Chargers offensive line – Page 2

Studs and duds from Chargers’ loss to Broncos

Highlighting the good and bad from the Chargers’ loss to the Broncos.

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The Chargers came up short on Sunday, falling 31-28 to the Broncos in a bizarrely managed game that involved three-quarters of Los Angeles starters, despite having their playoff spot and seed secured.

Here’s who has momentum leading into the playoffs and who will need to bounce back.

Stud: Keenan Allen

Allen extended his streak of games with at least five receptions to seven with eight receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, the second of which came from backup Chase Daniel as the Chargers pulled within one possession. It felt, as it often has this season while Allen has been healthy, as though the veteran was open every time the ball came his way. Granted, Allen was matched up with Ja’Quan McMillian, a corner playing his first NFL game, for the majority of the contest. Still, it’s a nice way to ramp up for the regular season, and is only the second time this year Allen has gone over 100 yards.

Dud: Roster management

The fact that the Chargers played their starters into the fourth quarter in a meaningless game, given their injury luck this season, is strange. What makes it stranger is that Joey Bosa exited the game for some time after seemingly reaggravating his groin injury and Mike Williams (back) had to be carted off the field, and then the Chargers still left the rest of the starters out there. You want your starters to carry some momentum into the playoffs and beat a divisional rival. But LA has struggled with injuries all season, and you’d think that heading into the tournament as healthy as possible would take precedence over getting to 11 wins on the season. Beyond the broad scope of things, there are smaller roster decisions to peer at. Why was rookie running back Isaiah Spiller inactive in a game where you had an idea that backups might get some action? With quarterback Easton Stick a pending free agent, why not make him the active backup, with Chase Daniel likely to retire after the season to evaluate the backup spot going into the offseason?

Stud: Kyle Van Noy

Van Noy has come alive to end the season, finishing with a sack in each of his last five games, including Sunday’s contest. The return of Joey Bosa has opened up Van Noy’s role in the last two weeks as well, which partially spurred a game on Sunday in which Van Noy was able to both sack Russell Wilson and tip a pass that resulted in a Sebastian Joseph-Day interception. With all three of Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Van Noy healthy for the playoff run, the Chargers should be able to scheme up one-on-one matchups for each of them. With the way he’s playing, that bodes well for a Van Noy playoff breakout game.

Dud: Deep defense

Russell Wilson completed three passes that went for 50 or more yards on Sunday, a severe departure from the quarterback Broncos fans have seen for most of the season. Perhaps you can chalk things up to the Chargers rotating players on defense, which broke down communication between defenders used to seeing other faces next to them on the back line. But ultimately, those plays indicate a Chargers defensive identity that the team had seemingly buried after the bye week but is beginning to re-emerge down the stretch. With a gauntlet of quarterbacks beginning with the ascendant Trevor Lawrence and likely involving one or more of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and/or Joe Burrow looming, the Chargers need to get their act together if they’re going to make a run.

Stud: Austin Ekeler

Ekeler’s stat line isn’t sexy – 11 carries for 34 yards with a lost fumble, four receptions for 36 yards – but think of this as a season achievement award. With four catches on Sunday, Ekeler passed Keenan Allen for the most receptions in a single season by a Charger with 107. This number is also tied for second in receptions by a running back in a single season with 2018 Christian McCaffrey. The former undrafted free agent also holds a three-touchdown lead over Detroit’s Jamaal Williams going into Sunday Night Football, so there’s a good chance Ekeler ends the regular season as the total touchdown king.

Dud: Alohi Gilman

Gilman has been phenomenal over the past few weeks as he’s filled in for an injured Derwin James or cycled in with Nasir Adderley. Still, Sunday’s performance represented somewhat of a returning to Earth moment for the third-year player. There was the deep shot to Jerry Jeudy at the end of the first half, on which Gilman seemed to slow up as if the play was over before realizing that Russell Wilson had launched the ball in his direction. It’s the second very visible time that Gilman has declared a play over before the referees do: against Miami, he celebrated his forced fumble while Tyreek Hill scooped it out of the rugby scrum and took it in for a touchdown. Gilman did redeem himself later on Sunday when he recovered a punt muffed by Denver’s Brandon Johnson, but after the way he’s performed lately, Sunday was still an underwhelming showing.

