Notable Chargers signing is a cut candidate before ever playing a snap in LA

It's not uncommon for a player to sign with a team only to be cut from the 53-man roster after the preseason. Heck, most of the players the LA Chargers brought in this offseason are going to end up on the chopping block simply because of the nature of the NFL.

It isn't just the undrafted free agent and fringe signings who end up being cut during roster trims. Sometimes, one of the players a team signs during the free-agency period can also get the ax ahead of the regular season.

That is exactly the situation defensive tackle Naquan Jones finds himself in after signing with the Chargers this offseason.

Naquan Jones has to outplay his cut label with the Chargers

The Chargers signed Naquan Jones after losing Poona Ford in free agency to the Los Angeles Rams. Jones is part of a committee at defensive tackle that the coaching staff is hoping can replace the impact Ford had last season.

Jones is not guaranteed to be part of that committee unless he earns it during the preseason and training camp. He is already lower on the depth chart and there are other candidates who could easily usurp him with strong summers.

Teair Tart, Da'Shawn Hand, Otito Ogbonnia, Justin Eboigbe and Jamaree Caldwell are all ahead of Jones on the depth chart. Carrying five interior defensive linemen is not completely out of the realm of possibility, and if the Chargers carry a sixth, the spot could go to someone else.

That could go to Scott Matlock, who provides versatility on both sides of the ball as the team's resident fullback. It could also go to a standout undrafted free agent if anyone captures the imagination of the coaching staff during training camp.

The door is why open for Jones to be part of the team's roster cuts and that's evident based on Jones' contract. Jones signed a one-year deal with the Chargers with an extremely low guarantee of $250,000. Typically, when guarantees are that low, it's a sign a team doesn't fully believe in a signing.

Jones' $250,000 guarantee is by far the lowest guarantee for any external free agent the Chargers signed this offseason. That alone is telling on where the Bolts stand with Jones heading into the 2025 season.

If Jones thrives in training camp and earns a spot on the Chargers' roster then he can secure a $1.8 million salary. However, based on the construction of the roster, he may only get that $250,000 guarantee.