Austin Ekeler on Chargers’ free agency interest: ‘There was a misalignment’

Austin Ekeler revealed more about his free agency process.

New Commanders running back Austin Ekeler revealed more about his free agency process on Meadowlark Media’s “God Bless Football” podcast. In his conversations with the Chargers, Ekeler said there was a “misalignment” between his vision and what the team had in mind.

The Chargers came to me and kinda told me what they were looking at in the running back position and it wasn’t what I can offer as a player. There was a misalignment. Yeah, they’re interested, but are you really? If all else fails, bring Austin back in type of thing? Because I don’t want to be in that scenario. If that’s your philosophy and what you’re telling me and I don’t fit that, I gotta look somewhere else.

With the switch to a new offense and a Greg Roman-based rushing attack, it seems like Ekeler is directly referencing the scheme’s more downhill nature compared to what he has played in for most of his career. The Chargers moved pretty quickly in free agency to sign Gus Edwards to a two-year contract.

Ekeler also said he was specifically looking for a team that had a No. 1 running back that he could complement. He compared Brian Robinson and himself in Washington’s backfield to what the Melvin Gordon-Ekeler tandem used to be with the Chargers.

Prior to signing with Washington, Ekeler mentioned that Baltimore and Green Bay had interest in him. The Raiders “went silent” on their interest after losing Josh Jacobs despite GM Tom Telesco being in charge, per Ekeler. Vegas eventually went on to sign Alexander Mattison.

It never seemed likely that Ekeler would be back after being injured last season and showing some signs of decline when he did return. The Kellen Moore scheme never fully fit what he did well in particular. The Roman run game, as mentioned earlier, is an even further departure from what Ekeler’s primary skillset is.

Ekeler also mentioned catching up with former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn as he’s now in Washington as the Commanders’ running back coach. Former Chargers cornerback Michael Davis also signed with Washington earlier this week.

Commanders have the 5th-cheapest offense in the NFL for 2024

This number will certainly go up after the draft.

New Washington general manager Adam Peters quickly began working on improving the Commanders’ roster when free agency kicked off last week. Peters has signed 21 players, but only four were with Washington last season.

Much of Peters’ attention in the early stages of free agency has been focused on defense — for good reason. The Commanders were dead last in most defensive metrics in 2023. With new head coach Dan Quinn and upgrades at defensive end and linebacker, Washington should be much better defensively next season.

The offense needs work, too. It underachieved in 2023 for multiple reasons. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is gone after one season, making way for Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders also traded quarterback Sam Howell, paving the way for a rookie to start.

With several holes remaining on offense, the Commanders will likely use the draft to upgrade multiple positions, including quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver and tight end.

Washington’s focus on improving the defense was needed. But how much have the Commanders invested in offense in 2024? According to Warren Sharp, using data from Over the Cap, Washington has the 28th most expensive offense—or fifth cheapest—with $82.8 million committed on that side of the ball next season.

That number will change. The Commanders still have plenty of cap space to add an expensive veteran should one become available and still sign a large draft class.

Washington will likely take a quarterback at No. 2 overall. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick, C.J. Stroud, signed a four-year deal worth $36.9 million with a cap hit of $6.6 million as a rookie.

The Commanders’ most expensive player is wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who will count $24.1 against the cap in 2024. Washington’s most notable offensive free agents thus far have been running back Austin Ekeler, quarterback Marcus Mariota and center Tyler Biadasz.

On Sunday, we’ll take a look at Washington’s defensive spending for 2024.

Austin Ekeler’s plans with the Commanders: ‘Score some touchdowns’

Austin Ekeler expects to score lots of touchdowns for the Commanders.

On the first day of the legal tampering period last week, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters was busy revamping his roster.

Peters’ first moves were agreeing to terms with center Tyler Biadasz, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and linebacker Frankie Luvu. Finally, Peters landed a weapon for his offense, which is expected to feature a rookie quarterback.

The Commanders agreed to terms with running back Austin Ekeler on a two-year deal, giving them one of the NFL’s premier pass-catching backs who has a nose for the end zone.

The former undrafted free agent spent his first seven seasons with the Chargers. In 2019, Ekeler had 92 receptions and eight receiving touchdowns. Ekeler also rushed for 557 yards and three scores. In 2021 and 2022, Ekeler was arguably the NFL’s most productive back, rushing for over 900 yards each year with 25 combined touchdowns and catching 177 passes for 13 more touchdowns.

