After a disappointing 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round, the Los Angeles Chargers have already had quite the compelling start to their offseason.
First, the team parted ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. And while they seemingly hit a home run by replacing him with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, that's not a done deal just yet, as he interviewed for the Buffalo Bills' lead job on Friday. The belief is that McDaniel will be the Bolts' new OC if he doesn't get a head coaching gig, but we'll see how things play out.
The Chargers are also now in search of a replacement for defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was announced as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.
But getting past the coaching staff, there's obviously also the matter of the roster, which could look a lot different in 2026, as Los Angeles has close to 30 players set to enter some sort of free agency.
Now, while the Chargers have several needs to address this offseason, whether in free agency or the draft, it's no secret that their biggest problem during the 2025 campaign was on the offensive line. Losing both starting tackles—Rashawn Slater before the season even started and Joe Alt midway through the year—obviously didn't help matters, but both are expected to be healthy heading into next season.
There's still the matter of the interior, however, and with Zion Johnson hitting free agency and rumors swirling that the Bolts could cut both Bradley Bozeman and Mekhi Becton if McDaniel does indeed become the new OC, as neither really fits into his scheme, there could be several holes to fill between Slater and Alt.
Naturally, many names have already been thrown into the mix by various analysts over the past couple of weeks, but one that took us a bit by surprise was suggested by Pro Football Network's Ryan Guthrie, who has predicted that Los Angeles will add Rasheed Walker of the Green Bay Packers. The glaring issue with that signing, however, is that Walker plays tackle.
The Chargers signing Rasheed Walker doesn't make much sense unless a big change is made
Here's what Guthrie had to say on the Bolts potentially adding the four-year veteran:
"Rasheed Walker has played over 900 snaps at left tackle in three straight seasons and isn't a liability in pass protection. That reliability alone makes him one of the most valuable linemen on the market. Jim Harbaugh loves trench play, and after watching Justin Herbert get battered, this move feels inevitable."
Again, the move doesn't make much sense, seeing as how Slater and Alt should be good to go by the time training camp rolls around.
That said, however, an interesting situation could arise if a forgotten rumor involving Slater comes to fruition. Back in September, The Athletic's Michael Silver wrote a piece in which he stated that some "Chargers decision-makers believe there’s a scenario in which Slater, 26, could be shifted to center, with a viable chance to excel at a new position."
Personally, I don't think that's a good move, but if Slater does indeed move to the middle of the line to replace Bozeman, that obviously opens up a spot for Walker on the outside. Even then, though, Walker may not be the right call.
Guthrie is correct in his assessment that Walker isn't a liability in pass protection. But he's not a genuine asset either, as his 70.0 pass-blocking PFF grade in 2025 ranked just 41st among 89 eligible tackles. Granted, that's a better mark than any of the Chargers' offensive linemen not named Joe Alt earned, but with Spotrac projecting Walker's market value to be more than $20 million per season on a new contract, one would think the Bolts could find a better option if a tackle position opens up.