The Los Angeles Chargers made some intriguing additions this offseason from a new Rookie QB to a new Rookie LB to a new slot cornerback among other positions. But one key position that wasn’t truly addressed was the left tackle position.
While the Center position and right side of the offensive line are set with Mike Pouncey, Bryan Bulaga, and Trai Turner, the left side is a complete mystery as of right now.
The Chargers lost their former LT Russell Okung in a trade with the Carolina Panthers for Trai Turner. While Trai Turner is a better player and a perennial Pro Bowler, it definitely left a void at the ever so important Left Tackle position. Coming into a season with a new starter, it is critical to find stability and continuity, so in this article, we analyze that situation.
Analyzing The Chargers Situation At Left Tackle
It is important to mention that Bryan Bulaga is listed as the starter at LT in multiple depth charts, he did play some LT while at Iowa and was quite successful. However, he has been very effective at RT and it is likely the Chargers keep him there.
The current penciled in starter at LT is Sam Tevi. While he has been a nice player and has shown good progress and definitely played above his 6th round billing, he is not the most ideal option at arguably the most important non-QB position on offense. He was the 61st ranked offensive tackle by PFF and he and Trent Scott combined to allow the 2nd most pressure on the QB in the NFL, just in front of the giants. Not a great group to be in.
Another name to look at is Trey Pipkins. Many Chargers fans were shocked when Tom Telesco selected him in the third round of the draft out of a school most people hadn’t heard of. He was always supposed to be a developmental prospect and could make strides this year given the hole. New offensive line coach James Campden stated that Trey Pipkins “has a lot of potential.” There is a very good chance he will get some reps at the LT spot.
Another player on the depth chart who will be in the mix is Forrest Lamp. Lamp was highly touted out of college and was supposed to be an immediate starter on the line until injuries ruined his rookie year and he really hasn’t been able to find consistent playing time since. Lamp was fantastic playing at LT while at Western Kentucky so despite mostly playing at the guard position if he is healthy, he could be the man. If you go check his college stats, he was almost perfect at his position, and even at the Senior Bowl, he was perfect in his 13 snaps at LT.
A long shot to look at is Storm Norton. Norton has mostly been a journeyman since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He, like Lamp, was fantastic at Toledo where he allowed just five sacks on 411 passing attempts his final year. He was also a huge reason for Kareem Hunt’s success there. After bouncing around from team to team, he ended up in the XFL where he was regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the league. He is an absolute behemoth of a human at 6 ft 8, 307 pounds. However, there is a reason he was forced to seek employment in the XFL so it is unlikely he will be given the starting role.
A wildcard option to look at is the potential signing of future Hall of Famer, Jason Peters. The Chargers are among the favorites to sign him seeing they have over $9 million in cap space and also have a major hole at his position. Many other teams that have the cap power to sign him already have their LT position figured out. While he may be nearing retirement, he is still a much better option than any of the current in house options, and still is an above-average left tackle in the league with a PFF grade of 82.4. He is a great veteran who not only would help the team but also serve as a mentor to all of the young players at the position, specifically Pipkins. This without a doubt would be the best option for the team and the new QB.
While there may be a handful of options to potentially line up at LT, the Chargers are by no means set at the position, because all the in house options leave a lot to be desired. The best option would be Jason Peters, while the most likely option at this time seems to be Sam Tevi who has the most experience starting at that position on the current roster.
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NFL Left Tackle Jason Peters. Photo Credit: KA Sports Photos | Keith Allison | Under Creative Commons License