Stud: Offensive line

Denver only hit Chargers quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Chase Daniel twice in this game, one of which was Baron Browning’s fifth sack of the season when he took down Herbert. Otherwise, I thought the offensive line was outstanding in this game, especially compared to some of their recent performances. Unfortunately for them, the rest of the team squandered the performance, with two lost fumbles and a number of costly drops that stalled drives that have normally been stopped by offensive line penalties. On the bright side, if the line comes into the playoffs playing like this, and the rest of the offense executes, the Chargers should put up points in bunches as they try to make a run.

Dud: Run defense

Giving up 205 yards to the Broncos on the ground is suboptimal, of course, but what I find more concerning is that Latavius Murray averaged 6.9 yards per carry on 15 rushes that all seemed to find cavernous holes on the offensive line. Again, there are some caveats to be made with the rest patterns of the starting players. But Murray stayed under 7 yards a carry primarily because the second-level defenders for LA were speedy enough to catch the 32-year-old. Next week, the Chargers will have to contend with Travis Etienne, a true burner who will not give LA as many opportunities to make mistakes without being severely punished. At this point, we know the Chargers aren’t going to field a top-tier run defense, but they’ll still need to be better than what they showed on Sunday to get by in the playoffs.

Chargers await OT Rashawn Slater’s return

Rashawn Slater has been out since Week 3.

The Chargers are primed for the playoffs. They are red-hot, winning their last four games. But they’re still without a key player that could ensure they make some serious noise.

Left tackle Rashawn Slater has been out since Week 3 after rupturing his biceps. Slater’s injury was initially thought of as a season-ending blow, but there is a chance of returning.

“He is still working through his return to play,” Brandon Staley said. “He’s working through things and progressing well. If he returns to play, I think that you guys will sense that momentum, in terms of how we will handle it.”

Slater has been in the facility rehabbing from his injury.

Having Slater back would be pivotal, as L.A. will be relying on Justin Herbert heavily in the playoffs, and having his blindside protected is imperative. Additionally, Slater is a major component in the run game.

However, the Chargers have to factor in his long-term health, and they don’t want to take the chance of re-injury if Slater comes back too soon.

If the team ultimately plays it safe, it will continue to be Jamaree Salyer’s job. Salyer has played 100% of the offensive snaps since Week 4. While he has had rough moments, particularly against speed rushers, Salyer has been plenty reliable for a rookie.

We now wait and see if Slater will be designated to return off injured reserve ahead of their wild-card matchup, which will take place next weekend.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ victory over Rams

Highlighting the good and bad from the Chargers’ win over the Rams.

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The Chargers beat the Rams on Sunday to improve to 10-6.

Here is a look at the good and not-so-good from Los Angeles’ victory.

Stud: Austin Ekeler

What a game it was for Ekeler, who had the longest run of his career on the second quarter 72-yard touchdown scamper. He also became the third running back to haul in at least 100 catches and score at least 15 touchdowns from scrimmage in a single season, joining LaDainian Tomlinson and Christian McCaffrey. Ekeler was virtually impossible to tackle all game, turning 14 total touches into 161 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. It was a stellar performance against a Rams rushing defense that came into the game ranked top ten in DVOA and had not allowed a 100-yard rusher the entire season.

Dud: Run defense

Giving up 6.4 yards per carry to a team with five offensive linemen on injured reserve that’s also starting a player they were trying to get rid of less than three months ago is…bad. What’s worse is that the defensive line was pretty frequently moved right off the ball when the Rams chose to run, which represents a disappointing downturn from the past few weeks. Cam Akers himself took 19 carries for 123 yards, good for a per-carry average of 6.5 that feels much more like Akers getting 6.5 every time rather than a few big runs with a few stuffs mixed in. The Chargers don’t have a high-quality run defense; this season has been evident of that at every turn.

Stud: Mike Williams

Williams had maybe his best game of the season, converting ten targets into seven receptions for 94 yards. There was the trademark Williams plays, namely an astounding one-handed catch on the sideline that dropped the jaws of the collective football internet. But there were also new wrinkles: screens to the bigger receiver, deep curls where Williams juked defenders to generate extra yardage after the catch, etc. It was an all-around phenomenal performance that made the game feel, at times, as though the entire offense flowed through Williams and Ekeler. That’s a good sign for the Chargers, who seemed on Sunday to finally find a way to consistently get their stars the ball and score 30+ points for the first time since Week 5.

Dud: Kenneth Murray Jr.

