It's no secret that the Los Angeles Chargers have one of the worst offensive lines in the entire NFL, particularly in pass protection, which is why Justin Herbert has been pressured more than any other quarterback in the league (182 times) and has taken 35 sacks, the third-most of any signal-caller behind only the Tennessee Titans' Cam Ward (41) and the New England Patriots' Drake Maye (36).
Of course, there were bound to be issues after two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon injury during training camp, which prompted Jim Harbaugh to move second-year rising star Joe Alt from right tackle to left tackle to fill Slater's spot and backup Trey Pipkins III into Alt's spot at left tackle, with the latter move proving to be a massive mistake.
Of course, things have gotten even worse on the injury front, as Alt has also been lost for the year with a right ankle injury, the same ankle that had already cost him several games. Austin Deculus and Bobby Hart have gotten starts at tackle, but both have also missed time with injuries, not that either has played all that well when healthy.
The Chargers made a trade with the New Orleans Saints for former first-round pick Trevor Penning just ahead of the deadline, but in his first game with the team last Sunday, that being the Bolts' embarrassing 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he proved highly ineffective, allowing pressure on 17.6 percent of the team's pass plays, the highest rate of any offensive lineman in Week 11. So, Penning at left tackle may not work out either.
And we haven't even mentioned the woeful interior yet. Bradley Bozeman is literally the lowest-ranked center in the league by PFF, and left guard Zion Johnson's 56.8 overall grade this season ranks 50th among 80 qualifying guards.
Free-agent acquisition Mekhi Becton was supposed to be an upgrade at right guard, but that hasn't been the case at all, as the former first-rounder (yes, another one of those that isn't working out) ranks 78th among those 80, which is why Harbaugh benched him against the Jags in favor of Jamaree Salyer, who ended up earning the highest overall grade of any player on the Los Angeles roster with a mark of 75.1, also earning a team-high 84.8 pass-blocking grade.
Speaking of Salyer, highly regarded Chargers analyst Daniel Popper of The Athletic believes the former Georgia Bulldog is one of two possible fixes for the Bolts' O-line issues. But not at guard.
"The first possible fix: starting Jamaree Salyer at left tackle," Popper wrote in his Chargers' bye week scouting report. "Salyer has played the most consistent football of his career at left tackle. The Chargers will lose some athleticism in the run game. But they have to find a player who can hold up more often in pass protection. Salyer is their best option in that regard."
There's certainly evidence to back up the argument and recent evidence at that, as Salyer took 38 snaps at left tackle in the Chargers' Week 9 win over the Tennessee Titans, which is the only game in which he's played the position this season, and earned the highest pass-blocking grade of any Los Angeles offensive lineman at 82.4 and the second-highest run-blocking grade at 70.5, trailing only Zion Johnson's 71.3.
Salyer sliding into the starting lineup obviously means Trevor Penning going to the bench, but that's really no big loss, is it?
Popper's second suggestion was quite intriguing as well.
"The second possible fix: lean into heavier personnel. In particular, use more tight ends in the formation.
"Through 11 weeks, the Chargers led the league in offensive success rate when using multiple tight ends, at 50.3 percent. However, they only used these packages on 19 percent of offensive plays, the fifth-lowest rate in the league. When the Chargers used multiple tight ends, they allowed pressure on 32.2 percent of dropbacks, which ranked 13th through 11 weeks. When they have been in 11 personnel — three receivers, one tight end — that pressure rate jumps to 42.7 percent."
Well, that's just simple math, isn't it?
It is interesting to note that, after Alt, who naturally owned the highest pass-blocking grade on the team before his injury at 82.3, the next two players on the list are tight ends Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin, with marks of 79.9 and 73.1, respectively. With Oronde Gadsden II emerging as the team's top receiving tight end, the Bolts can at least get some good use out of their backups.
These possible solutions obviously won't fix everything, but let's get real here; things can't get any worse, so there's really no harm in trying anything new at this point.