Ranking the 2023 Chargers free agents by priority

2. RT Trey Pipkins

Trey Pipkins could arguably be the number-one spot on this list. He and Drue Tranquill separate themselves from the rest of the group pretty clearly as the most important guys to re-sign.

But the difference is that the Chargers could in theory make moving on from Pipkins work a bit easier. The performance of Jamaree Salyer at left tackle in place of an injured Rashawn Slater in 2022 could give the team reason to move him to the opposite side of the line in 2023. You'd be getting surplus rookie contract value there.

But for the Chargers it should be fairly simple in my opinion: don't open up holes on the offensive line when it's not necessary. It should be common sense to go into the season with Slater-Salyer-Linsley-Johnson-Pipkins as the offensive line configuration from left to right.

Pipkins allowed just two sacks and 28 pressures in nearly 600 pass-blocking snaps on the year. For a right tackle who's not going to come close to making top dollar on the market, I'm just not sure the Chargers can afford not to re-sign him from a team-building perspective.

If someone really does overpay for Pipkins and throw him the bag, maybe Tom Telesco just goes with Salyer or a draft option at right tackle instead. But the Chargers should optimally try to keep as much offensive line continuity as possible after Pipkins' breakout season where he proved himself well.