2. Not adding to the running back room
When we did this same article last offseason there was a very similar mistake that we said would come back to bite the Chargers. That mistake was not adding to the wide receiver room as the team's only addition was DeAndre Carter, who was simply replacing Andre Roberts on the roster.
The Chargers were purposefully choosing to run a thin wide receiver room of only five players knowing that their WR1 was getting up there in age and that the WR2 has a tendency to get hurt. And what do you know, it came back to bite the team.
Any team is going to struggle with the injuries the Chargers dealt with but the lack of depth in the wide receiver room was legitimately concerning. That is why the Chargers have added to the room this offseason to create a deeper unit altogether.
However, where the Chargers didn't add is the running back room. Granted, they still have time to do so as they could add a veteran running back before or during training camp. But with Austin Ekeler's current situation and the unknowns behind him in the running back room, it is unclear why the Chargers did not make any moves.
Ekeler is not guaranteed to return in 2023 and even if he does he is already showing signs of regressing as a between-the-tackles runner. Joshua Kelley is a fine depth option but isn't ready to be an RB1 and adds little to no value in the passing game. Isaiah Spiller is the biggest X-factor as the Bolts likely expect him to take a leap in 2023 but he was not even NFL-ready in 2022. There is no guarantee he succeeds.
A breakout season from Spiller could end up saving the Chargers' season if the Ekeler situation gets ugly. But there is also a situation in which Ekeler is not there, Spiller is still struggling and the only thing the Chargers have to offer at running back is Kelley. That is less than ideal.