Ekeler: Negotiated Incentives for 2023 Contract Year

[Boltjolt]

If Bijan is as good as some people claim we are not getting him at #21. That means one of those other guys and then we'd another RB
because Kelly and Spiller are not going to replace what Ekeler does. Kellly is same type as Ekeler, but not as good. Spiller almost the same
size as Kelly and hasn't shown anything. Doesn't look like a power back or a Ronnie Harmon type.

Why don't pay Ekeler, cut ties with Kelly and Spiller and draft a decent RB?

Look at the RB market. Devalued man. No top 10 RBs drafted since Barkley.
Zeke looks on the downside already, Fournette slowed last year, Gurley had 3 good years,.....teams aren't jumping for RBs like they used to.
Granted he might not make it to 21 but doubt he goes top 10. Can't see Tennesee taking him at 11 with their other woes or Atlanta at 8. Dallas picks behind us.

Only worry about Tampa Bay at 19 or Seattle at 20 and Seattle does have Walker.

And I'm not cutting Spiller already. Kelly I've got no problem with cutting. What do you want to pay Ekeler? Add a million this year? He thinks he is worth more.

[Bolt4Knob]

The offense not being good had nothing to do with Ekeler. In fact just the opposite, without Ekeler last year our offense would have been far worse.
Ekeler doesn't have to have 100 catches and 18 TDs for the Chargers to succeed. That doesn't mean he's not a big part of the offense.

A better blocking scheme and a complement RB to Ekeler is what we need to improve the running game. Getting rid of Ekeler means the offense
takes a step back unless they find 2 RBs, each with different strengths. Spiller, Kelly and Co are not going to cut it.

The cowbell RB in the NFL is more or less dead. There are less than 5 guys that can carry the ball 300+ times and be successful.
The vast majority of teams are going with 2 or more RBs. We have one that is excellent at what he does. We just need another different type.
That's on TT and his failure not Ekeler.

I don't remember Ekeler saying he doesn't want to be on the team. The problem as usual is the money. He believes or wants to be paid at
the top end, usually with an extension and guaranteed money. The Chargers don't want to go there, so he's seeking employment elsewhere.
Don't know if it's going to work, but the situation is he's choice and the Chargers. Mutual disagreement.

Not getting an argument from me that the offense would have been worse last year

Not talking about last year - talking about 2023. And the Chargers need a true running back that carry the ball like you said 250-300 times. That means better run blocking. And they also need a more vertical passing game

So the output of Ekeler will actually go down in 2023 for the Chargers offense to have better success. And his contract at the current salary is representative of that

i get he was underpaid, probably, the last two years. But moving forward - they cannot overpay him

[Bolt4Knob]

Look at the RB market. Devalued man. No top 10 RBs drafted since Barkley.
Zeke looks on the downside already, Fournette slowed last year, Gurley had 3 good years,.....teams aren't jumping for RBs like they used to.
Granted he might not make it to 21 but doubt he goes top 10. Can't see Tennesee taking him at 11 with their other woes or Atlanta at 8. Dallas picks behind us.

Only worry about Tampa Bay at 19 or Seattle at 20 and Seattle does have Walker.

And I'm not cutting Spiller already. Kelly I've got no problem with cutting. What do you want to pay Ekeler? Add a million this year? He thinks he is worth more.

I am not sure if Kelly qualifies for that 4th year salary increase up to over 2m - but if that happens - sad to say, he will need to be released. If they already gave those increases, Chargers are good

As for Ek - the market is not good for him. I still think the Commanders and Bengals are options

[Boltjolt]

I am not sure if Kelly qualifies for that 4th year salary increase up to over 2m - but if that happens - sad to say, he will need to be released. If they already gave those increases, Chargers are good

As for Ek - the market is not good for him. I still think the Commanders and Bengals are options

Kelly is making 1.2 mil in his last year on his deal.
If they cut him, they save 1 mil. However, that won't happen til after the draft,.possibly during or after TC since we won't save more by waiting.

He is cheap enough, he just isn't anything special..

[Tbone33101]

Trend not looking good for Ekeler getting more money. Williams just got a three-year, $12 mil deal. Montgomery got a three-year $18 mil deal. Jacobs and Barkley got the $10.1 mil tag (and Ekeler is not in their class).

Man I hardly post just read to get the pulse but it’s crazy how underappreciated Austin Ekeler is….his stats are up there with ANY running back over the last few years, his production is incredible. I get the cap situation and what the RB market is right now, but the dissing of him in here is ridiculous, he is clearly in the TOP class of RBs…I’m not going to repost the stats and production. Maybe it’s just some posters way of coping with the fact he is likely leaving.

