Official 2026 Chargers Roster Discussion | Roster Build | Free Agency

[CanadianBoltFan]

I'm not talking about spending much draft capital. I'm talking about trading with a bad team needing to dump a really bad contract. We've seen it before: A decent or good player who is way over-paid.

Well we have given up one 2027 pick already and it brought us Auston Deculus.

[charger1_sj]

I can argue both ways on this point. For this post, I'll argue against your notion, CB. Coming at ya, Canada!

1. There is simply no insurance for never seeing last year again. No volume of bubble wrap is sufficient to protect. If, God forbid, Alt and Slater get hurt again...it's virtually impossible to stack a roster deep enough with players who can provide high quality replacement.

2. Let's suppose we'd been more aggressive with the wallet and signed Vera-Tucker, Wyatt Teller or Isaac Seumalo. Or two of them! We'd feel better, right? Feel safer. But guess what? All three of those players represent even higher injury risks than the guys we did sign. We likely would have loved watching Vera-Tucker maul for a few weeks...and then bam, he's down again as his history suggests. Same with the other two.

3. You gotta ride with 9 offensive linemen. 10 if you want to get extreme. Practice squad players can be poached so you can't stash away good players. Nine o-linemen translates to less than one backup per starter. It's just a bitter reality: Injuries can bite hard. We should all start praying now.

4. If Slater gets hurt I'm sure BeachComber will be reminding us of his suggestion: "Shoulda moved him to guard". This, of course, ignoring the reality that guards get injured too. If, in fact, Slater is injury prone at LT...he'll be injury prone at guard too.

5. Free agent players have warts, pimples, an asterisks galore. And they are absurdly priced, beyond reason. Hortiz said we're not swimming in the deep end of that pool. We are gonna keep our wits about us, while getting the comp pick pipeline flowing. (Once started it has it's own momentum)

6. McDaniel values fit over raw generalized ability. I think he's earned the benefit of doubt to know better than we at TPB.

@1. Our only backup at LT currently is Pipkins. So, there is no bubble wrap there at all. In fact, we lack saranwrap.
@2. Slater is injury prone. See #1 above.
@4 The reason to move Slater at OG if needed, is not to avoid injury. It would be because he would not be able to protect Herbert's blind side. In such a case he
may bolster our interior line, which has been crap and is currently under construction.
@5 Not all FA are absurdly priced. Mid -range OGs that would have upgraded our Oline were available. But instead, we scrapped the bottom of the barrel hoping
that one of them sticks.

[CanadianBoltFan]

I wanted to see Joe stretch more than he did. The majority (if not all) of TPB agrees. But I don’t get the zeal with which some insist Rashawn cannot play LT though. Nothing but conjecture and panic porn in my eyes. If you have an elite LT, you don’t shove him inside to guard for no reason. Coaches will figure out where he is at in is rehab and know what to do more than anyone here will.

I am finding no evidence that players are overly prone to re-tear their *****lar if they return. One player out of 24 in a study between 1994-2004 re-tore it. The same study found high draft choices (like Slater was) were most likely to return effectively. The study also found OL are much more likely to be able to return to prior performance levels vs positions to have reduced performance like WRs and CBs. They average about 45 games after return. OL players averaged longer.

Panic porn unless someone has some actual clinical data or evidence, real information about Slater - where the only reports are he’s well on track (i admit these are team or team-provided reports)? I’m open to reconsider but I’ve searched and I cannot find anything to support this proposal.

Chargers should get a starting OG in the draft. If this OG can also serve as a swing OT, I don’t oppose that.

Someone posted what if all the good OGs are gone first. I’m not holding my breath for the draft where great OTs are left on the board while OGs are all taken. Thats now how the NFL has ever worked. OTs are always taken first as I’ve observed. I don’t want a mediocre OT/OG vs a very good OG - I want a day 1 capable starting OG.

I hear you

Maybe Proctor should be considered after all. There is your starting guard who can swing out to tackle no problem whatsoever if need be, Fano is a pipe dream.

I just don't think they are drafting OL in round 1 though

[DerwinBosa]

@1. Our only backup at LT currently is Pipkins. So, there is no bubble wrap there at all. In fact, we lack saranwrap.
@2. Slater is injury prone. See #1 above.
@4 The reason to move Slater at OG if needed, is not to avoid injury. It would be because he would not be able to protect Herbert's blind side. In such a case he
may bolster our interior line, which has been crap and is currently under construction.
@5 Not all FA are absurdly priced. Mid -range OGs that would have upgraded our Oline were available. But instead, we scrapped the bottom of the barrel hoping
that one of them sticks.

Alt would play left tackle, and Pipkins would play the right side. The offense actually looked really good most of the time when we had that lineup. If Alt and Slater get injured again, we're fucked. So, yeah, I would like to see us take someone like Caleb Lomu in the first round, if he can play guard. If Slater were to go down, you kick Lomu out to left tackle and keep Alt on the right side.

I have been open to the idea of Slater playing guard for a while, but I don't think it is going to happen.

[YAC]

Well we have given up one 2027 pick already and it brought us Auston Deculus.

Yeah, losing that pick really stings. The 22nd pick in round 7. Ouch!

You're better than this CB. Do you know how many points on the draft value table that pick is worth? (Hint: Stack up 20 such picks and it equals one mid third rounder on the chart. Truth.)

I will concede anything related to Count Deculus hurts in principle.

[YAC]

So, yeah, I would like to see us take someone like Caleb Lomu in the first round, if he can play guard. If Slater were to go down, you kick Lomu out to left tackle and keep Alt on the right side.

