Will a playoff team look to sign Ben Tate?
By Ernie Padaon
Dec 7, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) runs as New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich (50) defends during the third quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego Chargers, 1255 yards rushing, 29th in the league
The Chargers have been waiting for Ryan Mathew to get back on the field, but who knows how quickly he will go back down with an injury when he finally does return. When Mathews is out, the team leans on Branden Oliver to take the load.
Oliver has 511 yards this season with a 3.5 yard per carry average. Last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Oliver finished the game with 53 yards on 13 carries for a 4.1 yard per carry average. He also had 3 catches for 28 yards.
The key to this team will be the health of Ryan Mathews. He has 330 rushing yards this season and has averaged 4.5 yards per carry. When he is on the field, he is one of the best backs in the game. He barely is on the field though.
The team will likely wait for Ryan Mathews to get on the field. I can’t see them taking a chance on Tate. They will likely lean on Oliver over signing Tate at this point in the season.