Jatavis Fighting for a Roster Spot
While rookie linebackers Kyzir White and Uchenna Nwosu continue to impress, Jatavis Brown has done nothing to help his case.
It’s one of the saddest realizations I’ve had to endure while covering the Chargers up to this point.
I’ve been a big fan of Jatavis Brown since his days at Akron. My best friend played defensive end at the University of Iowa before finishing his last two years of eligibility at Akron, his first year there being with Brown. He told me time and time again that Jatavis was the best defensive player he had every seen, and that includes all the Big Ten talent that came through during that time.
The hype for Brown only grew as he was a sparkplug for the defense during the 2016 season. His performance in the color rush game against the Broncos is the first thing that comes to mind. He forced a fumble by Demaryius Thomas to help swing the momentum in the Bolts’ favor as it all eventually led to the first win over Denver in several years.
Last year, Brown’s sophomore slump was largely attributed to a combination of the new playbook and a nagging injury he just never quite got over. It was made known that Brown was back to 100% earlier this offseason and he should be much improved after a full year in Gus Bradley’s system.
So far, this is not the case. Against the Saints’, Brown was still in the game with the third-stringers as White and Nwosu got plenty of reps ahead of him. Even against the worst talent on the field, Brown missed tackle after tackle. His abysmal play was just one piece of a dumpster fire that was the defense in the fourth quarter.
When Hayes Pullard, the worst rated player by Pro Football Focus in 2017, is looking more explosive and overall like a better player than you are, something major has got to change.
Here’s to hoping he fixes whatever happens to be broken.