After waiving tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday, the Chargers wasted no time in bolstering the depth chart. Per Aaron Wilson, Nick Vannett was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.
#Chargers signed Nick Vannett to active roster
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 1, 2023
The move comes after a few weeks of rather poor blocking performances from both Tre’ McKitty and Stone Smartt. McKitty was also a healthy scratch prior to the Chiefs game. Vannett will at least be given some opportunity to show off what he can do in the blocking department.
Vannett’s last full season with over 20+ pass blocking and 100+ run blocking snaps was in 2021. With the Saints, he scored a 75.8 PFF grade as a pass blocker and a 55.1 PFF grade in run blocking last year. In 2022, his numbers dipped a bit with the Saints and he was cut for cap reasons during the season. However, his numbers did rebound closer to his 2021 status quo in the second half of the season with the Giants.
Vannett will be tasked with being one of the tight ends to stabilize the blocking on the unit currently. The Chargers’ run success rates have decreased due to both relative drops in team blocking and running back efficiency.
The roster is brought back to 53 with the signing of Vannett following yesterday’s waive of McKitty. The Chargers will also likely need to make two more roster cuts for Jalen Guyton and Otito Ogbonnia to be activated off of the PUP list and formally return against the Jets on Monday night.
