Can Austin Ekeler Handle The Load By Himself Again?

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  • Cdn Bolt
    Registered Charger Fan
    • Jan 2019
    • 592
    • Ontario , Canada
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    #37
    I like Ekeler and he has done very well esp for an UDFA. My concern is just w the experience of UDFA in big games. It isn't a big beef but from time to time he has had the drops in some big moments. I think it is due to not having exp in big bowl games like other players from the larger programs.

    In our last few games there were drops from a few players, a muffed punt etc. Errors other teams didn't seem to be making . I think it is just we have some players maybe not used to the big stage. Even Keenan Allen and Jared Cook had some drops. Just an observation.

    I think we need another complementary RB anyway. A bruiser who can take the pounding and then we can use Ekeler in more an Alvin Kamara way. JMO

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    • RTPbolt
      Charger Fan till the end
      • Jun 2013
      • 2568
      • North Carolina
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      #38
      I'd love a one two punch RB situation that allowed us to get the most out of Ek but not have a downgrade when he's out for play calls. Jackson I like and even our others but so far they are oft injured which is my biggest concern. Id love a new top skill back to add BUT i'm not sure if that's a priority for me over the far less productive Defensive Line or a RT or possibly even TE (pending Cook and Parham state of health and resigning). Managing the draft capital is going to be important. Rountree is new and still being developed too so i'm not writing him off yet ...hopefully another offseason and year 2 might get him to fill some more into the role.

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      • sonorajim
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        • Jan 2019
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        #39
        Ek had 206 of LAC's 423 run plays in 2021 and did very well indeed. That was 14th most touches for a RB and is probably @ right. He's one of our best offensive players and we need to give him his touches.
        JJ is a quality guy - when healthy. Unfortunately that's been an issue. I think Rountree can be developed. Not too sure about Kelley.
        I wouldn't invest a lot in another RB but the right vet at the right price or a day 3 draft pick? Sure.

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        • BlazingBolt
          SLAM DUNK!
          • Jun 2013
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          #40
          As great as the season was for fantasy owners I definitely think we need a good RB to compliment and share the load. We can't cant on that volume again with out injury and he did have some fumbles that could have been due to the long season he had.
          migrated from chargerfans.net then the thenflforum.com then here

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          • SuperCharged
            Registered Charger Fan
            • Sep 2019
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            • Utah
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            #41
            Ek can be awesome for us for a long time IF we get a bell cow back to preserve him. Let him do mainly 3rd down duties. I'm hoping for a mid-round pick on a solid RB. I'm not giving up on Kelly yet. I think he can still grow into a decent back.

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            • ChargersPowderBlue
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              • Aug 2019
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              #42
              Whoever we bring in to be share the workload with Ekeler, the coaches shouldn't use him on special teams.

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              • Steve
                Administrator
                • Jun 2013
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                #43
                The traditional workload that is believed to wear down RB is the 400 mark, although some analytics types have looked at it and debunked a lot of that.

                Ekeler is the kind of guy that I wouldn't necessarily worry about his total number of touches. It is his carries that would worry me. He goes out and catches 100 passes, that isn't anything like the wear and tear from 100 carries. Some of it is that he is often getting pushed out of bounds, but a lot of it is who is doing the hitting. DB don't get as many solid hits, just because they are in space if nothing else. They also aren't in the gang tackling as much, and if they are it is typically running plays.

                There is nothing wrong with his play as a runner, except that he is an explosive and athletic guy in space. We could really use a solid, consistent runner to help keep us ahead of the sticks. Herbert covers up a lot of our issues on 3rd down, but I think the playcalling would be a lot more aggressive if they weren't behind so much. We don't need a RB who is going to be Jamal Charles or something. If we can find a guy like him, great, but mostly a solid consistent runner who gets his 3 to 4 yards, and can help protect Herbert vs the blitz is what we should be looking for.

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                • #44
                  No too small...get a few big pounders to give him a rest.....

                  I still think he has earned number one...but unless its a pass out of the backfield/screen...I would limit his carries to keep him fresh thats all. And especially...don't use him on 4th and 1 or on the goal line....nobody the Bolts have is better catching out of the backfield...but i want him fresh for that...
                  Last edited by Guest; 02-13-2022, 02:50 PM.

