Category: Latest Washington News

Antonio Gibson is a low-risk, high-reward player who could help win your fantasy league

With the rookie Antonio Gibson now slotting into the RB1 spot in Washington, he is a low-risk, high-reward player who could pay dividends.

With the news about Washington releasing running back Adrian Peterson on Friday aside, the ramifications are potentially big when it comes to Antonio Gibson and your fantasy team. The rookie was already flying under the radar as a sleeper in some deeper leagues, with many hoping that his usage rate in Scott Turner’s offense was going to grow as time went on. But now that he is the de facto No. 1 back in Washington, things could get a bit interesting.

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This is where we have to work to calibrate our expectations. Any starting running back in the NFL is worthy of being rostered in fantasy football, but just because Gibson is the RB1 in Washington doesn’t mean that he is someone you’ll be starting each and every week. However, he is absolutely someone that you should be picking up off of your waiver wire if he’s available, and there is a high-ceiling for what he can do if all goes right.

We also need to be ready for the possibility that Gibson is a bit underwhelming, considering the high expectations that are now on him to perform. As a rookie running back who only has 33 career carries out of the backfield, there’s definitely a big chance that he gets overwhelmed in his rookie season and struggles to make much of a difference. Of course, we hope the opposite is true, but it’s smart to prepare for either.

What it boils down to, for fantasy purposes at least, is taking advantage of a low-risk, high-reward player that could potentially pay dividends for you down the road. If you are able to grab Gibson off of the waiver wire, or if you haven’t drafted yet and you add him to your team in the middle-to-late rounds, how much will it hurt you if he busts in his rookie season?

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Report: Washington plans to keep QB Alex Smith on 53-man roster

It appears that Alex Smith will be a part of the Washington roster going forward, which is another incredible step in his road to recovery.

One of the biggest questions for the Washington Football Team heading into this weekend’s roster cut-down is surrounding quarterback Alex Smith, who has incredibly battled his way back from a gruesome leg injury that threatened both his career and his life over the past year.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Washington’s plan is to keep Smith on the 53-man roster, rather than sending him to the injured reserve for at least 8 weeks, which would be the other option. It was unexpected that the team would cut Smith, especially after all that he’s been through with his recovery thus far.

Keeping Smith on the 53-man roster complicates things a bit for Washington, as they will be struggling to decide on the last few roster spots between the offensive line, linebacker, and cornerback.

For Smith, though, this is a great achievement and one of many that he’s had over the past year. If he can step foot on the field at any point this season, that Comeback Player of the Year award is his for the taking.

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Report: Washington involves LB Ryan Anderson in trade talks

As the final roster-cut is less than a day away, Washington is reportedly involving LB Ryan Anderson in trade talks.

With less than a day until the Washington Football Team is forced to cut down their roster to 53 players, a report has surfaced that LB Ryan Anderson is being raised in trade talks, according to Albert Breer.

Anderson has played well in training camp thus far, but his position on the Washington defense is an interesting one, as his position is unknown thanks to the switch from a 3-4 to 4-3 scheme. In the old 3-4 scheme, Anderson played as an outside linebacker, but in a 4-3 scheme, he doesn’t fit perfectly into a DE edge rusher role.

Nonetheless, Anderson has played well thus far, and Washington would likely be able to at the very least get a decent mid-round draft pick for him in return if they were to find a trade suitor. Stay tuned.

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Report: 3 teams have inquired about RB Adrian Peterson after release from Washington

After Peterson was released in Washington on Friday, a few teams have come forward to inquire about adding him to the roster.

With Adrian Peterson now open to join other teams after his release in Washington on Friday morning, reports are coming out that there are three teams who have inquired about picking him up for the 2020 season, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

We posited earlier on Friday that there were a number of teams who might be interested in bringing in Peterson, who is a veteran back that still has a lot to give to the game, it seems. Before the surprise release for Washington, AP was expected to be the starting RB for the 2020 season, leading a backfield of Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Bryce Love, and Peyton Barber. Washington’s decision to go with the young players reportedly didn’t have anything to do with Peterson’s skill level, but rather a desire to see what they have with the younger generation.

We will keep things posted as more news about a potential landing spot for AP comes to light.

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Should Adrian Peterson be considered the Carmelo Anthony of the NFL?

Both future Hall-of-Famers who have struggled to find a home late in their career, the comparisons between Peterson and Carmelo are stark.

A veteran player who may be a bit past his prime, yet still has the ability to have a big impact both on the field and in the locker room. Someone who had a great career early on yet has bounced around the league for the past few years looking for a team that will hold onto him. A future Hall-of-Famer that has been cast aside and still believes that he has a lot to give to the game.

Is it Adrian Peterson or Carmelo Anthony?

