Trying to bounce back in 2021 and return to the playoffs this season, the Los Angeles Chargers are hoping to make a huge leap and fight for postseason relevance in the competitive AFC landscape. Especially after Justin Herbert went off last season and set a ton of rookie records while showcasing his superstar ceiling with his stellar quarterback play.
Now that the Chargers have brought on new head coach Brandon Staley, it can definitely be expected that he will be looking to make some changes. Having said all this, let's take a look at two first-stringers on the Chargers who are in danger of losing their starting jobs ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
Chargers roster plot points:
Bryan Bulaga
Hoping to bounce back from an injury-prone season, Bryan Bulaga may wind up losing his starting job to back-up right tackle Storm Norton. Granted Bulaga is the more experienced tackle and has shown what he's capable of when at full strength, but it may be a safer to bring in Norton until he's back at 100%. Especially considering the fact that Bulaga played in just under 40% of the games for the Chargers last season.
Promoting Norton to starting right tackle would be the smarter move for LA than bringing in an injury-riddled Bulaga, mainly because protecting star quarterback Justin Herbert is a high priority for them if they want to continue playing beyond the regular season. With all this said, it seems like Bryan Bulaga could lose his starting job, at least until he's able to come back fully healthy.
Rashawn Slater
Currently forced to sit out with a lower back injury, left tackle Rashawn Slater could also be in danger of losing his starting job. Even if this is only a temporary situation, Slater needs to be at full strength to protect Herbert and give him top-notch protection throughout the season.
With that in mind, it definitely would be ideal for the Chargers to bring in Trey Pipkins to start at left tackle for them until Slater is fully recovered from the lower back injury that currently has him sidelined. Even though he may not lose the starting spot on the team entirely, this would be a strategic play for the Chargers to consider in the short-term.
Considering how close they are to the regular season being underway, taking a precautionary measure such as this one would be the right move in the end. Having said that, Rashawn Slater may be in danger of losing his starting spot to backup left tackle Trey Pipkins who will undoubtedly do a solid job filling in at the starting spot.
With the Chargers needing to fill both positions so close to the season, having a healthy substitute for both the right and left tackle spots are of utter importance. This will be crucial for them if they want to be able to both protect star quarterback Justin Herbert and bolster a more efficient offensive line that is proven to be capable of providing the best protection possible all throughout the 2021 NFL season that's less than a month away.
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