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Who Defied the Odds to Earn an Initial Roster Spot?

Presenting your 2016 San Diego Chargers.

Antonio Gates.

Malcom Floyd.

Kris Dielman.

The San Diego Chargers have a rich history with undrafted free agents.  While the roster may very well change in the coming days due to waiver claims and potential signings, for now, three more can add their name to that list.

Guard-center Spencer Pulley, RB Kenneth Farrow and OLB Chris Landrum each defied the odds to make the initial 53-man roster on Saturday.  It marks the 19th straight season an undrafted free agent made the squad, and he joins the likes of Gates, Jahleel Addae, Tenny Palepoi, Josh Lambo, Tyrell Williams and more on the current team.

Pulley is a 6-4, 308-pound mauler who played in 50 games over his career at Vanderbilt, and had 35 pancake blocks last season.  He switched to center his senior year after lining up at right guard as a sophomore and junior.  Pulley saw time at both positions this summer with the Bolts, and may have cemented his standing with the team with a strong performance starting at right guard against the Minnesota Vikings' strong defensive front.

Meanwhile, Farrow led the Chargers in carries (23) and yards (123) this preseason.  He averaged 5.3 yards per attempt, punctuated by a 44-yard run and six-yard TD in the preseason finale vs. the 49ers.  A 5-9, 219-pound running back out of Houston, Farrow carried the ball 560 times for 2,975 yards and 34 touchdowns during his collegiate career along with 74 receptions for 546 yards through the air.

Finally, Landrum is a 6-2, 245-pound edge rusher who transitioned to outside linebacker this offseason.  He recorded five tackles, 0.5 sacks and one fumble recovery in the preseason. Landrum played defensive end at Jacksonville State, recording 64 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2015.

However, those three undrafted free agents aren't the only players to defy the odds and earn a spot.

After spending time in the Arena Football League and two seasons in the Canadian Football League, Dexter McCoil also made his first 53-man roster. The 6-4, 220-pound safety ranked third in the NFL this preseason with 25 tackles, and also forced one fumble, one fumble recovery and a PBU.

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