It’s not often that you can draw such accurate comparisons between stars of two different sports, but these two seem to line up quite well, as was pointed out by ESPN’s Field Yates on the show Get Up! on Friday morning. Here is his full explanation:

To me, Adrian Peterson is akin to the Carmelo Anthony of the NFL. Anthony is a player that maybe some of the analytics minds of basketball would tell you is basically replacement level; he was so for Portland this year. But we all saw how reverentially players treat and react to having Carmelo Anthony. Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Blazers teammates were all holding Melo to the highest standards, and he made some big buckets for them, that much is clear. Adrian Peterson is a guy that, any locker room he walks into, you’re going to have dozens of players who are looking up to him as literally their football idol, because they watched Adrian Peterson and molded their game after him growing up. That being said, he is purely a first- and second-down runner, and we just saw this a few years ago — he couldn’t find a job until late April, when he eventually signed a contract with the Saints. You know what happened from there? He got traded because he couldn’t play for New Orleans at all. He ends up in Arizona, he has to wait for a while to get a job in Washington as well. The league does not hold that specific role in the same regards as they do a player who can play on all three downs and impact the passing game. He’s a great leader, there are going to be players who clamor for Adrian Peterson on their team, but I think he’s going to have to be patient right now because I don’t have an obvious suitor that makes sense in my immediate thoughts for Adrian Peterson’s next step.

While Peterson may struggle to stay on the field during all three downs and have an impact in the passing game, Anthony at times struggled to adapt to the three-point heavy NBA style of play, sticking to his patented mid-range jumper game.

Before Friday’s news of AP’s release, it appeared that both players had found their homes; Melo with Portland, and Peterson with Washington. That, of course, is no longer the case, with the latter once again looking for work. Hopefully, he finds it soon, and he can keep driving his feet more before riding off into that sunset.

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3 potential landing spots for Adrian Peterson going forward

Now that he has been released by Washington, Adrian Peterson may have a few different suitors in the NFL going forward.

It’s clear that the Washington Football Team doesn’t have a desire to keep running back Adrian Peterson around for the future, but the veteran made it known on Friday morning after his release that he still believes he has a lot to give to whoever wants him.

So who might want him? That could be a tough question, considering that after his long stint with the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson has bounced around the league a little bit and struggled to find a home. Still, what he did over the past two years in Washington could prove that he is of a lot of value for a team who could use a boost in the running game, particularly on first and second down.

What makes the most sense is for a playoff-contending team to snatch him up and add his veteran presence to the locker room, while also making use of his remaining talent on the field. Here are our three best candidates to fill that role.

New England Patriots

Nobody is quite sure what to expect from the Patriots this season, as it will be their first without Tom Brady in almost two decades. With Cam Newton at the helm, though, there is still a great chance that they can be dynamic on offense, though they are lacking weapons in both the running and passing game. As a strong, early-down runner who can bring some leadership to the locker room, Peterson could immediately come and help Bill Belichick carry on his legacy without Brady.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Is this a joke answer, or could it actually come to fruition? I think it’s a little bit of both, but considering the number of veteran signings they’ve made this offseason, it could very well happen. Of course, the team just signed Leonard Fournette this past week, so a crowded backfield may not be able to support AP coming in as well, but the Bucs definitely fit the criteria of a team with Super Bowl aspirations who could benefit from some experience and leadership in the locker room.

Chicago Bears

The injury to David Montgomery this offseason definitely hurt the Bears, so they stand out a potential suitor for AP as well. However, the team had the opportunity to sign Fournette this past week, and Matt Nagy said that they like their RB room, and they plan to go with what they have. On the flip-side, there may be no team who better knows the pain that Peterson can bring in the running game than the Chicago Bears, thanks to his many years with the Vikings. Might that change their minds? It’s possible.

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Upset about release, Peterson says Washington ‘has promise’ that he wished to be a part of

Though the record doesn’t show it, AP knows that Washington has a bright future, and he’s upset he won’t be a part of it anymore.

Some may look at the news that Adrian Peterson was released by the Washington Football Team on Friday morning and find it a blessing in disguise for the 35-year-old veteran running back who was going to have to split carries a number of ways this season.

For Peterson himself, though, it’s still going to take some time for that news to process in his head. But for now, he can’t help but admit that he’s a bit upset by the release.

“It just sucks because I feel this team really has some promise and I won’t be a part of it,” Peterson said, via ESPN’s John Keim. 

Promise is why Peterson wanted to stick around, and promise might be the reason he was released in the first place. Deciding to rid of the player who was slotted to be the RB1 in the first game of the season in early September is definitely a shock to all, but it was a decision that was driven by the fact that Washington feels confident in what they have in Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic, and Bryce Love, and Peyton Barber. We’ve yet to see any of them actually perform on the field in Washington’s new system, but what they’ve done so far in training camp has the team at least confident enough that they’ll be able to have a lasting impact.

“I noticed that my role would be reduced,” Peterson said. “We got Gibson and J.D. and though we were all learning the same things, there are guys they selected during the draft and have in mind that they want to use for certain positions.”

