Bolts Year One Under Greg Roman
When he was hired, Jim Harbaugh brought in a coaching staff that he has had history with. This included Greg Roman who was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator when he was with the San Francisco 49ers. Roman has made a name for himself for his creative running game mind and was brought in to elevate the Los Angeles Chargers rushing attack. Before Roman, the Chargers ranked 24th in the NFL in rushing offense.
Although his first year with the Chargers was not perfect, he was able to improve the Bolts run offense to 20th in the league. The Chargers in the offseason brought in backs who had been coached by Roman when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards led the Chargers running back room in 2024. Dobbins had a career year with 1,058 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns. He excelled expectations and added a spark to the Chargers offense. Edwards on the other hand had an underwhelming season. Last year, he totaled 13 rushing touchdowns but this year ended with only four. His rushing yard total was a career low at only 365.
Where Roman was criticized by Charger fans would be his play call selection at times. There would be times where the Chargers would seem to get away from the run too fast if it was not working. Also, the Chargers interior offensive line was a struggle all year. Roman’s protection plan in games would be soft in moments by not adding another body at the line of scrimmage to help chip block and give Justin Herbert time to operate in a clean pocket.
Roman was not given much help in the passing game due to the weapons he was working with but he was able to manage it pretty well given the circumstances. He elevated Will Dissly, who was brought in to be a blocking tight end, to be a reliable pass catcher. Ladd McConkey broke Charger rookie receiving records under Roman and Quentin Johnston posted a career high in receiving yards and touchdowns. Herbert was one of the top quarterbacks in explosive plays and threw a career low three interceptions in the regular season.
The Chargers Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans saw their offensive flaws on full display. Now, in an offseason where the Chargers have many offensive holes to fill, Roman might see added weapons to elevate this offense in year two with the team. A ground and pound team will be the vision for the Chargers as long Harbaugh and Roman are around. The goal is to savor Herbert’s arm for moments when it is really needed. Roman’s play calling will be something Charger fans will hone in on in 2025.
