One of the most glaring needs for the Chargers this offseason lies along the offensive line. After seeing right tackle Sam Tevi perform below standards, it was clear that the team was going to find his replacement.
Four days have passed by and 22 offensive linemen in free agency have found new teams, and not one of them is inked to Los Angeles. Although it’s still early and we are still barely surpassing the first wave of free agents, it wouldn’t be logical for general manager Tom Telesco to consider one.
When looking at the potential targets prior to free agency for the Bolts — Trenton Brown (Raiders), Ja’Waun James (Broncos), Rodger Saffold (Titans), they were all signed to huge contracts, which were all prices that would’ve been out of the team’s ballpark.
With the second wave of free agents approaching, not one of them is worth bringing in, given the lack of talent or a bad injury history has been linked to them at some point in their career.
Instead, Los Angeles is sitting back and watching teams in need of offensive line help scoop them up off the market one by one, only to know that they’re wiping out the urgency to fulfill the position in the upcoming draft, leaving the Chargers with more polarizing options at No. 28 overall.
Among the top offensive tackles that include Andre Dillard, Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford, Dalton Risner may have seemed unreasonable for Los Angeles in the first round. But NFL teams are doing them a huge favor by pushing those given draft prospects down the board since they won’t have as big of a need, making it more of a reality.
In a deep offensive tackle class, it wouldn’t be surprising to see L.A. double dip at the position in the first four rounds, ensuring that there is depth at both tackle spots heading into the 2019 season.
The bottom line is that even though Telesco is notorious for bringing in an offensive linemen via free agency, this would be the one year to end that streak.
