The Chargers are down to the hard part now.
After wrapping up the preseason with a 20-18 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles has to trim the roster from 90 players to 53, and the offensive line is one of the clearest places to start sorting out the winners and the odd men out.
The starting group is mostly taking shape. Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater are locked in at tackle, while Cole Strange and Kayode Awosika are projected to be the guards, with Jake Slaughter at center. The only real wrinkle there is left guard, where the Chargers still have not named an official starter, even though Awosika looks like the favorite to hold the job.
There’s also one major change to account for: Tyler Biadasz, who had been expected to start at center, is out for the season on season-ending IR after suffering significant ACL damage. He won’t factor into the final count.
Behind the starters, the tackle depth looks pretty secure. Travis Burke and Trey Pipkins III both appear on track to make the team, giving the Chargers experienced options who can help at tackle and also slide inside if needed.
The interior depth is where things get more interesting. The Chargers need a backup center, and that likely comes down to Josh Kaltenberger or Jacob Spomer. Based on how they’ve looked this preseason and throughout camp, Spomer has been the better of the two, which makes him the likelier choice for the roster while Kaltenberger may be headed to the practice squad or another team.
Branson Taylor is another name to watch. He spent time competing for the left guard job, and while he doesn’t seem poised to win the starting role, his ability to back up both guard spots gives him a real shot to stick.
If the Chargers keep nine offensive linemen, that’s probably close to the number Jim Harbaugh wants up front. If they decide to carry 10, the last spot likely comes down to Trevor Penning or Logan Taylor. That’s a choice between younger upside and veteran depth, and it could go either way.
At the moment, Alex Harkey, Laekin Vakalahi, and Josh Kaltenberger look like the most likely cuts, with practice squad opportunities or another roster potentially their best path forward.
One more name to note is Isiah World, who has been placed on the Active NFI. He won’t be on the roster, but he is expected to move to the reserve NFI so he can stay with the Chargers and continue developing while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in January in the College Football Playoff.
So the offensive line picture is getting clearer: Alt, Slater, Strange, Awosika, Slaughter, Pipkins, Burke, and Spomer look like the safest bets, Branson Taylor appears to be in strong position, and Penning and Logan Taylor are the two bubble players left fighting for that final spot.
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