The Los Angeles Chargers just made an under-the-radar trade with the Houston Texans and acquired OT Austin Deculus for a conditional 7th-round pick.
Los Angeles Chargers, Offensive Line Depth Woes
With the season-ending injury to All-Pro LT Rashawn Slater, general manager Joe Hortiz felt the need to bring in an extra offensive lineman to reinforce depth at the position after 6th-round pick Branson Taylor and other UDFA signings had largely disappointed in the preseason.
This brings the offensive line room to 8 players, which is thin by NFL roster standards, as teams generally keep 9 to 10 offensive linemen on the roster.
Austin Deculus | OT | 6’5″ 231 lbs
A member of the 2019 LSU Championship team, Deculus was drafted in the 6th round (No. 205 overall) back in 2022 by the Texans.
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He bounced on and off the Texans’ active roster before spending the bulk of the 2024 season with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. The Texans ended up claiming him late in the season, and he has spent the entire offseason with them since.
Playing Experience
Including the playoffs, Deculus has appeared in 15 games thus far in his career with 2 starts under his belt, all of which have been for the Texans.
The 26-year-old player has largely played at left tackle, while also having plenty of experience at right tackle during his LSU days. He currently holds the Tigers record for the most amount of games played at 61, including 46 starts at RT.
The addition of Deculus was a low-risk move by Joe Hortiz, which can pay dividends for the Los Angeles Chargers as a second swing tackle option behind OL Jamaree Sayler. The price of a conditional 7th-round pick to beef up a razor-thin offensive line is well worth it.