Chargers News: LA Interested In Drafting Undersized RB?
It's no secret that your Los Angeles Chargers need to bolster their run game.
Beyond doing his darnedest to get your Bolts' bloated contracts under control and within closer range of the salary cap, team president Joe Hortiz will also be no doubt looking to make some tactical, more cost-effective roster additions via the impending NFL draft and free agency. Improving LA's corps of running backs around Pro Bowl quarterback and foundational asset Justin Herbert needs rank be chief among the personnel choices he'll be making.
The Chargers' top two running backs, Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley, will become free agents this month. LA could retain both, but it might behoove the team to move on to younger players with more upside. Isaiah Spiller would become the only rostered running back should Ekeler and Kelley both depart.
It appears that one possible sleeper pickup at the position got along famously with Los Angeles brass during his conversation with the club at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month.
During a recent interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, 5'9" Troy Trojans running back Kimani Vidal spoke at length about his experience at the event.
When asked if there were any franchises in particular to whom he took a shine during interviews at the NFL Combine, the Chargers emerged as a key name.
"There were a good amount of teams I felt that way about. That was my first time meeting most of those teams and scouts. It was a great, positive experience. I had great meetings with the Browns, Chargers, Texans, and the Bills.
Vidal and Melo did address the biggest thing liable to make him more of a Day 3 draft selection than a Day 1 pick.
"To be quite honest, I would say [I'm] one of the best [college] running backs of all time wasn’t a big guy. Barry Sanders wasn’t very big. I’d probably point that out first and foremost," Melo said. "I’d also ask why it matters if I’m undersized? I’ve been extremely durable. I don’t have any major injuries. I’ve played in 28 games, started in all of them all. I don’t really look into that too much. I know who I am. I’ve shown what I can do. Everything else will take care of itself."
Across two seasons for Troy, Vidal logged 24 touchdowns and 2,793 total yards.
