Most of the Chargers’ internal free agent focus has revolved around three names. Odafe Oweh, Khalil Mack, and Zion Johnson are currently projected to hit free agency next month. All three of them made Gregg Rosenthal’s top 101 free agents list.
Oweh came in as the highest ranked Chargers player on the list at #9. Johnson was 27th on the list while Mack was 37th. None of those names should surprise anyone that watched the Chargers last season.
An interesting Chargers’ inclusion on Gregg Rosenthal’s top 101 free agents list.
One other Chargers player made the list at #90. That would be offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer. Salyer served as backup guard/tackle for the Chargers this season. Following the season-ending ankle injury to Joe Alt, the Georgia product eventually kicked out to starting left tackle to help the team.
Rosenthal wrote this on Salyer as he enters free agency:
“Salyer’s stretch on the blind side for the Chargers late last season changed my opinion of him and should change his market. He’s definitely a left tackle, and teams could do a lot worse with Salyer as a third tackle or bridge starter.”
As a pass blocker, Salyer earned his highest PFF season grade (68.8) since 2022 when he originally started in place of Rashawn Slater. Salyer had his struggles at right guard earlier in the year when he was forced to play. But at tackle specifically, he gave up just one sack on 14 pressures for the season.
Obviously given his performance last year, the Chargers would probably like to keep him as a swing tackle for Alt and Slater injury insurance. But they first have to decide if Salyer is built to play offensive line in Mike McDaniel’s scheme. Yesterday, Hortiz laid out some of the differences in what the team will be looking for in their offensive linemen now.
But if Salyer has real interest from other teams to be a potential bridge starter, that’s obviously not good news for the Chargers’ chances at keeping him. As a fringe starter on his last contract, Trey Pipkins III made over $7 million APY with $15 million guaranteed. If Salyer is potentially in that kind of market, the chances of LA keeping him are very low. The tape at tackle could really lower the Bolts’ chances of keeping him.
Ideally, the Chargers would like to keep some of their offensive line depth as to not completely rebuild it from scratch in one offseason. In addition to Salyer, Trevor Penning, Austin Deculus, Andre James, Bobby Hart, and Trey Pipkins are all free agents.
If Salyer has as much interest in free agency as Rosenthal seems to think, his time in LA could be coming to an end.