In news that I've been predicting for a few weeks now, the Chargers have cut ties with Strong Safety Kevin Ellison. The second-year player forced his way into the lineup last season, performing well at practice after a long holdout, and played well at times.
When the Chargers drafted S Darrell Stuckey in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft, it was a shot in the direction of Kevin Ellison. It told him that even though he was a young starter, who had been better than their old starter, his position was not safe. Now, with Ellison out of the picture, Stuckey is the front-runner to be the starting SS come Week 1.
Instead of stepping up to the challenge and fighting for his starting spot, Ellison went out and got himself busted with a whole bunch of prescription pain pills. This was not the best way to get on the good side of the coaching staff, so Kevin was first asked to stay away from the team's OTAs and now has been cut.
Kevin's release does not officially go through until he passes through waivers. He can still be claimed by another team.