The LA Chargers have not been as active as fans were expecting in NFL free agency. With ample cap space this offseason, fans were expecting a frenzy of moves that would help build on the foundation Jim Harbaugh established in 2025.
That is not what happened in the early stages of free agency. General manager Joe Hortiz and the Bolts' front office picked their spots selectively, signing Donte Jackson and Najee Harris on day one to go with re-signing Khalil Mack, Teair Tart and Bradley Bozeman.
There has been some disappointment with how the Chargers have operated considering the resources at the team's disposal. It's always a hard sell when one of the best players on defense leaves for less than $10 million a year when the Bolts had more than enough space to bring him back.
To make matters worse, the Chargers have an easy way to create even more cap space to make the moves fans want to see. For one reason or another, the Bolts still have not made the most obvious salary-cap cut this offseason.
Chargers still have obvious cut to make in Trey Pipkins
Trey Pipkins moved from right tackle to right guard last season after the Chargers drafted Joe Alt and it did not go very well. Pipkins, who already had his faults as a tackle, really struggled as a guard and was one of the worst starting guards in the NFL.
It was so bad that the Chargers would occasionally rotate Jamaree Salyer at right guard. Salyer wasn't much better, but it's never a great sign when you have to set up a guard rotation.
The Chargers were essentially stuck with Pipkins last season and the move to right guard was forced. It would have cost the Chargers more in dead cap space to cut him last offseason and the team wasn't going to pay a premium for him to be a swing tackle.
Now the Chargers don't have to pay his full salary for him to be on the team at all. Pipkins carries a $9.25 million cap hit, which at the time of writing, is the fifth-highest on the team. The Chargers would create $6.75 million in cap space with only a $2.5 million dead cap hit if Pipkins gets cut.
Pipkins is not a starting-caliber guard and it makes no sense for the team to pay $9.25 million this year for a backup offensive lineman. If the Chargers weren't willing to pay $9.6 million for Poona Ford then it would be a disservice to pay $9.25 million for a backup guard.
It's time for the Chargers to end the Pipkins experiment and use the $6.75 million in cap space to go toward a different offensive lineman. The Bolts may have missed the first wave of top-tier guard options but there are still guards available who are better than Pipkins.