COSTA MESA — The Chargers’ quest for replacements for running back Austin Ekeler and to develop a muscular backfield for the 2024 season and beyond didn’t end with the signings of Gus Edwards last month and J.K. Dobbins this week, new General Manager Joe Hortiz said Thursday.
The additions of Edwards and Dobbins also did not alter the Chargers’ approach to the NFL draft next Thursday. Hortiz said the thing GMs in all sports tend to say going into an upcoming draft. He said the Chargers would select the best players available, regardless of their positions.
“When you look at what the goal is, it’s to add depth and add great players at every position,” he said. “But you don’t want to turn away from a good player because you signed someone else. … If you get a chance to get great players, you take them. All you do is create great depth.
“I’ve mentioned it before, in the past here (with the Chargers), that’s a big issue and concern for us, is to really develop a deep, talented team at all positions across the board. You don’t turn away from a great player who can help you, even if you may be a little bit deeper at that position.”
The Chargers have nine selections in the seven-round draft, including the fifth overall pick. They could make that pick, which could be wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State if he’s still available. Or they could trade down in order to gain additional selections in the draft.
What’s certain is that the Chargers could select another running back in the later rounds as they attempt to build depth at a position that featured little behind Ekeler, one of the NFL’s most productive players during his seven seasons. He was a threat running and receiving, especially in the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
But Ekeler signed with the Washington Commanders last month, and the Chargers signed Edwards and Dobbins, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Which one will be the featured back will be determined during upcoming spring practices and, especially, during training camp in July and August.
Establishing a punishing ground game and pairing it with quarterback Justin Herbert’s exceptional passing ability is one of the key goals for Hortiz, new coach Jim Harbaugh and the coaching staff. The Chargers haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Melvin Gordon during the 2017 season.
Ekeler rushed for a career-best 915 yards in 2022, well shy of Gordon’s best of 1,105 in 2017.
It could be Edwards who lands the role as lead back.
Or it could be Dobbins, a player Hortiz called a “special, special competitor.”
Hortiz was with the Ravens in various capacities since 1998 before he was hired to replace Tom Telesco as the Chargers’ GM on Jan. 30, so he knows Edwards and Dobbins quite well. Hortiz said Dobbins was excited to be reunited with the former Ravens, signing his contract early Thursday morning.
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“I think one of the benefits to free agency, when you get to sign someone, you know what type of player they are, what type of person they are, how they’re going to be in this culture we’re setting up here, how they’re a fit – it’s great when you have an opportunity to do something like that,” Hortiz said of Dobbins.
“Just really excited to get him here.”
Hortiz also said he had no concerns about Dobbins’ history of injuries, which includes a season-ending Achilles tendon tear that sidelined him for 16 games last season. Dobbins has been out for 42 of the Ravens’ 51 games over the past three seasons because of knee and Achilles injuries.
It’s expected that Dobbins will be sound for the start of training camp.
“He should be ready,” Hortiz said. “We’ll take our time with him, like we do with every single player that’s recovering from a season-ending injury and surgery. Obviously, we’re not playing until September, so we’re not in a rush. I think we want to get guys healthy, at their best, before we crank them up and get them rolling.”