EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The Chargers have turned to rookie Jake Slaughter at center, with coach Jim Harbaugh naming the ex-Florida standout as the starter on Saturday after Tyler Biadasz went down with an ACL injury during Tuesday’s joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers.
Harbaugh didn’t sound like a coach making a stopgap decision. He sounded sold.
“Talent, effort, just very, very aware,” Harbaugh said. “The mind is sharp, snap, pre-snap, to the whistle, the way he understands the position.
Jake has been in the system as long as Tyler has, and so it’s been the same amount of time for both of those. Very confident in Jake Slaughter being our starting center.
“There was a real inflection point about two Saturdays ago, I think it was. Two Saturdays ago, he’s been on a tremendous trajectory (since then).”
Slaughter, who played center only at Florida, entered the Chargers’ plans as a possible left guard. Los Angeles selected him in the second round in April with the idea that he might slide over to replace Zion Johnson, who left in free agency in March for the Cleveland Browns. He also worked at left guard during the Senior Bowl game and in practices in front of NFL scouts.
Even with that plan in place, the Chargers had also prepared for Slaughter to be Biadasz’s backup if he didn’t seize the left guard job. That competition has remained unsettled through camp. Harbaugh said Kayode Awosika was “the leader right now,” but he also made clear the team has not reached a final call.
“I don’t know how close we are” to naming a starting left guard.”
General manager Joe Hortiz spent the offseason reshaping the interior of the line. He brought in Biadasz from the Washington Commanders, Awosika from the Detroit Lions and right guard Cole Strange from the Miami Dolphins, while also using four of the team’s eight draft picks on offensive linemen, Slaughter included.
Los Angeles opened camp with the left guard spot wide open, and Awosika, Slaughter, Trevor Penning, Trey Pipkins III and Branson Taylor all took part in the fight for the job. Last week’s unofficial depth chart had Awosika, Taylor and Slaughter listed as the top three options at left guard.
Slaughter was also slotted as Biadasz’s backup at center, with Josh Kaltenberger and Jacob Spomer next in line. Kaltenberger is an undrafted second-year player from Maryland, and Spomer is an undrafted rookie from Fresno State.
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