For the Los Angeles Chargers, the primary storyline of training camp is unmistakable— their ongoing batle for the starting left guard job.
Unlike other positions, it's one we get reports on with each day of practice. Who took first-team reps? Who cycled in and who looked more solid in Mike McDaniel's zone-blocking scheme?
To this point, though, the Chargers have continuously rotated players in and out of different roles, making it difficult to get a true grasp on the competition. As it stands, it seems as though Kayode Awosika or Branson Taylor might have the lead, while Jake Slaughter and Trevor Penning have fallen behind. Whether you want to consider Trey Pipkins III as a real candidate is up to you.
But Slaughter still has plenty of time to prove himself in this battle, and with preseason action looming on Thursday against the Houston Texans, head coach Jim Harbaugh has made clear that Slaughter is still improving and finding his footing at the position on a daily basis.
"Jake Slaughter had a great weekend," Harbaugh said. "Right up to the minute right now, really like the tape from the weekend. His confidence, like he's getting it. That's super encouraging."
Whether or not Slaughter is able to capitalize on this momentum over the next week is a different matter. But it's clear, at the very least, that he can't yet be counted out of the battle.
Jake Slaughter will have a shot to win the starting job until the final whistle is blown
Regardless of whether the Chargers are willing to publicly admit it, Slaughter was drafted with the intention of him rapidly making the transition to guard. He has the athletic profile that McDaniel sought in the Draft, and Los Angeles has harped all offseason on how his sound fundamentals and work ethic at the center position would help ease his transition to guard.
Slaughter could develop into an excellent center in the long-term. But you don't spend second-round draft capital on a player to be the backup center for three years while Tyler Biadasz plays out his contract. Slaughter will get his shot to take over the guard spot sooner or later. It's only a matter of whether that comes in Week 1.
It was reasonable to have doubts about Slaughter's ability to make that transition— at least in an immediate sense. He didn't play a single snap at guard in college, and McDaniel's scheme demands a pace and a physicality that he almost certainly wasn't accustomed to.
To the Chargers' credit, they've been willing to take things slow with Slaughter, and they've given the other candidates extensive opportunities to prove their mettle at the position. Awosika took the bulk of first-team reps through the first few days of camp, and Taylor has evidently had a major offseason that has put him in contention for the job.
But Slaughter cycled into first-team guard reps with Awosika and Taylor during practice today, and Harbaugh's comments make it seem like it might truly be starting to click for the second-round selection.
Harbaugh stated last week that it would take about 10 practices to determine the starter. That gives Slaughter perhaps another week, including preseason action, to make a real push for the job.
He might not have the easiest path, but don't count him out yet.
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