The Los Angeles Chargers' reconstruction of their interior offensive line this offseason has granted fresh opportunities to a number of players.
Tyler Biadasz will get the chance to anchor a unit after being released by the Washington Commanders. Cole Strange, who was Butch Barry's developmental project with the Miami Dolphins, will get the chance to start. It's also likely that Jake Slaughter, who will be making a positional switch this offseason, will also get the chance to take on significant duties as a rookie.
But one of the offseason's hidden storylines is the status of Josh Kaltenberger, a member of the Chargers' 2025 UDFA class. Kaltenberger stayed on the practice squad for the entirety of last season after missing the roster in camp. The team instead turned to Andre James as their backup center, whom they grabbed from the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
James had extensive starting experience, and the move made ample sense at the time. But with James still languishing on the market this offseason, it appeared as though Kaltenberger may have finally gotten his shot to crack the Chargers' roster.
But with three starting linemen who have experience playing center, it remains unclear whether Los Angeles will want to carry a true backup at the position. If they decide to use that roster spot on one of their guards, Kaltenberger's offseason lifeline could rapidly be cut short.
Josh Kaltenberger's path to making the roster could be sealed off again this offseason
At the time, Kaltenberger was a solid UDFA pickup. He posted a pass-block win rate of 93.1% in his final season at Maryland. At 6'6" and 308 lbs, he's definitely a valuable piece to have in reserve.
But the Chargers are currently carrying 14 offensive linemen, and there will likely be only nine or 10 roster spots to go around. Los Angeles' pair of sixth-round draft selections, Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey, will be competing for a depth spot. So will tackle Travis Burke, whom the Chargers selected in the fourth round of this year's draft. Beyond that, Kayode Awosika, Branson Taylor, and Ben Cleveland will all be pushing to make the roster in camp this year.
Especially if Slaughter loses out on the starting job to Trevor Penning, the Chargers will already have a built-in backup center. Slaughter played every single one of his college snaps at the position, although he's projected to compete for the starting left guard spot in camp.
Even if Slaughter wins the job, three of Los Angeles' starting linemen are capable of taking over duties at center. Strange played 117 snaps there for the New England Patriots in 2024.
If Biadasz goes down, either Slaughter or Strange would be able to slide into his place. There's a chance that the Chargers elect not to carry a dedicated back-up center, opting to use the additional roster spot on one of their sixth-round guards.
Kaltenberger's path to the roster could, therefore, be quickly blocked off if one of the other depth linemen earns a roster spot in their offseason practices, regardless of their position.
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