The Los Angeles Chargers may not have a secure spot on the roster for running back Kimani Vidal, which could lead to a trade.
Chargers ship second-year running back to Jacksonville for late-round pick in trade proposal originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Los Angeles Chargers have solved many of the questions they had at the wide receiver position, but suddenly, the running back spot seems a bit unsettled.
Omarion Hampton looks like a future star, but what does the team have around him? Najee Harris is still MIA and the team will have to rely on a lot of young depth to fill out the roster.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report suggests that the team should consider trading one of its running backs before the season starts, perhaps in order to create more clarity.
"The Chargers overhauled their running back platoon almost completely this offseason, signing stalwart veteran Najee Harris and drafting Omarion Hampton in the first round.
While head coach Jim Harbaugh won't shy away from using both backs heavily, incumbent backup Kimani Vidal could be expendable following these acquisitions.
The 23-year-old was a sleeper pick to break out as a potential star after L.A. tapped him in the sixth round of last year's draft. He never lived up to those expectations, though, getting off to a slow start and missing seven games due to injury.
While Vidal has been shining in camp, he has little chance of seeing significant action this year due to the names ahead of him on the depth chart.
Rather than waste away as a third-stringer, the Bolts should instead allow him to get a fresh start and join a team desperate for RB help such as the Jaguars.
With Jacksonville having concerns across the board in its backfield, kicking over a sixth-rounder for an electrifying playmaker such as Vidal could salvage the situation", wrote Kay.
A sixth-round pick would be the same round the Chargers originally drafted Vidal in, so the value would be decent. However, this doesn't seem like a move that needs to happen.
Kay suggests that Vidal has little chance of seeing action this year, which could be far from the truth with the status of Harris up in the air. While Harris is expected to be ready for Week 1, the fact that he has missed this entire summer is a big red flag, particularly since his durability was the main reason he was signed.
Vidal has been given 25 carries this preseason, the most of any running back on the roster. Could that be because the Chargers want the rest of the league to see what he can do, in order to create a future trade, or because they want to give him as many chances as possible to make the roster? It could be seen either way.
The Chargers could certainly trade Vidal. The emergence of undrafted rookie Raheim Sanders has been evident and guys like Hassan Haskins, a Jim Harbaugh favorite, and Nyheim Hines-Miller are still on the roster and could make the team if Vidal is moved.
READ:Has Trey Lance locked up Chargers' QB2 job?
That said, with the uncertainty surrounding Harris, it makes more sense to keep as many running backs who have been working closely with offensive coordinator Greg Roman as possible, at least until the health of Harris is at 100 percent.
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Category: Football
