LA Chargers: 5 decisions the Bolts may regret from this offseason
By Jason Reed
3. Not adding a veteran running back to the mix
Earlier this week we explained why the running back room could be an issue for the LA Chargers in 2021. While a roster is never going to be perfect, the Chargers could have made the running back room significantly better this offseason without even having to spend much.
The one move that slipped through the Chargers’ grasp was signing Phillip Lindsay. Maybe he wanted to go somewhere (Houston) where he could be a featured back and get a new contract but $3 million is still an absolute steal.
The Chargers still have just under $20 million in cap space so they definitely could have afforded Lindsay even with the other moves the team has made. Even if it was a one-year, $4.5 million deal it would have been worth it.
That running back tandem of Austin Ekeler and Phillip Lindsay would have been absolutely lethal and would have been near-impossible for other teams to scheme against. It also would have given the team insurance if Austin Ekeler were to get hurt, as right now, things are not looking great if he does.
I am in the mindset that teams should add as many skill position players as their roster will allow. Even if it is someone like Todd Gurley on a cheap deal, veteran running backs can come up huge down the stretch.
People will scoff at moves like that but they also scoffed at the Leonard Fournette signing last year. And what happened? Fournette ended up being the most impactful offensive player not named Tom Brady for the Buccaneers on their path to winning the Super Bowl. Depth matters.