Chargers sound ready to make pretty surprising decision in front of Justin Herbert

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The Los Angeles Chargers offensive line in front of Justin Herbert this year has largely been a disaster. 

While seeking to correct that problem area at least a little bit, though, one wouldn't necessarily expect the Chargers to throw out a street free-agent signing in front of the star franchise quarterback. 

Alas, Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman revealed this week that Bobby Hart will likely get the nod at right tackle in Week 9. 

"Big time performance,” Roman said. “He got in here really recently and we're still working through some things operationally. Man oh man, coach gave him a game ball the other night-well earned."

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To Hart’s credit, he went out and had a solid performance for the Chargers last week after being promoted to the active roster roughly a week after signing near the start of the month. And in Roman’s defense, Trey Pipkins isn’t 100 percent healthy.

And still. 

Chargers fans will correctly argue things should’ve never gotten to this point. Rashawn Slater is lost for the year and Joe Alt had been hurt. Pipkins jumping into the starting lineup and getting hurt didn’t help things. 

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But free-agent splash Mekhi Becton has been a profound bust so far, both in availability and performance. And the team’s obviously ill-advised decision to roll with the struggling tandem of Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson next to him on the interior has created a ripple effect of issues. 

If the Chargers are lucky, they’ll get away with starting Hart on the right side and giving Pipkins another week to recover against a 1-7 Titans team. But those Chargers also started 3-0 in the AFC West and appeared headed for major things before losing three of four and escaping 2-6 Miami by two points, too, so who knows? 

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