Like we said earlier, much of the struggle with run defense on Sunday came from the push the Rams’ offensive line generated. Still, that doesn’t mean the second-level defenders are without blame, and Murray, in particular, seemed to have a rough go of things. When Akers found himself wide open in space only to have a throw bounce off his fingertips, Murray had fallen down trying to meet him in the flat. As with the defensive line, it’s a disappointing showing for the linebacker, who had strung together a few quietly fairly good games. Sunday, unfortunately, represented a coming back to Earth for the former first-rounder.

Stud: Morgan Fox

The book on Baker Mayfield is pretty widely distributed: make him feel pressured, and he will make mistakes. The Chargers were able to do that on Sunday, racking up three sacks and four QB hits, one of each of which came from Fox. The former Ram has continued to be perhaps the best free-agent acquisition of the year for the Chargers and perhaps across the entire league when you consider value. Fox is constantly disrupting the pocket and redirecting runners when given the opportunity to do so, and he’s proven to be a key cog in the Chargers’ defense.

Dud: Open-field tackling

One of the reasons Cam Akers was so successful was that he’s a bigger, more powerful running back who can break tackles with relative ease. Against players like that, you have to be sound as a tackler to limit them effectively. On Sunday, the Chargers were far from sound: every run from Akers seemed peppered with flailing Chargers defenders and ended with him dragging defenders a few extra yards. Tackling has been an issue for this defense dating back to the preseason, and those issues have continued to rear their heads throughout the year. Whenever Derwin James, who missed Sunday’s game with a concussion, is off the field, the deeper levels of the defense lose most of their teeth.

Stud: Offensive line

After a series of down games from the offensive line unit, Sunday’s performance was sterling. Justin Herbert was not sacked for the first time since the Falcons game. He was only hit twice, the lowest number since the Falcons game. The Rams presented a bounce-back opportunity as soon as Aaron Donald was ruled out, especially because the recent downturn in offensive line play had a lot to do with going up against elite interior pass rushers in recent weeks. On the ground, we’ve already given some credit to Austin Ekeler, but kudos are also for the group blocking for him. The Chargers could largely match the push the Rams got, giving Ekeler space to find a hole and then navigate from there, which is when he’s at his best.

Dud: Big play defense

The few times the Rams were able to move the ball down the field, it was primarily because they generated at least one big play on the Chargers’ defense. The 13-play, 81-yard field goal drive was catalyzed by a 42-yard Cam Akers rush. Baker Mayfield had a 39-yard completion to Van Jefferson on the ensuing drive. The Rams’ lone touchdown came on a 23-yard untouched run from Malcolm Brown. The Chargers were able to limit this tendency in the second half. Still, it’s concerning to give up those sorts of plays to an offense as anemic as the Rams when you’re staring down the barrel of an AFC gauntlet that includes Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. It’s also a return to earlier versions of this defense, which gave up big plays routinely before finding solutions over the bye week.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Dolphins in Week 14

Reasons why the Dolphins could give the Chargers problems on Sunday.

The Chargers have a lot on the line this weekend against the Dolphins. Not only is it a key game in the AFC playoff race, but the battle between Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa is certain to burn down a good chunk of the internet regardless of the result.

Here are four reasons to be concerned Los Angeles will be on the wrong side of the narratives come Monday morning.

Speed disadvantage

With Derwin James likely out for the game with a quad injury, the Chargers will presumably be missing both him and slot corner Bryce Callahan. That leaves rookie Ja’Sir Taylor and either Alohi Gilman or JT Woods in line to start against an offense that employs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. While Michael Davis has been playing exceptionally well this season and has the speed to at least keep pace with one of them, plugging in two new starters will undoubtedly affect the communication on long-developing routes. As long as the pass protection holds up for Tagovailoa, the downfield passing game will be extra dangerous for the Dolphins.

Prompt points pace

Before losing against the 49ers last week, the Dolphins had scored 30+ points in four straight games, while the Chargers have scored 30+ just twice all season. Granted, Miami’s efforts came against teams rated 19th, 26th, 27th, and 32nd in defensive DVOA, but Los Angeles is only 23rd by the metric. The Dolphins also haven’t scored more than 17 points in any of their four losses this season, while the Chargers have allowed 17 or fewer points only twice. One of those games came against the league-worst Broncos offense. In short: Miami is going to get theirs, and Los Angeles hasn’t yet proved they can go out and get theirs to match.

