Chargers make cuts, showing roster is always fluid

Craig Mager was finally going to get his chance.

Relegated mainly to special-teams duties in the first half of the Chargers’ final preseason game last week, Mager found himself lined up over the San Francisco 49ers tight end on the first play of the second half.

Noticing that his assigned receiver was staying on the line to block and pausing ever so quickly to make sure it wasn’t a trick, Mager did what the Chargers coaches have taught him to. Mager came sprinting off the edge, drilling the quarterback for a big sack.

It was a play that certainly helped Mager, who was on the bubble, make the Chargers — for all of 24 hours.

As players all over the league have learned, the only guarantee in the NFL is continuous change, where players are shuffled on and off rosters depending on the needs of the team.

“It’s always fluid,” general manager Tom Telesco said. “There never really is a final roster.”

Mager and receiver Geremy Davis were Sunday’s casualties as the Chargers were active on the waiver wire, claiming guard Michael Schofield from Denver and cornerback Jeff Richards from Carolina.

The team also added offensive lineman Brett Boyko, cornerbacks Michael Davis and Randall Evans, receivers Andre Patton and Artavis Scott, defensive end Whitney Richardson and running back Andre Williams to the practice squad.

The team also plans on re-signing veteran quarterback Kellen Clemens, meaning corresponding moves need to be made.

It’s something the 11 rookies, six of whom Telesco drafted this year, that made the 53-man roster should be completely aware of. Still, it’s a positive mark for the team’s scouting department that so many players from the class of 2017 will start the year on the team.

“Rosters are never final, so there could be some movement moving forward. But the college staff, really it’s a ton of work that they do throughout the whole year,” Telesco said. “You don’t keep guys just because they’re draft picks. You don’t just find college free agents and say we need a couple to make the team. Guys all come in and earn it.”

Undrafted kicker Younghoe Koo beat out returning starter Josh Lambo for a job on the team, an example of a player forcing the Chargers to keep him on the roster.

“He was consistent in making his kicks. We like his demeanor, and he also showed pretty good ability to directionally kick off,” Telesco said. “… And it was a tough decision. Actually, it was a very, very difficult decision, but we thought he came in and won the job.”

It wasn’t the only tough decision Telesco and the Chargers had to make. Cutting veteran safety Dwight Lowery, who started all 16 games for the Chargers last season, wasn’t an easy call, Telesco said.

“You try and do what you think is best for the football team at that moment. And we just felt like we had a pretty deep group at safety and all of those guys had done some positive things. And after a lot of discussion it was a decision we had to make,” Telesco said. “Dwight did an excellent job for us last year. He’s a great pro, handles himself extremely well and I still think he has football in front of him. It was a very difficult decision, but we went with the five that we have right now, and I think it’s a pretty strong group.”

Receiver should be a strong group too, especially if Mike Williams can continue to get healthy. The team decided Saturday to carry him on the active roster, though he’s not expected on the field in the immediate future.

“Obviously, he’s still a couple weeks away from practicing,” Telesco said. “He’ll do more this week and the following week as far as what he’s doing on the side, that will continue to progress. And then we’ll gradually start to work him into practice after that. We still have some weeks in front of us.”

If Williams comes back and is the threat the Chargers hope he’ll be, it could shift the balance of the roster. Maybe the team might not need as many big targets. Or, if Williams’ recovery is slowed, the team could look at other areas of surplus and swap in another pass catcher.

The only certainty is that the 53 players that were Chargers on Sunday won’t all be there when the season ends.

“We’ll keep after it and see if anybody else can help us moving forward,” Telesco said. “So, it’s a never-ending process of trying to get the right team on the field.”

dan.woike@latimes.com

Twitter: @DanWoikeSports