Los Angeles Chargers reveal much about final 53-man roster RB room

The Los Angeles Chargers aren’t saying much about how the messy running back room might shake up on the final 53-man roster soon. 

But the cliche about actions speaking louder than words does all the talking. 

First-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton is very obviously safe, as is Najee Harris, regardless of whether he starts on the 53 or an injured list due to the eye injury sustained near the start of July in a fireworks incident. 

Behind those two, it’s Hassan Haskins who seems like a roster lock at this point. He didn’t play in the Chargers’ last preseason game, suggesting coaches don’t need to see anything else. According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Haskins was right behind Hampton in reps with Justin Herbert’s first-team offense at a recent practice. 

Undrafted free agent Raheim Sanders seems like the other roster lock. He’s looked the part in all preseason action and, at most points, has been right behind or even sometimes ahead of Haskins in the order. 

That leaves Kimani Vidal as a likely odd man out. Same story for Jaret Patterson and Nyheim Miller-Hines. Vidal, a sophomore, had some hype from fans last year, but his struggles as a pass-blocker stopped him from getting on the field. 

As a whole, what looked like one of the most competitive and difficult to project spots seems to be wrapped up already, with Haskins pushing aside the likes of Vidal. Barring something unexpected, that should be the order of a backfield that seems much improved compared to last year.