Oct 9, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley (25) runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Chargers Expert Believes Joshua Kelley is Poised For a Big 2023 Season
The 2023 NFL season is getting closer as the draft is in the books and OTA's are in full swing around the league.
While there's no games going on as of yet -- that's just six short weeks away -- that does leave plenty of time for fans around the league to ponder their rosters.
What should we expect from stars around the league? Who could be a breakout player in 2023?
For the Chargers, there's plenty of candidates and Gavino Borquez from USA Today's Chargers Wire named soon-to-be fourth year running back Joshua Kelley as a potential breakout player in 2023 -- saying that changes within the coaching staff could play a big role.
With Kellen Moore overseeing the offense now, he will emphasize improving the run game which has had proven success during his tenure as the Cowboys offensive coordinator. During that time, Dallas had the seventh-best rushing offense.
Borquez went onto say that with Moore in command of the Charger offense, Kelley looks to be in line for a productive season behind Austin Ekeler.
Given Moore's resume, that certainly appears to be true.
Before accepting his current position as the Chargers' new offensive coordinator under Brandon Staley, Moore served as the Cowboys' OC from 2019 until the end of the 2022 season.
During that time, he oversaw both a strong Dallas run game and the ascension of young running back Tony Pollard, who ran for a career high 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.
Pollard's strong effort saw him supplant Ezekiel Elliott as the Cowboys' starting running back, as Elliott was released this offseason.
Given Moore's track record of running back development, Kelley could very well be in line for a career season in 2023.
Already coming off of a career best 4.2 yards per carry in 2023 and now with his role as the backup running back behind Austin Ekeler secured, Kelley's production should take a significant jump this year, and the two should prove to be a strong tandem this season.
