Hours after reaching an agreement to bring back right tackle Trey Pipkins, the Los Angeles Chargers will lose one of their starting offensive linemen. They are releasing guard Matt Feiler, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
This previously rumored move will create $6.5M in cap space for the Bolts, who are prepared to staff this position internally. Jamaree Salyer, who filled in for Rashawn Slater for most of 2022 at left tackle, is expected to step in at Feiler’s left guard gig, Daniel Popper of The Athletic tweets.
The Chargers made a push to upgrade their o-line around Justin Herbert‘s rookie contract in 2021, adding Feiler, Slater and Corey Linsley. The latter two will continue on, but Feiler will be looking for a third NFL team. Feiler, 30, spent the first four years of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pro Football Focus viewed Feiler’s 2021 as a much better offering than his 2022 season, when the advanced metrics site ranked the sixth-year veteran outside the top 60 at guard. Salyer filled in effectively for Slater, who went down with what turned out to be a season-ending injury in September.
A sixth-round pick out of Georgia, Salyer mostly played left tackle for the powerhouse SEC program. But he filled in at guard at points. The Chargers are evidently confident they can roll out a best-five formula that includes Salyer between Slater and Linsley. As for Feiler, he will join a UFA guard contingent that still houses Isaac Seumalo, Dalton Risner, Will Hernandez, along with fellow cap casualties Gabe Jackson and Graham Glasgow.
More must-reads: