The Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans are two teams in need of help at the running back position.
The Chargers lost Najee Harris for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles and they are currently missing Omarion Hampton, who is on injured reserve. Los Angeles has been a middle-of-the-road rushing attack through seven weeks, so looking for an upgrade for now and a complement for Hampton later is a must.
It looked as though the team might be able to depend on Kimani Vidal to weather the storm without Hampton after he went off in Week 6, but Vidal came crashing back down to Earth in Week 7.
The Texans don't have as dire of a need as the Chargers do, but one has to wonder if they might look for a more explosive weapon out of the backfield. Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks have been OK, but Houston's rushing attack does rank in the bottom half of the NFL.
As it turns out, both the Texans and Chargers are looking for running back help ahead of the trade deadline, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.
He also notes how the Miami Dolphins could make Jaylen Wright available, which might interest Los Angeles and Houston.
"I agree with you about Waddle, particularly since his contract makes him a tougher to trade," Graziano reported on Wednesday. "Jaylen Wright, who has slipped behind rookie Ollie Gordon II on the depth chart, could also be a player who moves. There will be teams interested in picking up a running back, with the Chargers and Texans being two teams I've heard mentioned. And there are sure to be others."
If the Texans and Chargers want to take a big swing at running back, the New York Jets are expected to be open for business and that means running back Breece Hall could be available. Here's what ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said about that situation:
"With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, expect the Jets to consider dealing veterans to acquire draft capital and build for the future," he said. "Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, corner Michael Carter II and running back Breece Hall are among the options generating interest."
Wright was unexpectedly jumped on the depth chart by rookie Ollie Gordon and has no role in Miami, so it would make sense to trade him. He is obviously less proven than Hall, but teams should be intrigued with his explosive skill set and potential, and he doesn't figure to cost much and is under contract through 2027.
Hall is a true difference-maker thanks to his home-run ability from anywhere on the field and he would present a massive upgrade for both the Chargers and Texans.
The Jets should deal Hall, who is in the final year of his deal, as a rebuilding team like New York should not be shelling out an expensive contract extension for a running back at this time.
Hall would immediately take the reins of the Chargers' backfield upon his arrival and would form a dynamic one-two punch with Hampton upon his return from injury, which will no doubt make Justin Herbert's life easier.
Acquiring Hall would also be a huge plus for the Texans, who could unload Chubb in the deal to give the Jets a running back to get through the rest of the season after New York lost Braelon Allen due to injury. If all goes well with Hall in Houston, the Texans could re-sign him in 2026 and keep him for the long haul.
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