Unfortunately, Ekeler took a step back last season, rushing for 628 yards and five scores while catching 51 passes.

In his introductory press conference this week, Ekeler acknowledged last season’s struggles, attributing it to a change in direction for the Chargers offense and an ankle injury that impacted Ekeler all season.

Ekeler did sustain an ankle injury early in the season and battled through it, missing just three games. He acknowledged the injury but made it clear he wasn’t making excuses.

Instead, he has big plans for 2024.

“I’m going to score some touchdowns for you, that’s for sure,” Ekeler said. “I’m going to bring some energy.”

Ekeler will share backfield duties with rising third-year back Brian Robinson Jr., which excites Ekeler.

If Robinson and Ekeler remain healthy in 2024, the Commanders could have one of the NFL’s best backfields.

A successful opening day of free agency for the Commanders

The Commanders made good, smart moves on Monday with an eye on the short-term and long-term future.

There was some anticipation on how new general manager Adam Peters would approach his first free-agency period in charge of the Washington Commanders.

No team had more cap space in the NFL than Washington, and Peters cautioned weeks ago not to expect splashy moves. Some took that as Peters saying the Commanders would not be active.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth, as Washington agreed to terms with six new players on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period.

Here are the moves:

  • DE Dorance Armstrong: 3-year deal
  • C Tyler Biadasz: 3-year deal
  • LB Frankie Luvu: 3-year deal
  • RB Austin Ekeler: 2-year deal
  • K Brandon McManus: 1-year deal
  • G Nick Allegretti: 3-year deal

Of those names, Ekeler’s probably stands out above the rest. However, all six of Washington’s expected new signings (players can’t officially sign with their new team until Wednesday) will either start or play a significant role in 2024.

Gone are the days of Washington winning the offseason. That title belongs to the Eagles these days. The Commanders entered this version of free agency with a lot of cash and a lot of needs. So, instead of sinking significant money into one player, Peters used that cash to find starters at several positions, improving Washington’s overall talent level without sacrificing the team’s future.

Brilliant.

Of these six new signees, only McManus — a kicker — is over 30. All are on manageable contracts with no commitments beyond the 2026 season. If any of these players thrive, the Commanders can sign them to an extension.

Peters’ strategy was precisely what Washington needed to do. The roster’s lack of overall talent meant the Commanders needed to make moves. As we expected, the new additions involved some familiarity.

Armstrong and Biadasz followed head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. to Washington. Ekeler was with running backs coach Anthony Lynn for four seasons with the Chargers.

The Commanders were clearly focused on improving the pass rush. Adding Armstrong does that and Washington isn’t done there. Also, this regime wouldn’t ignore the offensive line, especially with a rookie quarterback expected to arrive next month. Biadasz gives the Commanders a good, young, reliable center to work with a young quarterback.

Luvu answers a significant need at linebacker, which should benefit Jamin Davis. Luvu does everything well and is the type of linebacker the Commanders have lacked for years.

Ekeler is a perfect complement to Brian Robinson Jr. and can be a safety valve for a rookie quarterback with his pass-blocking and receiving skills out of the backfield.

We’ll break down each of Washington’s signings once they become official, but overall, it’s an excellent beginning for Peters.

 

Fantasy football: Washington Commanders add Austin Ekeler

Ekeler moves on from the Chargers and joins the committee in Washington.

The Washington Commanders  wasted no time replacing the departed Antonio Gibson by grabbing Austin Ekeler as an upgrade for the new offense under OC Kliff Kingsbury. Ekeler spent seven seasons with the Chargers, and three of which produced Top-5 fantasy running back stats.

Ekeler signed a two-year deal worth up to $11 million. His production dropped last season with the change in offense and the eventual midseason firing of then-head coach Brandon Staley. His negotiating status dropped considerably from 2022 when he was the No. 1 fantasy running back.

YEAR GMS RUNS YARDS TDS TARG CATCH YARDS TDS PPR PTS RANK PPR
2017 13 47 260 2 35 27 279 3 110.9 43
2018 14 106 554 3 53 39 404 3 170.8 25
2019 16 132 557 3 108 92 993 8 313 4
2020 10 116 530 1 65 54 403 2 165.3 26
2021 16 206 911 12 94 70 647 8 345.8 2
2022 17 204 915 13 127 107 722 5 378.7 1
2023 14 179 628 5 74 51 436 1 193.4 24

The Commanders are entering the first season under HC Dan Quinn and the offense will be directed by Kingsbury. The new scheme is not expected to immediately be as pass-happy as his previous time with the Cardinals and last season helping the USC Trojans, but there’s still plenty of time left for the offense to be remade and acquire more players.

