:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16273135/20121217_kkt_sv3_313.0.jpg)
One of the worst pains about being a current San Diego Chargers fan is watching the rushing attack deteriorate from LaDainian Tomlinson to....well....almost nothing.
The new front office didn't make a huge splash in free agency this offseason, but a lot of what they did shows that their first goal is trying to get the running game back to where it used to be.
2012 in Review
| No. | Player | Rush Yds | Rush YPC | Rush TDs | Rec Yds | Rec TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Ryan Mathews | 707 | 3.8 | 1 | 252 | 0 |
| 44 | Jackie Battle | 311 | 3.3 | 3 | 108 | 1 |
| 30 | Ronnie Brown | 220 | 4.8 | 0 | 371 | 0 |
| 36 | Curtis Brinkley | 115 | 2.9 | 0 | 77 | 0 |
| 33 | Le'Ron McClain | 42 | 3.0 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
Woof. Ryan Mathews spent most of the season calcifying and was still the team's best running back, and it wasn't close. As bad as the offensive line was at keeping Philip Rivers off his back, they may have been even worse at opening up holes for the guys listed above.
Glad to see that Ronnie Brown ended up being a very efficient player. I love when veterans can find that niche instead of imploding as soon as they're not starting anymore.
2013 Chargers Running Backs
For 2013, the Chargers have added a couple new faces to the group of Running Backs, including a possible new starter.
| No. | Player | Size | Age | Experience | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Ryan Mathews | 6'0", 218lb | 25 | 3 | Fresno State |
| 39 | Danny Woodhead | 5'8", 200lb | 28 | 5 | Chadron State |
| 34 | Foswhitt Whittaker | 5'10", 202lb | 24 | 1 | Texas |
| 23 | Ronnie Brown | 6'0", 223lb | 31 | 8 | Auburn |
| 44 | Chris Gronkowski | 6'2", 245lb | 26 | 4 | Arizona |
| 33 | Le'Ron McClain | 6'0", 260lb | 28 | 6 | Alabama |
Really poor chance that both Gronkowski and McClain make the roster, but it's tough to know who won't be here in September so I'll include them both for now.
Woodhead provides a second dimension (hands/speed) that has been lacking from the San Diego backfield since Darren Sproles became a New Orleans Saint. He also is a serious threat to Mathews' starting job, which is good for everyone (except, possibly, Ryan Mathews).
Ronnie Brown wasted no time snagging his old favorite, #23, as soon as Quentin Jammer was out the door. That's a crafty move from a crafty veteran.
I like Foswhitt Whittaker and I don't quite know why. I think it's because I caught a few of his college games and thought that he had a real chance to be something in the NFL. Not an elite talent, but I thought he'd be one of those random backs that has a good year once the rest of the New Orleans backfield gets injured. Has good size and athleticism.
Verdict
Edge: 2013
This one is easy. Mathews is now completely calcified and the team added another viable starter that doesn't really duplicate any of the things Mathews does. Add that to the focus on rebuilding the offensive line, moving Jeromey Clary inside, and drafting D.J. Fluker.....the running game will be improved this year. That's not the question. The question is whether or not the running game will actually be good. What do you think?