The Chargers completely revamped the running back room this offseason, moving on from Austin Ekeler, signing two veterans and drafting one.
Pro Football Focus recently released their running back rankings and one of their additions made the cut, with Gus Edwards checking in at No. 31.
The Gus Bus drives on down to Los Angeles, as Gus Edwards is now a Charger. Edwards had a career year in 2023, rushing for 810 yards and 13 touchdowns while earning a 72.3 grade. His yards per attempt dropped to below 5.0 yards per carry for the first time in his career, but Edwards still made a positive impact on the Ravens’ rushing attack.
The task will now be carrying that over to a Chargers offense that has struggled to run the ball in recent years prior to Jim Harbaugh’s arrival. He’s not a big-play threat, but Edwards is an efficient chain-mover.
In an effort to run the ball at a high level, Edward’s play will go a long way to helping achieve that. He ran for 3,395 yards, the most by a Ravens running back over the past six seasons. Last season, Edwards’ 13 touchdown runs were tied for the third most by an NFL running back.
The system familiarity will play a vital role, as Edwards played for Greg Roman in 2019, 2020, and 2022 when he was Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. In those seasons, Edwards averaged at least five yards per carry.
