The San Diego Chargers added a trio of new faces to the practice squad today, signing WR Kevin Norwood, LB Deon King and OT Brett Boyko. To make room, the team waived DT Kaleb Eulls, OLB Ben Gardner and TE Austin Traylor.
Norwood was originally a fourth round selection (123rd overall) out of Alabama by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 NFL Draft. He appeared in nine games as a rookie, catching nine passes for 102 yards with five of his receptions good for a first down. He was traded to the Panthers before the start of last season, but appeared in only one contest for the NFC Champions. The 6-2, 210-pound wideout had a strong preseason for the Panthers this summer, catching eight passes for 59 yards and one touchdown before suffering a hip injury in the final exhibition game. He spent the last month on Carolina's Reserve-Injured list, and was waived last week now that he is fully healthy.
King is a 6-0, 225-pound linebacker most recently on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He appeared in four preseason games with them, starting one game and notching 11 tackles. King originally joined Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of Norfolk State after a productive senior season in which he led all of college football with 163 total tackles. A consensus first-team All-American, he won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS football. The Chargers now have the last two winners of the coveted award on their roster as Kyle Emanuel took it home in 2014.
Finally, Boyko is a 6-6, 301-pound offensive tackle who spent the summer with the Chargers. He appeared in all four preseason games and was one of the final cuts when the Bolts trimmed the roster to 53. He previously spent 2015 on the Eagles' practice squad.