I suggested exactly this plan here six, eight weeks ago. Could see it.

[sonorajim]

I suggested exactly this plan here six, eight weeks ago. Could see it.

You may have been the first. Several of us have been on board with that concept for a while.

[charger1_sj]

Alt would play left tackle, and Pipkins would play the right side. The offense actually looked really good most of the time when we had that lineup. If Alt and Slater get injured again, we're fucked. So, yeah, I would like to see us take someone like Caleb Lomu in the first round, if he can play guard. If Slater were to go down, you kick Lomu out to left tackle and keep Alt on the right side.

I have been open to the idea of Slater playing guard for a while, but I don't think it is going to happen.

What happens if Alt goes down? OHHHH, OOPS.

I agree with the rest of your post. Some don't think taking an OT with #22 is the right thing to do. I disagree. It may not be the option we take, but it would
not be a bad choice.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Yeah, losing that pick really stings. The 22nd pick in round 7. Ouch!

You're better than this CB. Do you know how many points on the draft value table that pick is worth? (Hint: Stack up 20 such picks and it equals one mid third rounder on the chart. Truth.)

I will concede anything related to Count Deculus hurts in principle.

Whatever the 7th pick is worth...Deculus is worth considerably less.

If Hortiz got a comp pick, even in the 7th round, there would be positive feedback here.

Kyle Monangai, Brashard Smith, Tez Johnson, Jonah Monheim, Jacory Cosky-Merritt, Quinn Ewers, LeQuint Allen, Konata Mumpfield...are all players on NFL rosters who were drafted in the 7th round last year. Not super stars but useful players better than Deculus

[beachcomber]

I wanted to see Joe stretch more than he did. The majority (if not all) of TPB agrees. But I don’t get the zeal with which some insist Rashawn cannot play LT though. Nothing but conjecture and panic porn in my eyes. If you have an elite LT, you don’t shove him inside to guard for no reason. Coaches will figure out where he is at in is rehab and know what to do more than anyone here will.

I am finding no evidence that players are overly prone to re-tear their *****lar if they return. One player out of 24 in a study between 1994-2004 re-tore it. The same study found high draft choices (like Slater was) were most likely to return effectively. The study also found OL are much more likely to be able to return to prior performance levels vs positions to have reduced performance like WRs and CBs. They average about 45 games after return. OL players averaged longer.

Panic porn unless someone has some actual clinical data or evidence, real information about Slater - where the only reports are he’s well on track (i admit these are team or team-provided reports)? I’m open to reconsider but I’ve searched and I cannot find anything to support this proposal.

Chargers should get a starting OG in the draft. If this OG can also serve as a swing OT, I don’t oppose that.

Someone posted what if all the good OGs are gone first. I’m not holding my breath for the draft where great OTs are left on the board while OGs are all taken. Thats now how the NFL has ever worked. OTs are always taken first as I’ve observed. I don’t want a mediocre OT/OG vs a very good OG - I want a day 1 capable starting OG.

is someone suggesting Rashawn can't play LT ?? of course he can, it's just that he has an injury history, and.... you can cross your fingers or you can be preemptive.

torn biceps tendon, torn *****lar tendon + strained pectoral and knee issues.... question again is, where do you draw the line ??

are we outta the woods or would it be the wiser of us to hedge our bets w/a starting caliber LT ??

granted you can make the case that most peoples of his ilk are gonna return and do just fine, and.... is he injury prone, just in general ??

he's missed quite a few games, and Alt has missed a bunch as well.... you can go status quo/as is, or you can do something to mitigate your risks.

you might like Vega or Pregnon, or Proctor or Bisontis, or.... dunno, and.... personally I prefer Lomu over any of those guys, as think he is the more solid prospect, and also the better hedge for our Oline situation @tm.

again personally think Lomu @LT and Slater @LG is the better alignment, as don't think Lomu is a guard whatsoever, and that Rashawn might actually be pretty darn good slotted inside.

he's got his monies, and.... it's a team game.

[YAC]

@1. Our only backup at LT currently is Pipkins. So, there is no bubble wrap there at all. In fact, we lack saranwrap.
@2. Slater is injury prone. See #1 above.
@4 The reason to move Slater at OG if needed, is not to avoid injury. It would be because he would not be able to protect Herbert's blind side. In such a case he
may bolster our interior line, which has been crap and is currently under construction.
@5 Not all FA are absurdly priced. Mid -range OGs that would have upgraded our Oline were available. But instead, we scrapped the bottom of the barrel hoping
that one of them sticks.

You post as if you think other o-linemen don't get hurt, when in reality Pipkins has missed comparable or indeed fewer games over the past four seasons* than other top free agent tackles.

*Pip has played 59 of the last 67 games.

As for Slater...I'm completely disinterested in considerations of moving one of the top four OTs in the game to a position of lesser significance...until and unless the Charger med/conditioning folk indicate it's the best plan. I get that we all can play arm-chair GMs here, but playing that while also playing arm-chair doctor is a bit much.

[CanadianBoltFan]

You post as if you think other o-linemen don't get hurt, when in reality Pipkins has missed comparable or indeed fewer games over the past four seasons* than other top free agent tackles.

*Pip has played 59 of the last 67 games.

As for Slater...I'm completely disinterested in considerations of moving one of the top four OTs in the game to a position of lesser significance...until and unless the Charger med/conditioning folk indicate it's the best plan. I get that we all can play arm-chair GMs here, but playing that while also playing arm-chair doctor is a bit much.

Yes and in those 59 games...there are quite a few when he is in and out of the line up all game. Any time that knee of his acts up, his plays goes off a cliff and he struggles