LA Chargers: Glass-half-full and half-empty outlook of the offensive line
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers’ 2020 offensive line can be looked at in two ways.
If there is one thing that fans of the LA Chargers know all-too-well it is the feeling of having a bad offensive line. For the last several seasons, the Chargers have consistently been among the bottom of the league in offensive line talent, and it has been apparent.
While the team does have two winning seasons in its last three years, Philip Rivers was constantly under pressure. He has been sacked the sixth-most number of times in the last five years, a number that would be much higher if he did not get the ball out as fast as he does (which leads to those pesky interceptions).
Rivers has moved on to a team with a significantly better offensive line in the Indianapolis Colts and the LA Chargers are hoping that their new-look offensive line holds up and improves for Tyrod Taylor.
The Chargers have two new additions to the offensive line. They traded Russell Okung for right guard Trai Turner and signed long-term Packers right tackle, Bryan Bulaga. They also hired James Campen to be the offensive line coach. Campen spent many successful years as the Packers O-line coach.
While fans are hopeful for a better offensive line next season, there are two ways that we can look at the group that the team is fielding in 2020. We could either look at the line with a glass-half-full mindset, or a glass-half-empty mindset.
Both are possible and neither could be ruled out. The fact of the matter is that we do not really know how exactly the O-line will fair this season. There are a lot of variables in play.
Not including potential injuries (as those are undoubtedly going to happen and are impossible to predict) here are the two different ways we could look at the offensive line, starting with a positive mindset.