Johnnie

Troutman

A three year starter at Penn State, Troutman does his best work when run blocking. Possessing a thick upper body, he uses length and strength to sustain his individual matchup. However, he struggles in his pass drop and may be limited to a rotational role in the NFL. Troutman had difficulties preventing penetration when facing stiff, quick twitch, competition in college.

Troutman fell a bit in the draft due to a 2011 DUI arrest and knee tendinitis, but it sounds like San Diego had an early-round grade on his tape. With Kris Dielman in retirement, Troutman will compete with Tyronne Green and Brandyn Dombrowski at left guard. At 6'4/329, Troutman is the mauler of the group.

He’s also dealing with a knee injury suffered at the Senior Bowl. The Chargers say they were aware of the injuries when they selected Troutman on Saturday. At the very best, he will start 2012 on the PUP list. Initially billed as a potential rookie starter, Troutman won’t be a factor until 2013 at soonest.

A three-year starter at Penn State, Troutman appeared to be on his way to competing for the starting right guard job until he underwent pectoral surgery just after the draft. The Chargers are unlikely to receive a return on their investment until the 2013 season.

Troutman will likely miss all of camp and at least the first six games of the regular season after suffering the injury two weeks before the NFL draft in April. “Come October, we’re going to get a guy who probably should have been drafted a lot earlier if he’d have been healthy,” said OC Hal Hunter.

It means Troutman will miss all of camp, and at least the first six games of the season. Per long-time Chargers beat writer/columnist Kevin Acee, the Bolts hope Troutman sits because “if he’s playing it’s due to injuries or severe performance issues on the offensive line.” He shouldn’t be counted on to play a snap in 2012.

Troutman tore his pectoral muscle while lifting weights just days before being selected in the fifth round of April’s NFL Draft. Once he steps onto the practice field, the Chargers will have three weeks to either activate Troutman or send him to season-ending injured reserve. The rookie is not expected to play this year, but he could emerge as a mauling run-blocking guard down the road.

Troutman is signed for 2013, but Dombrowski is not. Troutman was a fifth-round pick last April, and will compete for one of the Chargers’ final roster spots next summer. Coming into 2012, Dombrowski had appeared in at least 15 games each of the past three seasons.

The Chargers may as well have gotten the other surgery out of the way with Troutman sidelined on reserve/PUP. The scope entails only a two- to three-week recovery. Per the Union-Tribune San Diego, the fifth-round pick out of Penn State “is not expected to play this season.” The organization still believes Troutman can emerge as a power-blocking starter at guard down the road.

The Bolts have a three-week window to activate the reserve linemen from the PUP list. Coach Norv Turner suggested two weeks that both players are likely to miss the rest of the season.