozeman has not practiced since Aug. 7.
• Herbert still had the walking boot on his right foot during Wednesday’s practice. Thursday marks two weeks since the Chargers announced Herbert’s plantar fascia injury in his right fit. The Chargers said Herbert would be in the boot for approximately two weeks.
• Offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood has been working with the third-team offense this week after he struggled in the preseason game. McLellan has been at right tackle with the second team, and Foster Sarell has been at left tackle. Sarell and Leatherwood had been the two tackles with the second team for most of camp.
• Stick did not convert a third down in eight attempts during the third-down-focused 11-on-11 period.
(Photo: Jonathan Hui / USA Today)
