The Chargers offseason is rolling along.
Up next? Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices.
While no live contact is permitted during OTAs, teams can do 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills.
The Chargers will hold OTAs on May 27-28, May 30, June 3-5 and June 16-18. A mandatory minicamp will be held June 10-12.
With that in mind, here are five questions surrounding the Chargers ahead of next week.
1. Does the O-line get figured out?
It's no surprise that we're starting here.
Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh wants his team to be physical and stout up front, a mindset that begins with the offensive line.
And while that group certainly has key pieces in place — Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are perhaps the NFL's top tackle duo — the group struggled as a whole in the playoff game in Houston.
The Chargers signed Mekhi Becton in free agency, a move that will add plenty of beef (Becton is 6-foot-7 and 363 pounds) at right guard.
The focus now is on the interior of the line, primarily at center and left guard.
Zion Johnson, who spent the past three seasons at guard, has worked at center this offseason. So, too, have Bradley Bozeman — the Chargers 2024 starter there — and Andre James, who was an addition in free agency.
Depending on which of those three players wins the starting center job, the other two figure to be in the mix for the left guard gig alongside Trey Pipkins III (the 2024 starter at right guard), Jamaree Salyer and rookie Branson Taylor.
In other words, the Chargers are ready to have an all-out competition among six players for two starting spots.
The good news is that, aside from Taylor, there is plenty of experience among that group as Johnson, Bozeman, James, Pipkins and Salyer have combined to play 386 total NFL games, including 294 starts.
The Chargers certainly don't need to have their starting five figured out by mid-June, but the hope is that a player or two in this group separates a bit in the next few weeks.