Hurting offensive line

While the Chargers will get Corey Linsley back from concussion protocol this week, Trey Pipkins will remain sidelined with a knee injury. Four of Los Angeles’ five starters have appeared on the injury report this week, with Linsley, Zion Johnson (shoulder), and Jamaree Salyer (knee) all likely to play. Still, the offensive line is banged up, without even mentioning that Rashawn Slater is out for the season. With Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb on the other side, the Chargers will have to fight through the pain to move the ball on offense.

Contender-pretender barometer

Miami has become a contender gatekeeper of sorts this season. In six games against current playoff teams, the Dolphins have a -53 point differential versus a +63 point differential in six games against non-playoff teams. The Chargers have toed the line between contender and pretender all season, but recent results have skewed the scales a bit further in the direction of pretender status. If Miami’s schedule is any indication, that means they should come away with the victory – probably not the same way they beat the 6-6 Patriots 20-7 in Week 1, but perhaps a result similar to the 31-27 victory over Detroit, a team with similar imbalances to Los Angeles.

Joshua Kelley coming on strong as Chargers’ second running back

It was only a matter of time until the Chargers started to feed Joshua Kelley.

It was only a matter of time until the Chargers not only got their running game going but deciphered Austin Ekeler’s running mate in their win over the Browns.

While Ekeler stole the show with his 172-yard rushing performance, Kelley also raised eyebrows with 49 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. He had big runs of 16 and 12 yards.

In addition, Kelley was effective as a pass-catcher, turning two receptions into 33 yards.

On the ground, Kelley looked exactly like he did during training camp and preseason play: confident, decisive, and explosive.

The play below shows outstanding contact balance from Kelley to shake off an attempted tackle and still stay on his feet to pick up positive yardage.

Kelley had been the shadow of Sony Michel, despite outproducing him statistically (4.2 yards per carry to Michel’s 2.5 YPC). Further, he was more efficient as a pass protector and made more extensive contributions on special teams.

But on Sunday, the script was flipped. Kelley tallied 12 touches to Michel’s one, an indicator that Los Angeles finally has the backup backfield situation figured out.

As for rookie Isaiah Spiller, the jury is still out for the fourth-round pick. Spiller has yet to make his regular-season debut. Brandon Staley said he is fully healthy but needs to prove himself on special teams.

Given that Michel did not produce in the backup role and has not taken a special teams snap this season, it’s only suitable to activate Spiller and give him some touches to see what they have in him, right? We shall see.

The bottom line is that Kelley finding his footing in Year 3 is a positive sign for the Chargers as they look to maintain a balance between their passing game and running game.

Chargers name Trey Pipkins starting right tackle

The fourth-year player won the starting right tackle job for the Chargers.

The Chargers have their starting right tackle for the 2022 season.

Trey Pipkins was deemed the starter over Storm Norton, head coach Brandon Staley announced before practice on Tuesday.

Selected by Los Angeles in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Sioux Falls, Pipkins was tabbed as a developmental tackle with the potential to grow into a starting role.

However, the product on the field suggested otherwise, and he was being written off amid his struggles in his first two seasons. Pipkins made eight starts, with five of them coming in 2020. In that action, he allowed 42 pressures, 24 hurries, nine quarterback hits, and nine sacks.

When Bryan Bulaga went down in the first game of the 2021 season, Norton was plugged in as the starting right tackle. Meanwhile, Pipkins came on the field in jumbo packages, but it wasn’t long after that that he was inactive for four straight games due to lackluster play.

In Week 15 against the Chiefs, however, Pipkins got the chance to start at left tackle when Rashawn Slater was placed on the COVID-19 list. It was the best game of his career.

Two weeks later, he was called to start at right tackle against the Broncos while Norton was still inactive on the COVID-19 list. Pipkins did not allow a single pressure in 67 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

In those two games, Pipkins displayed a player of much more confidence, an improvement from a technical standpoint in pass protection, and a never-before-seen brand of strength and physicality as a run-blocker.

Knowing he could carry his momentum and earn the starting spot over Norton, Pipkins spent the summer working with Slater and renowned offensive line trainer Duke Manyweather to further develop his game.

Pipkins rose to the occasion, allowing just one pressure in three preseason games and faring well against edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack during practices.

Keeping Justin Herbert upright is imperative, and Pipkins will have his work cut out for him in a division that now has new additions, Chandler Jones (Raiders) and Randy Gregory (Broncos), to go with Maxx Crosby and Bradley Chubb. Also, the Chiefs return Frank Clark and Chris Jones.

