Perhaps no team has seen a bigger overhaul of skill players than the Los Angeles Chargers, which hired new head coach Jim Harbaugh and are in the process of adapting to his style. Among the departed are last year’s Week 1 starters at running back (Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders), tight end (Gerald Everett, Chicago Bears), and wide receiver (Keenan Allen, Bears, and Mike Williams, New York Jets). Even their No. 2 rusher, Joshua Kelly, remains unsigned and is unlikely to return.
It’s a lot of change, and yet, the top of LA’s backfield looks familiar … to Baltimore Ravens fans. With former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman now running the show for Harbaugh, the Bolts waded into free agency to pluck RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards on short-term deals. Both have a lot of experience in Roman’s offense, and Harbaugh’s desire to set a physical tone suggests the Chargers will be running more in 2024 than they did under the previous regime.
Of course, the caveat to such an approach is the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert, who is among the NFL’s best. It’s difficult to imagine they’ll fully marginalize the ascending superstar, but with their wideouts in a state of transition, a healthy dose of the ground game feels likely this season.