Depending on where AP goes, he definitely could be better off down the road, where he could potentially play a meaningful role on a playoff-contending team, rather than leading a bunch of young players in Washington. For now, though, we can agree that this sucks a little bit. AP was an incredible player and an extraordinary teammate, and he will be missed in Washington.

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What does Adrian Peterson’s release mean for your fantasy football team?

With Antonio Gibson now assuming the starting RB role in Washington, there are some major fantasy football implications to be had.

While the Washington Football Team is working to make their actual roster on the field work after the surprise release of veteran RB Adrian Peterson, there are a number of fantasy football managers around the world who may be wondering something similar.

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With the NFL season just a week from being kicked off, many teams have already been drafted, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if you rostered Peterson with hopes of him being the starting RB in Washington. So now that he’s gone, what do you do? Here are some tips.

Pick up Antonio Gibson Immediately

If you can do so, you need to be rushing to your waiver wire and looking to pick up rookie Antonio Gibson immediately if he is available, which may not be the case. Gibson has already been one of the young players picking up ‘sleeper buzz’ this season, so there’s a good chance that he is already rostered by someone who just won the lottery on Friday morning, but you at least need to check.

Even as the RB2 in Washington, many expected Gibson to have a nice rookie season where he could help win you a couple of games. Now that he is stepping into the starting role, though, his value just went through the roof. When you consider that the release of AP was primarily to give these young players more of a chance, namely Gibson, it’s exciting to think of the possibilities that he will have in Scott Turner’s offense. We could be dealing with a young superstar on our hands, and you’ll want to do everything you can to get a piece of it.

Hold on to Adrian Peterson

Just because AP is no longer a member of the Washington Football Team doesn’t mean his value has plummeted. In fact, depending on where he ends up landing, it could potentially help him down the road if he goes to a contending team that has an easier path to scoring points than Washington typically does.

I would hang onto AP for the time being and watch to see what happens. We saw two years ago in Washington that he doesn’t need much ramp-up time to get going, and he can definitely go to a new system and start to provide an impact right away.

Be open to fliers in Washington

This move seemingly caused all of the other backs in Washington to take a step forward in the value chart. While players like Bryce Love, J.D. McKissic, or Peyton Barber were unlikely to be rostered a couple of days ago, you can now look at potentially adding and stashing them for future use. If it were me, I would try to pick up McKissic first, and maybe Love if he is unavailable. We haven’t yet seen enough from Barber to make me think that he is going to have a legitimate impact on the offense in Washington, but it’s something to keep your eye on.

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‘I was having a strong camp;’ Adrian Peterson says release caught him by surprise

After another strong camp where he was taking reps as the starting RB, Peterson says that he was shocked by his release in Washington.

Were you surprised to wake up to the news that Washington had released veteran RB Adrian Peterson on Monday? You’re not alone.

According to AP, who was slotted to the be starting RB at age 35, the release came as a shock to him on Friday, especially after he had been taking all of the first-team reps throughout training camp. When talking to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Peterson said that he’d had a discussion with coach Ron Rivera on Thursday about getting more reps for the younger guys on the team, but he by no means thought that meant that he was being released.

In the end, AP is taking this as the consummate professional that he has always been, and says that he respects Rivera for the tough decision that he had to make. He even went on to praise rookie RB Antonio Gibson, who will now step into the starting spot, saying that the offense is perfectly suited for him.

Going forward, there is surely going to be a team that will try to snatch AP up and get him on their offense. It won’t be long until Peterson is putting on another uniform and bulldozing through the front line once again.

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Peterson calls RB Antonio Gibson a ‘hell of a talent,’ says Washington system fits him well

Antonio Gibson is now the starting RB in Washington, and Adrian Peterson says the system they’re running fits him very well.

After news broke that Washington decided to release veteran running back Adrian Peterson, many people are trying to make sense why it happened, including Peterson himself. After the expected starter Derrius Guice was released last month, it seemed to be AP’s spot to fill, and many believed that he would do it well once again, as he has for his entire career.

In the end, though, Ron Rivera and the team decided to do away with the 35-year-old workhorse, opting instead to ride the young rookie Antonio Gibson, who was drafted in the third round this past season. When talking to ESPN’s Josina Anderson after his release on Friday, Peterson gave a lot of credit to Gibson, saying that he is a perfect fit for this new offensive system that they are working to run in Washington.

Hearing of AP’s release is tough for fans, and tough for the player as well. As one of the best RBs to ever play the game, there was a thought that he could once again lead the backfield in Washington, and according to his own words, he was adapting well to the new pass-catching style of play that Scott Turner was bringing to the table.

However, it wasn’t meant to be apparently, and now Peterson will be looking for yet another team. We wish you all the best in the future AP, and thank you for helping out in Washington for the past couple of seasons.

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