Projecting the Chargers’ offensive line depth chart in 2022

Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive line room will look like in the 2022 season.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

Today, the focus is on how the offensive line will look heading into 2022.

Left Tackle: Rashawn Slater

Slater was phenomenal as a rookie, earning a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team, a Pro Bowl selection, and second-team All-Pro. His 83.6 overall PFF grade was 8th best in the league among tackles, just behind three-time All-Pro Ryan Ramczyk. Barring injury, the second-year pro should once again excel while protecting Justin Herbert’s blindside and could be in the conversation as one of the best five tackles in the entire league.

Left Guard: Matt Feiler

Despite some fans clamoring for Feiler to move to right tackle, he seems firmly entrenched at left guard, where he produced the 12th highest overall PFF grade in the league a season ago. The former Steeler was originally placed on the left side to help aid Slater’s transition to the pros, a move that paid off and then some. Heading into year two as a Charger, he and Slater will continue to pave the way for Austin Ekeler, who saw his efficiency spike on runs to the left side in 2021.

Center: Corey Linsley

Ranked as the NFL’s best center by PFF analyst Ben Linsey in May, Linsley actually had the platform’s second-best grade at center in 2021. (Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was first.) Regardless, GM Tom Telesco’s decision to shell out big bucks for the former Packer has already proven to be a genius move, as Linsley has held together a developing line in front of Herbert. Center is widely considered the most important position on the offensive line, and having an experienced and elite one as the Chargers do should help propel them to offensive success.

Right Guard: Zion Johnson

Finally, we get to a new starter. Johnson replaces Oday Aboushi, who played well before tearing his ACL in October, and Michael Schofield, who was signed off the street in September because of his familiarity with the Chargers. Schofield was actually fairly effective in 2021 according to PFF, who ranked him tied for 39th in overall grade amongst guards, with the same grade as 2021 first-round pick Alijah Vera-Tucker. That Johnson is replacing him is less an indictment on Schofield and more a vote of confidence from the team in the Boston College product, who the Chargers made the 17th overall pick this April. While he likely won’t make a Slater-like impact in his rookie year, he should be an effective all-around player who will be NFL-ready from his first snap.

Right Tackle: Trey Pipkins

The most pressing question of the Chargers’ offseason has been the plan at right tackle. After watching free agency go by without an addition despite a few value propositions available, the team then neglected to draft a tackle at all, unless you count Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer, who played left tackle in college but will likely be an interior lineman in the NFL. Both privately and publicly, the team has always maintained that they had faith in their in-house options: 2021 starter Storm Norton and 2019 third-rounder Pipkins. The latter is currently my favorite to win the job, following an offseason which he spent working with acclaimed offensive line coach Duke Manyweather. Pipkins was always a developmental selection as a former Division II athlete, and 2022 will likely be his chance to prove that he was worth the selection.

Swing Tackle: Storm Norton

Speaking of Norton, the belief in the building has long been that the loser of the training camp battle at right tackle will become the swing tackle, hence Norton’s placement here. The former XFL player actually wasn’t a terrible run blocker a season ago per Pro Football Focus’ metrics, but he frequently looked out of his depth as a pass protector. Considering the work teams in the AFC have done this offseason to combine two lethal pass rushers, the proposition of trotting Norton out there to get flattened by the likes of Chandler Jones or Randy Gregory seems suboptimal. However, his run-blocking proclivities will make him a decent swing tackle piece.

Swing Guard: Brenden Jaimes

The projection here ultimately comes down to whether you think Jaimes or sixth-rounder Jamaree Salyer will be the primary backup at guard. I lean Jaimes primarily because I think the Chargers staff will treat Salyer the same way they did Jaimes a season ago: cross-train him up and down the line and use his rookie season as effectively a redshirt. A fifth-round pick in 2021, Jaimes played tackle at Nebraska but mostly worked at guard with a few reps at center over the course of his rookie season.

Backup Center: Will Clapp

Clapp has experience playing for new offensive line coach Brenden Nugent, who came to the Chargers from the Saints, where Clapp had spent his entire career until this offseason. While he also has experience at both guard spots, he’s the most proven center not named Corey Linsley on the Chargers roster. Zion Johnson only learned how to play center at the Senior Bowl in February because of injuries to other players, while Jaimes and Salyer have little live experience at the position if any. Rather than move Johnson over and elevate a guard into the starting lineup if Linsley is forced to miss time, it seems much more logical to have Clapp step in and weather the storm.

