Chargers urged to spend something, anything on Justin Herbert's OL at trade deadline

The Los Angeles Chargers appear to be a team in desperate need of offensive line help if they want to keep Justin Herbert healthy and effective beyond the first month of the season.

Those Chargers lost Rashawn Slater for the season early. Joe Alt, fresh off a position change to compensate for that, is out for at least one week due to an ankle injury. And star free-agent signing Mekhi Becton has already played through an illness once and needed to come back from a concussion.

Hence, NFL.com’s Kevin Patra writing that the Chargers need to do pretty much anything to help out Herbert:

“At least the high ankle sprain that will cost Joe Alt multiple weeks isn't season-ending. Already down Rashawn Slater, the Chargers are in a bad spot with their O-line. Justin Herbert has been under pressure on 50 of 88 dropbacks over the past two weeks (51.5%). That's not sustainable if he's to survive the season.”

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert — Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The alarm is more than justified. Jamaree Salyer could be a starter at left tackle in the interim, yet has been viewed as more of a guard. Austin Deculus could also get the nod, but he joined the team via trade not all that long ago.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has even suggested that Becton…could kick to a tackle spot.

It’s a whole lot of hope this works in front of a quarterback who had been playing at a near-MVP level before the injury bug hit the line. All while the front office sits on droves of cap space and draft assets that could either help bring on free agents or strike up trades.

Even if Alt only misses one week, this brush-up with the injury bug has shown how thin the depth is along the line. Asking the Chargers to get out in front of this problem in the first quarter of a long season isn't unreasonable.

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