The LA Chargers have been busy this offseason and have made some huge moves that have increased the ceiling of the team in 2022 and beyond. In all of the noise, the Bolts still have not made a move at the running back position.
While Austin Ekeler is one of the best running backs in the entire league, the depth behind Ekeler in the running back room is really rough. This is made worse with Justin Jackson being a free agent this offseason, although he still could re-sign with the team.
Both Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley have touched on the position and the need to add to it this offseason but nothing has yet happened. This raises the question, why haven't the LA Chargers signed a running back yet this offseason? There are some potential reasons.
3 potential reasons why the LA Chargers have not signed a running back yet:
1. Waiting to sign one until after the 2022 NFL Draft
The Chargers could make the shocking move of drafting a running back earlier than expected in the 2022 NFL Draft, especially after striking out on a late-round running back in each of the last two years. Even if they do not take one in the third or fourth round, there are some late-round options that are really intriguing, such as Ty Chandler, who is my personal choice.
Even with a drafted running back the team should still be adding another veteran presence to the room for cheap. The rookie running back is far from a guarantee and the depth behind him is still lackluster. The best-case situation for the Bolts is drafting a talented rookie running back and signing a cheap option in free agency for more depth.
The Bolts may simply be waiting until after the draft for the latter. It very well could depend on who the Chargers end up taking in the draft and thus finding another back in free agency that does not have a clashing style. Getting two backs who are redundant, like Rountree and Kelley are, may not be the smartest thing.