The Los Angeles Chargers today signed defensive end Jessie Lemonier to the active roster. The team also activated running back Kalen Ballage and defensive back Quenton Meeks from the practice squad. Los Angeles placed cornerback Brandon Facyson on Reserve/COVID-19 and signed safety Jaylen Watkins to the practice squad.
Lemonier has appeared in three games for the Bolts this year after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Liberty. A former athlete at Ventura (Calif.) College, he transferred and played two seasons (2018-19) at Liberty to close out his collegiate career. Lemonier totaled 135 tackles (74 solo), 20.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss while playing for the Flames.
Originally a fourth-round selection in 2018 by Miami, Ballage played in 27 career games with six starts for the Dolphins and Jets. He has 339 career rushing yards and four touchdowns while catching 32 passes for 186 yards.
Before spending most of the 2019 season on the Chargers' practice squad, Meeks appeared in eight games and made a start for Jacksonville in 2018 as a rookie. Meeks recorded four solo stops and two passes defensed on defense and four special teams tackles for the Jaguars. The son of former Bolts defensive backs coach, Ron Meeks, he posted 122 tackles (75 solo), 19 passes defensed and seven interceptions — including two returned for touchdowns — while at Stanford.
Watkins returns to the Bolts after spending the last two seasons with the team, appearing in 14 games with three starts in 2019. He recorded 26 tackles for Los Angeles (18 solo), had a tackle for loss and broke up a pass. The Florida product spent his first four seasons with Philadelphia and Buffalo, helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LII.
