The top end of the Chargers’ depth chart at running back is set to look extremely different in 2024. After rolling with Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley for the last four seasons, new head coach Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Greg Roman will be utilizing a new pair of backs this season. 
While the pair is new to Los Angeles, they are no strangers to Roman. Roman was on staff in Baltimore from 2017-2022, spending the last four years of that tenure as offensive coordinator. Roman was in Baltimore when both Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins entered the NFL as Ravens, helping the team field a top rushing offense in the league during their time together.
For much of his career, Edwards has never really received the billing as RB1. Sharing a roster with such players as the late Alex Collins, Mark Ingram, and Dobbins, Edwards has always entered the season as RB2. Injuries to those players constantly put the Ravens offense in a position in which they needed to rely on Edwards. Even functioning in a dual-back rushing attack, Edwards has been extremely consistent, reaching at least 700 rushing yards in each healthy season.
Dobbins has not had the same consistency as Edwards. While he has been dynamic in stretches, averaging 5.8 yards per carry in his career and being seen as the Ravens RB1 when healthy, health has been a gigantic hurdle for the Ohio State product thus far. Since appearing in 15 games as a rookie, Dobbins has only appeared in nine of a possible 51 games since. He missed the entirety of the 2021 season, nine games in 2022, and suffered a season-ending injury in last year’s season-opener.
Now, Roman, Edwards, and Dobbins all enter their first years as Chargers. According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Edwards is looking set to enter his first ever season as RB1. Popper claims that Edwards so far looks to be “the clear lead back.” Likely a cautious approach to Dobbins’ injury-history, Los Angeles will depend on Edwards’ consistency. Edwards also displayed true RB1 potential last year, recording a career-high 810 rushing yards while finishing third for NFL running backs with 13 touchdowns behind only Raheem Mostert and Christian McCaffrey.
Behind Edwards, Popper believes that there is an open competition for touches, though he notes that Dobbins should be the clear winner, if healthy. Pushing Dobbins for snaps with be rookie sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, and Jaret Patterson, likely in that order. Vidal, out of Troy, rushed for 2,793 yards and 24 touchdowns in his final two years of college ball, and his fresh slate in Los Angeles should favor his opportunities if he has a good camp. Spiller and Dotson have seen minimal opportunities in their three-combined years with the team, and that doesn’t seem likely to change now, while Patterson hasn’t seen much action since his rookie year with Washington in 2021.
Chargers fans looking for a glimpse at what they can expect out of their rushing offense should have little research to do other than watching the Ravens’ offensive film of the last five years. If Popper’s perception is correct, 2024 should feature a healthy dose of Edwards as the lead back with as much Dobbins as his body will allow. Vidal will likely get some work, too, should Dobbins not be up for it, while Spiller, Dotson, and Patterson could all earn some time with strong camps.
Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Vidal getting the most carries by the end of the year.
I’ll be really curious to see what Edwards can do as a #1, especially if Dobbins can successfully rotate in with him. Something tells me that I’m going to be really happy that they are out of the AFC North. To me Edwards could turn out to be one of the most underrated signings of this offseason.
Annnnnd Dobbins is down, tore his acl on the 4th play of the season. What a shame.
It’d be a miracle if the kid could last 75% of the season. He’s made of glass sadly.
Some guys are just unfortunately injury prone.
Going with Gus Bus in RB2 slot in my fantasy league draft.
100% would. They got him a 6’9” slow moving in practice white country boy tackle. 100% running behind him and letting Alt cook in run blocking schemes
I’d venture that a potentially more depiction of the offense is available if one is willing to look further back. This team is built in many similar ways to the San Francisco teams of the early 2010s, which featured both of the same decision makers and offensive minds in their construction. The Ravens’ Roman attack is more recent, of course, and features more modern developments along with these same players, but I wouldn’t discount that old 9ers offense (which is similar).
The thing that will be interesting is Justin Herbert. He will be by far the most capable passer talent wise that has ever run this offense. Every other quarterback who has has been a scrambler (Smith, Kaepernick, Jackson) or a good game manager (no disrespect meant-the Michigan quarterbacks and Smith come to mind), not a high volume passer like Herbert. Will Harbaugh and Roman open up the passing game more to suit Herbert’s skills as the offense finds its legs (and after they replenish the receivers)? That would be ideal, so they don’t waste one of the best passers in the league as a low volume thrower.
Health issues have been a problem for Dobbins but almost anyone would be an improvement over Ekeler who is a turnover machine.
You confused Ekeler with ex-Charger/ex-Bronco Melvin Gordon. “Oh, he fumbled again!”
Ekeler fumbles once every 68 touches and Gordon once every 70 touches. You lose the turnover battle a lot having either one of those guys.
Ekeler seemed to always fumble in critical times. He was a much better runner when he was Gordon’s backup. I never looked at him as a #1rb. He always thought he was better than he was.