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                  • DerwinBosa
                    Registered Charger Fan
                    • Feb 2022
                    • 2020
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                    #45
                    Don't know if his name has already been mentioned, but there could a possibility that Saquon Barkley will get traded. The problem is he has one year left on his contract and quite a cap number. If money weren't an issue, I'd love to see him with us. I'm also in favor of Marlon Mack.

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                    • Budsman
                      Registered Charger Fan
                      • May 2017
                      • 2179
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                      #46
                      Originally posted by Steve View Post
                      The traditional workload that is believed to wear down RB is the 400 mark, although some analytics types have looked at it and debunked a lot of that.

                      Ekeler is the kind of guy that I wouldn't necessarily worry about his total number of touches. It is his carries that would worry me. He goes out and catches 100 passes, that isn't anything like the wear and tear from 100 carries. Some of it is that he is often getting pushed out of bounds, but a lot of it is who is doing the hitting. DB don't get as many solid hits, just because they are in space if nothing else. They also aren't in the gang tackling as much, and if they are it is typically running plays.

                      There is nothing wrong with his play as a runner, except that he is an explosive and athletic guy in space. We could really use a solid, consistent runner to help keep us ahead of the sticks. Herbert covers up a lot of our issues on 3rd down, but I think the playcalling would be a lot more aggressive if they weren't behind so much. We don't need a RB who is going to be Jamal Charles or something. If we can find a guy like him, great, but mostly a solid consistent runner who gets his 3 to 4 yards, and can help protect Herbert vs the blitz is what we should be looking for.
                      I agree in the runs vs pass wear and tear being less. I would like someone that can shoulder the load at a high level with ekeler. I hope we get a player who can start now at a high level. I’m worried about rookies, they could be great ir they could be josh Kelly.

                      Ekeler has to be able to run at times to keep the defense honest and that’s ok but he shouldn’t be shouldering that whole load. Also if heaven forbid Ekeler gets hurt for an extended period of time we have no competent rb to take over.

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                      • Velo
                        Ride!
                        • Aug 2019
                        • 10811
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                        #47
                        This is the most recent thread about Ekeler I could find.

                        Colin Cowherd is pushing Saquon Barkley for league MVP this morning. Barkley is getting a bunch of attention for his resurgence this season. Then there is Deebo Samuel, whose splash plays get him all kinds of media attention. Well, Austin Ekeler is their equal, or better, but he doesn't draw nearly the media attention. Maybe because he's under-sized player who was undrafted. All he does is quietly produce.

                        Barkley has 553 yds rushing, 5.5 ypc, plus 143 yds receiving, for 676 combined yards, and has scored 3 total TDs.
                        Ekeler has 313 yds rushing, 5.1 ypc, plus 214 yds receiving, for 527 combined yards and has scored 5 total TDs.
                        Deebo has 125 yds rushing, 6.0 ypc, plus 266 yds receving, for 391 combined yards and has scored 3 total TDs.

                        It's even more remarkable that all of Ekeler's TDs have come in the last two games. Ekeler's 173 yds rushing yesterday tops Barkely's best rushing ouput this season (164 yds Week 1).

                        Last season Deebo was a league darling with all his splash plays and he parlayed that into a nice contract for himself. But one could argue Ekeler was better. Deebo had 1770 total yards and scored 14 TDs. Ekeler had 1558 yards but scored 20 TDs, plus four more points on a pair of 2-pt conversions. Ekeler led the league in scoring last season. And if he maintains the pace of the last two games, he has a chance to do it again.

                        I think Ekeler is the best undrafted player in franchise history, behind Gates of course. I think Ekeler has surpassed even Kris Dielman at this point (though it's hard to quantify). And one big difference between Ekeler and Gates is that Gates had prototypical size to play TE, while Ekeler is an under-sized player accomplishing feats that players his size rarely accomplish.

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                        • Riverwalk
                          Registered Charger Fan
                          • Nov 2021
                          • 1896
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                          #48
                          ^^ nice Ekeler tribute.

                          I would just say, with Ekeler, Kelley, Spiller, and Horvath…..adding another RB is not a priority for the Chargers in 2023.

                          This is a solid group who just need beef up front to give them somewhere to run.

                          A future center would be higher on my list of acquisitions. It all starts up front on both sides of the LOS. After all these years, Telesco may have FINALLY figured out football 101.

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