4 things to know about new Chargers OL Will Clapp

Here are four quick things Chargers fans should know about Will Clapp.

The Chargers signed former Saints OL Will Clapp on Tuesday.

Here are four things to know about the newest Bolt.

First football foray outside Louisiana

Clapp is a New Orleans native who attended Brother Martin High School in Crescent City before accepting a scholarship at LSU, where he played his college ball. He was then drafted by the Saints in the seventh round in 2018, meaning that his first home game as a Charger will also be his first home game outside Louisiana.

Highly decorated college football player

After earning All-SEC first-team honors at guard in 2016 and center in 2017, Clapp became the first LSU offensive lineman in a decade to be named All-SEC twice in his career. He was also a finalist for the 2017 Rimington Award as the nation’s top center and was named a permanent team captain for the Tigers. He and his father Tommy are the only father-son duo to be named permanent team captains in the history of the LSU program.

Called the LSU passing game explosion under Joe Brady

Back in 2018, Brady was an offensive assistant with the Saints. After Brady was hired by LSU as their new passing game coordinator in January 2019, Clapp quote tweeted the news saying that Brady was about to take “this passing game to a new level”. What followed was LSU’s undefeated run to a national championship, as now-Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns under Brady’s guidance.

Can play all five offensive line positions

Versatility is an important quality for depth offensive linemen, and Clapp has shown this throughout his NFL career. As a Saint under new Chargers offensive line coach Brendan Nugent, Clapp played center, tackle, and tight end in jumbo packages across 132 snaps in 2021. With experience at guard in previous seasons and in college, he figures to be a key depth piece in LA.

Chargers OT Trey Pipkins’ game continues to show growth

Trey Pipkins has very much looked like a professional offensive tackle.

Selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Sioux Falls, Trey Pipkins was tabbed as a developmental tackle with the potential to grow into a starting role.

However, the product on the field suggested otherwise, and he was being written off amid his struggles in his first two seasons. Pipkins made eight starts, with five of them coming last year. In that action, he allowed 42 pressures, 24 hurries, nine quarterback hits, and nine sacks.

When Bryan Bulaga went down in the first game of the season, Storm Norton was plugged in as the starting right tackle. Meanwhile, Pipkins came on the field in jumbo packages, but it wasn’t long after that where he was inactive for four straight games due to lackluster play.

That was until Rashawn Slater was ruled out with COVID-19 in Week 15 against the Chiefs when Pipkins was called on to make the start in place of him. It resulted in his best game as a pro. On 42 pass-blocking opportunities, Pipkins allowed just three pressures.

Fast forward two weeks later to this past Sunday’s victory over the Broncos, and Pipkins started at right tackle in the absence of Norton. Raising eyebrows of those who had doubted him, Pipkins did not surrender a single pressure on 32 opportunities.

While he got a bit of assistance from chip blocks and moving pockets, Pipkins displayed a player of much more confidence, an improvement from a technical standpoint in pass protection, and a never-seen brand of strength and physicality as a run-blocker in both games.

The growth of Pipkins is a prime example that scheme and coaching are significant factors in the development of mid- late-rounders, but in particular, offensive tackles. That is why offensive line coaches Frank Smith and Shaun Sarrett deserve credit for the player Pipkins has molded into.

Because of his and Norton’s promising play, it should give the Chargers some flexibility when they assess the position this offseason. Should they move on from Bulaga, the two have shown to be serviceable enough, so that way the team won’t have to spend on a high-priced free agent or take one early in the draft.

Chargers add guard depth following Oday Aboushi’s injury

The Los Angeles Chargers made a signing on Tuesday.

The Chargers lost guard Oday Aboushi for the remainder of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL.

After losing Aboushi, head coach Brandon Staley said that Michael Schofield would fill in as the starter. However, he added that the team could look to bring someone in, which is what they did on Tuesday.

Los Angeles signed Senio Kelemete from the 49ers practice squad, the team announced.

Drafted by the Saints in 2012, Kelemente has appeared in 88 games, 42 of which he started.

There are some ties, as Kelemente played for New Orleans while offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive line coach Frank Smith was there.

Following his four seasons with the Saints, Kelemente spent three seasons with the Texans, appearing in 14 games and starting in five.