I am hoping they let him test the market knowing the deal wasn’t out their for him and he returns, time will tell

[charger1_sj]

Look at the RB market. Devalued man. No top 10 RBs drafted since Barkley.
Zeke looks on the downside already, Fournette slowed last year, Gurley had 3 good years,.....teams aren't jumping for RBs like they used to.
Granted he might not make it to 21 but doubt he goes top 10. Can't see Tennesee taking him at 11 with their other woes or Atlanta at 8. Dallas picks behind us.

Only worry about Tampa Bay at 19 or Seattle at 20 and Seattle does have Walker.

And I'm not cutting Spiller already. Kelly I've got no problem with cutting. What do you want to pay Ekeler? Add a million this year? He thinks he is worth more.

And yet people want a cowbell RB, which Ekeler is clearly not. He's more of CMC type who hasn't had the injuries. Ekeler will make $6.25M if he sticks
with the Chargers. I'd give him a $9M/yr for three years with some guaranteed money. That would be a $27M deal with lets say $14M or thereabouts guaranteed.
That would easily give us an out on year 3 if he declines as some suspect.

[CanadianBoltFan]

If you truly believe you should get at least 10mil as your floor. But are looking for 12 or more. And Chargers are only willing to go as high as 8.5mil on the extension.
Then Ekeler says well can I get a trade so I can get paid what I think I'm worth. And Chargers granted him permission to try.

He may find there are no teams willing to give 10mil or more and his best offer is roughly the same number Chargers were at.

Just watched Bucky Brooks on Rich Eisen. Another guy who doesnt think Ekler will get the money he is looking for in the current RB market.

Interesting he really likes Ekler, yet thinks the Chargers could really benefit from a bigger back.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Trend not looking good for Ekeler getting more money. Williams just got a three-year, $12 mil deal. Montgomery got a three-year $18 mil deal. Jacobs and Barkley got the $10.1 mil tag (and Ekeler is not in their class).

Miles Sanders got 6 mil a year

[CanadianBoltFan]

Agree on RB but don't want Zeke or Fournette. Those two are beat up.

Draft pick. Bijan, and I also like Chase Brown and his laser one cut, also like Rochon Johnnson and yeah, Gibbs and Spears.

As for a cheap vet, I like James Robinson, D'Onta Foreman, D'Ernest Johnson....in that order. Foreman though not much of a pass catcher.

James Robinson just signed with NE

[charger1_sj]

Not getting an argument from me that the offense would have been worse last year

Not talking about last year - talking about 2023. And the Chargers need a true running back that carry the ball like you said 250-300 times. That means better run blocking. And they also need a more vertical passing game

So the output of Ekeler will actually go down in 2023 for the Chargers offense to have better success. And his contract at the current salary is representative of that

i get he was underpaid, probably, the last two years. But moving forward - they cannot overpay him

Your looking at it the wrong way. Ekeler is a playmaker, we need more playmakers not less. It doesn't matter if his production goes down, he's a weapon the
defense has to account for in both the run and passing game. I don't think $6.25M is representative of what he brings to the table. Ekeler is not the one
stopping the vertical passing game. We don't need a RB that carries the ball 300 times. We need a guy that can get 4-5 yards on first down so we don't
end up with 3rd and long situations. A guy to share the load with Ek would do just fine. Lots of teams do the same thing. TT just can't seem to find a
decent RB so spell Ek.

[charger1_sj]

Your looking at it the wrong way. Ekeler is a playmaker, we need more playmakers not less. It doesn't matter if his production goes down, he's a weapon the
defense has to account for in both the run and passing game. I don't think $6.25M is representative of what he brings to the table. Ekeler is not the one
stopping the vertical passing game. We don't need a RB that carries the ball 300 times. We need a guy that can get 4-5 yards on first down so we don't
end up with 3rd and long situations. A guy to share the load with Ek would do just fine. Lots of teams do the same thing. TT just can't seem to find a
decent RB so spell Ek.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Your looking at it the wrong way. Ekeler is a playmaker, we need more playmakers not less. It doesn't matter if his production goes down, he's a weapon the
defense has to account for in both the run and passing game. I don't think $6.25M is representative of what he brings to the table. Ekeler is not the one
stopping the vertical passing game. We don't need a RB that carries the ball 300 times. We need a guy that can get 4-5 yards on first down so we don't
end up with 3rd and long situations. A guy to share the load with Ek would do just fine. Lots of teams do the same thing. TT just can't seem to find a
decent RB so spell Ek.

In a perfect world we keep Ekler and get the right bigger back