The Chargers’ cutdown day wasn’t just about getting to 53. It was about turning roster churn into draft capital, and Joe Hortiz squeezed real value out of a busy day.
Los Angeles made two trades while trimming the roster, sending 2026 undrafted free agent cornerback Avery Smith to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 sixth-round pick and moving 2025 undrafted free agent TeRah Edwards to the Carolina Panthers for a 2028 sixth-round pick. In both cases, the Chargers avoided the waiver-wire risk and came away with future picks instead.
That matters because cutdown day can tell you a lot about a roster. When teams are forced to cut players who get claimed elsewhere, it usually says something about how deep that group is. When they can trade away players instead of losing them for nothing, that points to a different kind of strength: enough depth that other teams are willing to pay to keep those players off waivers.
That was the situation here. The Chargers had two players other teams clearly didn’t want to gamble on, and that’s a useful sign for a roster still being shaped at the back end.
The offensive line was part of that picture, too. Chargers play-by-play announcer and host of the Chargers Weekly podcast Matt "Money" Smith said on his other podcast on the BLEAV network that he was made aware the Chargers had trade discussions with other teams on four of their offensive lineman before cutdowns. There was plenty of line movement around the league, but Los Angeles ultimately chose to keep all of its offensive line depth and protect those players on the initial 53-man roster.
Smith’s move to Seattle makes sense on multiple levels. He would have been buried on the depth chart in Los Angeles, and the Seahawks - who run the same defense under head coach Mike MacDonald - already had plenty of film on him in that system. Seattle gets a young corner it liked enough to keep away from waivers, while the Chargers collect draft compensation for an undrafted free agent in the next class.
Edwards’ path was different, but the result was the same. Carolina needed defensive linemen and wasn’t going to wait and hope he reached them on waivers, especially after his preseason showing against the Houston Texans.
He gets a roster spot after spending a season developing on the Chargers practice squad and then going through a second training camp. The Panthers give up a late future pick to address a need, and the Chargers get something back for a player they helped develop.
The Avery Smith deal also means Los Angeles has fully restocked its 2027 draft picks. The Chargers may still add more through compensatory selections tied to losing Odafe Oweh and potentially Zion Johnson.
In Other News...
Seahawks Let Go Of A Cornerback Who Immediately Found A Real Role
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Cleveland moved quickly to give him a real chance, signing Igbinoghene to its active roster and putting him in position to appear in regular season games. For Seattle, it is another reminder that the last days of roster trimming can send a player elsewhere almost immediately, especially one with enough talent to draw interest right away. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Receiver Decision Just Added Tension To A Crowded Depth Chart
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White has already landed elsewhere, signing with the Raiders practice squad and reconnecting with head coach Klint Kubiak, who previously served as Seattles offensive coordinator. It also makes White one of the first former Seahawks roster cuts to find a new home this season, another reminder of how quickly the margins can change for players trying to stick in a crowded receiver competition. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Lost A Promising Pass Rusher To A Brutal Rival
Jamie Sheriffs path with Seattle was always going to require patience, and the edge rushers latest move underscores how thin the margin can be for young defensive linemen trying to stick. After going undrafted out of South Alabama in 2024, Sheriff spent time on the Seahawks practice squad and worked his way into the mix before being among the final roster cuts ahead of the 2026 season.
Now he has landed with the Los Angeles Rams, signing to their practice squad, according to ESPNs Brady Henderson. For the Seahawks, it is another reminder that developmental pass rushers can quickly become available to a division rival, especially when teams are sorting out the back end of the roster and trying to preserve upside without losing it. [Read more 🡒]