Chargers' Line: Key to Herbert's Future

It's March 31, I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News Today Football News, powered

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The Los Angeles Chargers went 11 and 6 under Jim Harbaugh for the second straight year,

making the playoffs both times, but they got smoked zero.

And two in the postseason, outscored 48 to 15.

Now with the NFL draft just over three weeks away, NFL.com's Jeffrey Chideja is asking

if the team's really stepping up to protect quarterback, Justin Herbert, who took a brutal

beating last season.

Herbert got sacked 54 times, second most in the league, thanks to injuries wrecking the

offensive line, starting tackles Rashan Slater and Joe.

Alt both went down for the year, leaving holes everywhere.

In their wild card loss to the Patriots, he dropped six times in that 16-3 disaster.

Fans and analysts are giving Herbert mad props for dragging the team to the playoffs anyway.

But the pressure's on in a stacked AFC West.

Harbaugh even poached to Mike McDaniel for Miami as offensive coordinator for his slick

run schemes, knowing they can't slip back now.

Offseason moves helped a bit.

General manager Joe Hortes grabbed center, Tyler Biotis, to replace the retired Bradley

Bozeman and guard Cole Strange.

After cutting Mecky Bechton, but they lost Zion Johnson to Cleveland and still need a left

guard, likely from the draft.

With free agency cooling off, the drafts the big test to shore up that line and keep Herbert

upright.

Bulls are still building, but Herbert's future depends on these next moves hitting right.