Chargers Sign Draft Bust Who Just Melted Down in Surprise Week 14 Move

The Chargers announced a surprise roster move on Thursday, signing former Seahawks WR Laviska Shenault to the practice squad. He was released by Seattle after muffing multiple kicks in Week 13, though Los Angeles quickly took advantage of the opportunity.

In a corresponding move, the Chargers released WR Dez Fitzpatrick. Originally a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jaguars, Shenault has bounced around the league, failing to deliver on the promise he showed as a highly-touted prospect at Colorado.

He muffed three kicks on Sunday, losing two of them, and nearly cost the Seahawks a victory over the pathetic Jets. Luckily for him, his teammates picked up the slack.

Chargers Sign Former Seahawks WR Laviska Shenault

Shenault's performance in Week 13 was ugly. However, there's still a quality player there somewhere. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has transformed this team since arriving and Shenault could be his latest reclamation project.

At the least, Shenault projects as a potential kick returner provided he can hang onto the ball. Prior to being released, he'd caught five passes for 36 yards and returned 16 kicks for 459 yards and a TD. He amassed over 600 receiving yards in each of his first two years in the league but failed to crack a receiver rotation since.

In all likelihood, Shenault won't make a big impact on this team. This is more of a dart throw, seeing if Shenault can learn the system and impress the coaches on the practice squad. He's not under contract next year and given how thin the Chargers are at receiver, it makes sense to see if he's got some juice left.

For now, Harbaugh has his team focused on a Sunday Night Football showdown with the Chiefs. This is a legitimate contender and they can prove it with a win this weekend.

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