Chargers Training Camp is on the horizon.
The team will host 14 open practices as they welcome fans to The Bolt in El Segundo for the first time.
The Bolts are looking to have an instant impact in Year 1 of the Jim Harbaugh era and have a new-look coaching staff and roster that relentlessly attacked the offseason program.
Chargers.com will take a look at each position group leading up to training camp. Next up, the offensive line.
Who's on the roster?
Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Trey Pipkins III, Joe Alt, Jamaree Salyer, Jordan McFadden, Brenden Jaimes, Foster Sarell, Alex Leatherwood, Karsen Barnhart, Brent Laing, Tyler McLellan, Willis Patrick and Bucky Williams
Camp outlook
Perhaps no position group on the Chargers will define the Jim Harbaugh Era than up front on the offensive line.
Roughly six months into his tenure as the Chargers Head Coach, Harbaugh has made it quite clear that everything will start up front for the Bolts.
"Offensive linemen, we look at as weapons," Harbaugh said. "That group, when we talk about attacking on offense, offensive line is the tip of the spear."
And as training camp approaches, the Chargers appear to have settled on a starting group of, from left to right, Slater, Johnson, Bozeman, Pipkins and Alt.
Slater and Johnson return to the positions they played a season ago, with the former having established himself as one of the game's elite left tackles.
"He's really smart. He is very unselfish," Chargers offensive line coach Mike Devlin said of Slater this offseason. "I say that because I've had some big-time players that maybe won't hold a bag, but, boy, he's right over there holding the bag for the guys. I'm like, 'Man, this guy. He's got the whole package.'
"I'm really excited with what he's done," Devlin added. "He asks great questions, which I love. There's good banter back-and-forth, which, that's what you want from a coach and player relationship."
Johnson will look to continue his progression at left guard next to Bozeman, a veteran with nearly 100 games of NFL experience.
Bozeman, who previously played for John Harbaugh in Baltimore, is excited to play for Jim in Los Angeles.
"Physicality is my strong suit, for sure. That's what I've always prided myself on, is being physical. Hard-nosed," Bozeman said. "Just getting down to the nitty gritty. Just moving a person from point A to point B against their will is one of the most gratifying things you could ever do."
Pipkins will be a player to watch as he makes the transition from right tackle to right guard, but he looked comfortable in that spot in the spring.
Alt will slot in right away as the starting right tackle after the Bolts tabbed him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"You watch him come off the ball, in the run game. Obviously, we're going to run the ball here. He just drives off of the line of scrimmage," Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz said after drafting Alt. "You watch him move players over three gaps on his down blocks. He's very athletic, excellent range, high-level competitor, and, certainly, an athlete as a pass-protector."
While the starting unit appears set, the Bolts also boast solid depth behind them.
Salyer started 31 games for the Chargers over the pst two seasons and can line up anywhere. McFadden saw action down the stretch as a rookie and should improve in Year 2.
Sarell and Jaimes have both been with the Chargers for the past few seasons and offer starting experience if called upon. Leatherwood, meanwhile, is a former first-round pick who provides upside and depth at tackle.
The rest of the group features a heavy dose of young players. Laing was added to the Bolts practice squad last season while Barnhart, McLellan, Patrick and Williams were all added as undrafted free agents this spring.
Keep an eye on Barnhart, who played for Harbaugh at Michigan and got second-team reps this spring.
Quick quote
"This is going to be an O-line-centric building. When it comes to our strength program, it's built around the O-line. Everybody else fall in line. Some people don't value offensive linemen. We do. That will be shown in how we approach everything — from how we stretch to how we lift, to how we run the ball, to how we protect. This is a place where O-linemen are going to want to come and play because it's an O-line-centric space. We're going to raise these guys up and make them feel great about what they do, what they have to offer and not push them to the side and make them the afterthought. They are at the forefront of our thinking." - Chargers Run Game Coordinator/tight ends coach Andy Bischoff
Player to watch: Trey Pipkins III
Pipkins will undoubtedly be in the spotlight in camp as he navigates a position change.
The 2019 third-round pick has worked himself into a solid NFL starter after honing in on his development and athleticism in recent years.
Pipkins was the Chargers starting right tackle for the past two seasons but has moved inside due to Alt being a tackle.
Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said this spring that Pipkins seamlessly handled the move inside.
"Trey has done an amazing job, he's been a real shining star for us, real bright spot since we got here," Roman said. "Just how he does things, we really feel like he has a lot of potential and he's really done a nice job there at guard.
"It's a transition, everything happens quicker," Roman added. "But you know, he's a big man with really good length and really good football IQ. He likes to get medieval too, so we like that."
We'll learn more about Pipkins at right guard once the pads come on in camp. But if he can provide solid play on the interior, that should only elevate the play of Justin Herbert and the entire Chargers offense.
Key question: Can this group be an elite unit?
It seemed as if Harbaugh brought up the offensive line at nearly all of his press conferences this offseason as he made it quite clear that they will be the focal point on that side of the ball.
Herbert has dealt with multiple injuries in back-to-back seasons, and while that doesn't all fall on the guys in the trenches, you can bet they want to make sure No. 10 stays upright for a full season in 2024.
There will also be an increased focus on the run game, an area the Chargers have struggled with the past few years.
The goal is to establish a dominant run game that takes pressure off of Herbert and allows him to thrive against defenses that can't figure out what's coming next.
"I heard what Coach [Harbaugh] said about the offensive line and how he wants us to be the tip of the spear," Bozeman said. "As offensive linemen, you love that and the responsibility that comes with that.
"Just go out and impose your will on teams is the whole ideal about being an offensive lineman. Move people against their will and we're going to be committed to that," Bozeman added. "And then we have just an absolute talent of an arm behind us at quarterback so we're lucky to have a spectacular pass game as well. To be truly balanced in this league is a great system to be in."
It's mid-July, but the Chargers appear to have the makings of a group that can be one of the league's best lines.
They have three first-round picks in Slater, Johnson and Alt, plus a veteran center in Bozeman and an established NFL player in Pipkins.
Put another way, the Bolts could do a lot worse with the talent and players they have up front. The Chargers hope this group ends up leading the way by the time the playoffs roll around.
