The Los Angeles Chargers have some glaring needs this offseason. Their attempts to replace their starters along the offensive line and re-shape the depth of their defense will control most of the publicity this offseason.
With Bradley Bozeman's retirement and news of Mekhi Becton's impending release, this is only natural.
But roster-building is more than just adding high-impact names to the team. The true challenge is to maintain complete depth across the roster. For the Chargers, this starts undeniably with their offensive line. Even with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning from injury, Los Angeles will need to bring in a swing tackle who can reliably back both of these players up.
They will have numerous options in free agency, but their most obvious choice is sitting right in front of them.
Trey Pipkins III is an internal free agent. He should be the most likely signing to fill this need.
Trey Pipkins III could fill a sneaky need for the Chargers
Granted, Pipkins isn't the most popular guy in Los Angeles right now. He was part of an abysmal offensive line in 2025, and his performance on a week-to-week basis wasn't much to inspire confidence in him as a starter.
Per Pro Football Focus, Pipkins ranked 84th among 89 qualified tackles in overall protection grade. That's, frankly, not good.
But take a look at the other options the Chargers have this offseason. It seems as though Jamaree Salyer could earn a relatively sizable contract in free agency. That likely takes him off of Los Angeles' list.
Jawaan Taylor, who was just released by the Kansas City Chiefs, has serious upside. But his injury and penalty troubles should make any team cautious about signing him. Even Trevor Penning could be an option if you believe he's still capable of taking snaps on the outside.
But Pipkins is the safest (and likely the cheapest) option. Per Spotrac, Pipkins' next contract is projected to be in the one-year, $5 million range. Bringing Pipkins back to be a full-time starter would be a no-go. His highly visible struggles in 2025 were because he was thrust into this role with no cushion.
But bringing him back as a depth piece to provide insurance behind the (hopefully) healthy Alt and Slater is a different story entirely. He's active and mobile enough to fit into Mike McDaniel's outside-zone-based scheme, and his familiarity with the organization should be a feather in his cap in this scenario.
It might not be the most popular signing of the offseason, but it could be the Chargers' best option on the open market.