The Los Angeles Chargers suffered one of the biggest losses of the training camp, losing Rashawn Slater for the season. While there are still high hopes around the Bolts, they needed some depth up front. On cut-down day, they swung a trade with the Houston Texans to shore up that depth. The Chargers traded for Austin Deculus from the Texans, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.
“The Texans are trading OL Austin Deculus to the Chargers for a conditional 2027 7th-round pick, per source,” Russini reported.
Deculus started 13 games for the Texans across three seasons. He was taken in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of LSU, where he played 61 games across five seasons. While he will not be the elite-level starter that Slater was, he can help plug holes on their line throughout the season.
Slater's loss will be felt by the Chargers all season long. Without him, Omarion Hampton will have a tougher rookie season than expected, and Justin Herbert will have less time to throw. It changes the team's outlook for another year of Patrick Mahomes' prime, making winning the AFC West an uphill battle.
Deculus could be a swing tackle to start the season for the Chargers, which could be a key position this year. With Joe Alt at one tackle, they will need to secure the other side without Slater. Deculus will likely be behind Trey Pipkins III on the depth chart at right tackle. Mekhi Becton, who revived his career as a guard last year, could play tackle in a pinch. But they are better off keeping him at guard and trying out Deculus at tackle.
The Chargers start the season on Friday, September 5, in Brazil against the Kansas City Chiefs. A win would go a long way to getting them back to the postseason.
