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As we enter Week 3 of training camp for the Los Angeles Chargers, there are still a number of roster battles up in the air. But we've also reached a point where, barring a surprise decision from the coaching staff, we can start to project who some of the ultimate winners will be. Marlowe Wax, without a doubt, has been one of the winners of training camp so far. Having made the roster as a UDFA last season, Wax spent most of his snaps as a special teams contributor— appearing only rarely in the regular course of the defense. But that same intensity that earned him a spot on the 53-man roster at this time last year is popping up on the tape again. This time, it could result in Wax carving out a real defensive role behind Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, and Troy Dye. Defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary spoke on Wax's development today in the wake of his impressive performance in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans. But Wax isn't just advancing in a vacuum. If Los Angeles wants to carve out a bigger role for him this season, it'll almost certainly need to leave Junior Colson off the roster. That's a painful decision to make, but it seems like the right one at this juncture. Marlowe Wax deserves his chance, and the only one standing in the way is Junior Colson Coming into the league, Wax was seen as a potentially explosive, hard-hitting linebacker with ample room to improve in the consistency of his run-fitting and his coverage abilities. He not only fit that bill relatively quickly, but he exceeded expectations at almost every turn. He forced his way onto the Chargers' 53-man roster last season with pure energy. This year, it's an increased understanding of his role and Los Angeles' defensive scheme as a whole that's helping him turn heads. He posted a grade of 92.0, per Pro Football Focus's system, in the Chargers' preseason opener, recording three tackles, one pressure, and an exciting PBU across just 26 total snaps. While Henley, Perryman, and Dye will take on the bulk of the workload in the middle of the defense, Wax should certainly see an increase from the 4% defensive snap share he received in his rookie campaign. What does that mean for Colson? Colson, who's entering his third NFL season after being selected in third round of the 2024 NFL Draft by Los Angeles, has been underwhelming since he entered the league. Although he still likely has some upside as an all-around coverage and run-fitting linebacker, he was unproductive in his rookie campaign before a shoulder injury sidelined him for all of 2025. Perhaps there's a world where the Chargers are convinced enough to keep him on the roster. But both Wax and fellow inside linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips have become so integral to Ryan Ficken's special teams unit that it's hard to imagine either being moved off the final list. With the edges of the roster getting tighter by the day, moreover, it's hard to imagine the Chargers distributing more than five spots to the inside linebacker room. If Wax continues to improve at this rate, he'll be making a difficult decision on Colson somewhat easier for the Los Angeles brass.