Jim Harbaugh bringing in an old friend to bolster Chargers run game?

Harbaugh and Roman go way back. Not only is he familiar with brother John Harbaugh, having worked alongside him for the past four seasons, but he has a long history with the new Chargers head man. 

Roman was on Harbaugh's staff at Stanford (2009-10) before joining him in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14). 

While Roman's role with the Chargers is still unclear, it's a safe bet he'll be involved with the team's running backs, as that is his forte. If that's the direction the franchise takes, they're in excellent hands. 

Over his 10 seasons as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, Roman's units have finished ranked among the top 10 each season, ending the year as the No. 1 rushing offense in the league four times.

Roman may have an uphill battle in L.A., however. Overall, the Chargers ranked 25th in the NFL in rushing this season despite having veteran standout Austin Ekeler and capable fourth-year back Joshua Kelley at its disposal. 

Both Ekeler and Kelley finished below four yards per carry in 2023. Ekeler recorded the lowest of his career (3.5 YPA), while Kelley's dropped from 4.2 YPA to 3.8. 

If Roman does head the Chargers' rushing attack, he'll need to fix a backfield that's had issues beyond last year. 

In three seasons under former head coach Brandon Staley, L.A.'s ground game was virtually non-existent, ranked 21st in 2021 and 30th in 2022.