The Los Angeles Chargers have gotten right to work shaping the offense in new head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s image.
Monday, just after the NFL’s legal tampering period began and before free agency officially opened the Chargers agreed to terms with former Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards, adding a between the tackles bell-cow to Los Angeles’ backfield.
Former NFL Executive of The Year, Randy Mueller, was quick to praise the Chargers for the Edwards pick up.
“This is an under the radar great addition,” Mueller posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “His style matches perfectly with what Jim Harbaugh wants to be.”
As Mueller alludes to, Harbaugh will likely import a ground-and-pound running style to Los Angeles similar to what helped propel the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship following the 2023 college football season.
Edwards is coming off the most prolific season of his career and proved to be a focal point of a Ravens offense that fueled a run to the AFC Championship Game, after rushing for a career-high 810 yards and 13 touchdowns.
What Gus Edwards Brings Los Angeles Chargers
Edwards likely represents a younger, and slightly more affordable, replacement for former Chargers running back Austin Ekeler who is slated to hit free agency when the new league year begins.
Through his first five seasons, Edwards has rushed for 3,395 yards yards with 26 touchdowns, while posting a career 4.9 yards per carry.
Boasting a unique blend of speed and power, Pro Football Focus points out that Edwards posted 15 explosive runs during the 2023 campaign, while averaging 2.71 yards after contact per attempt and forcing 25 missed tackles.
In Los Angeles, Edwards reunites with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who should have a fairly strong idea for how to get the most out of the 28-year-old former undrafted free agent.
Edwards figures to be the kind of versatile weapon to help elevate quarterback Justin Herbert and the rest of the Los Angeles Chargers offense to new heights.