More Sproles, More LT And Plenty Of "O" in Potent Chargers Attack

Darren Sproles' bottom line expanded as the team ensured they'd keep the diminutive but deadly running back around for at least one more year by affixing the franchise tag at a cost of $6.621 million.

That's good news for the Chargers and their fans and bad news for opposing defenses. It also means sleepless nights for defensive coordinators around the NFL, who soon will be dealing with the expanded version of Sproles.

The Chargers won't be recasting the look of an offense that was second in the NFL in scoring; Philip Rivers has evolved as its focal point and will remain so. But keeping Sproles on the bench and specialized as a return man and occasional back is a waste of his talents and doesn't reconcile with the team's sizable investment in the fourth-year pro.

Is Sproles an every down back? Probably not. Should he touch the ball more often? Absolutely.

Sproles carried the ball 61 times last season for a total of 330 yards, scoring one touchdown. He also caught 29 passes for 342 yards and five scores while logging 1,625 return yards, reaching the end zone with a 103-yard kickoff return during Week Two in Denver.

Any further evidence required for an increase in playing time was provided with his 22-yard TD scamper to seal the Chargers' playoff OT victory over the Colts. That score secured his spot in the hearts of Chargers fans but don't forget that Sproles amassed 328 total yards in the game and filled the void left by LaDainian Tomlinson, who accounted for one score and only 25 yards from scrimmage.

Tomlinson reported to the Chargers mini-camp in early May and said he felt no lingering effects from the groin injury that limited him to 292 carries last season and 1,110 rushing yards, his fewest as a pro.

Chargers head coach Norv Turner will still utilize a power running game, which will likely feature a healthy Tomlinson who is eager to prove running backs can still be productive at age 30. He eclipses that milestone on June 23.

Turner also has Rivers to pilot a passing game that looks primarily for medium to deep routes, often set up by a play-action fake. Tight end Antonio Gates and wideouts Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, and Malcolm Floyd provides Rivers with plenty of options.

Another outlet and a favorite of Turner is the screen pass. That has been a critical element in the Chargers' playbook, by utilizing the exceptional talents of Tomlinson, but Sproles will see his options increase there as well.

"We have a luxury. We have a very good player in Darren Sproles," Turner told the San Diego Union-Tribune in March. "When it fits, we're going to use Darren. Over an entire season I think he can help LT carry that load."

Don't be surprised, either, to see more two-back and even three-back sets as Turner and offensive coordinator Clarence Shelmon frequently utilize shifts, while also putting players in motion to give Rivers more opportunities to read defenses and identify the blitz.

On Sproles' game-clinching run against the Colts, the Chargers recognized a blitzing Bob Sanders and ran a draw to the opposite side of the field from the two-time All-Pro safety. Three well executed blocks allowed Sproles to get out in space, where he eluded the Colts' secondary.

A healthy Tomlinson in concert with an emerging Rivers should give the Chargers one of the more potent offenses in the NFL. Liberal doses of Sproles could make it the best.