The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away and the clock is ticking on the Los Angeles Chargers. Will they do anything to add to the depth at running back before November 4?
The Chargers have lost Najee Harris for the season and first-round pick Omarion Hampton is still on injured reserve. If that wasn't bad enough, the team will also be without No. 3 running back Hassan Haskins on Thursday Night Football due to a hamstring injury.
Kimani Vidal will be the only healthy back on the roster as the team faces the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8 and a couple of running backs will likely be elevated from the practice squad to back him up. There are new reports that the team is considered 'desperate' for a running back. Could that search lead to a phone call with the New York Jets?
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has Jets running back Breece Hall high on his list of trade possibilities and he lists the Chargers as a team who could send them a conditional third-round pick in next year's draft in exchange.
"It's not hard to see why teams would be calling about Breece Hall, who is likely the best running back who could realistically be available this season.
It's also not hard to envision why the Jets could be open to moving the 24-year-old for the right price. New York is sitting at 0-7, and he is an impending 2026 free agent.
While the running back has accounted for nearly a third (612) of New York's scrimmage yards this season, now is a reasonable time for a trade.
However, the Jets reportedly won't let anyone go for a budget return.
"The Jets haven't really entertained anything regarding their players just yet," CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones wrote on Monday. "One source said the team has been 'stubborn' with their asking prices."
Hall has two seasons with 1,300-plus scrimmage yards on his resume and is the sort of high-volume back who could lead a backfield that currently lacks one", wrote Knox.
Sending away a third-round pick for a player who is set to become a free agent would be a risky move unless there is a plan to sign him to an extension. But if the Chargers did that, what would that mean for the future for Hampton? The Chargers don't want to complicate matters in the future just to get another running back on the roster for the rest of this season, which is why a trade for Cleveland's Jerome Ford might be more sensible, even if it's not as flashy.
However, it does seem clear that the team needs to do something.
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