Ekeler joins a backfield that has the burly 6-1, 228-pound Brian Robinson Jr. as the primary rusher, and Ekeler’s expected to add mostly as a receiver in the committee approach. He turns 29 years old in May, and isn’t likely to see a heavy rushing load in Washington. Even with the Chargers, he had maxed out around 200 carries in the last two seasons and has durability concerns as he ages.

While the offense continues to evolve, the expectation is that Ekeler adds in a handful of carries to complement Robinson, and catches 60 to 70 passes as well. He’ll drop back from his typical first-round status of the last three seasons, but still offer consistent fantasy points in leagues rewarding receptions.

Commanders agree to terms with Chargers RB Austin Ekeler

The Commanders are expected to sign one of the NFL’s top backs in recent years to pair with Brian Robinson Jr.

The Washington Commanders are staying busy. Shortly after agreeing to terms with Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu on the first day of the legal tampering period Monday, Washington also agreed to terms with longtime Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler, who will turn 29 in May, agreed to a two-year deal with Washington, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

An undrafted free agent from Western Colorado in 2017, Ekeler has been one of the NFL’s best running backs for the past few seasons. The 2023 season was a down one season for Ekeler, after rushing for over 900 yards and 13 touchdowns with 107 receptions and five receiving touchdowns in 2022.

Considered one of the NFL’s premier pass-catching backs, Ekeler replaces Antonio Gibson, who left Washington for New England.

For his NFL career, Ekeler has 4,355 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns and an average of 4.4 yards per attempt. He also has 440 career receptions for 3,884 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Ekeler played the first four seasons of his career under new Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn, who was his head coach with the Chargers.

Giants ‘looking at’ Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard in free agency

The Giants are reportedly “looking at” running backs Tony Pollard and Austin Ekeler as free agency approaches.

We’re less than 24 hours away from NFL Free Agency Frenzy ’24 and the New York Giants are locked and loaded for action.

General manager Joe Schoen has approximately $40 million in cap space to play with and plenty of holes to fill on his roster. Not all of Schoen’s moves will be via free agency, though.

He will undoubtedly use the draft to bolster the roster, as well as explore the trade market.

The rumor mill has been warming up the past week. The Giants met with the recently released Russell Wilson and could be eyeing signing him as an upgrade to the oft-injured Daniel Jones.

As per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, it wouldn’t cost the Giants very much to take a shot at Wilson:

The key thing to understand with Wilson is that he is practically free. He is owed $39 million fully guaranteed from the Broncos this season no matter what, and any money he earns from another team this year will be offset against that $39 million — meaning the Broncos basically get that amount back. Wilson has no motivation to do the Broncos any favors, so he has no motivation to take anything more than a minimum salary deal. If you want Wilson on a one-year deal, the most you would have to pay him is $1,377,500 (the $1.21 million minimum salary established by the CBA and $167,500 in additional veteran salary benefit compensation that Article 27 of the CBA allows you to exempt from your salary cap).

With Saquon Barkley headed for free agency and likely out of the Giants’ price range, they will have to look at alternatives at running back.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Giants are “looking” at veteran backs such as Austin Ekeler and Tony Pollard.

The Giants are still in the mix on a potential re-sign (of Barkley) but are also looking at other options, such as Tony Pollard and Austin Ekeler.

The Giants are angling for inexpensive options at running back as they move towards a backfield-by-committee approach.

As for potential trades, a trade for Carolina edge rusher Brian Burns is a possibility. Burns was assigned the franchise tag by the Panthers, which will pay him $21.3 million for 2024.

Our Dan Benton recently went through how such a deal for Burns would transpire. It is also becoming more favorable with time.

The reality is, Schoen wants to get some studs on the offensive line. It looks as if he would like to land one of the top guards in this free-agent class and augment the group with some draft picks.

Graziano says that free-agent guards are ‘likely to do well’.

Kevin Dotson’s new deal with the Rams opened a lot of eyes. His average of $16 million per year is much higher than many anticipated, and the hope among the top free agent guards such as Miami’s Robert Hunt, Detroit’s Jonah Jackson and Baltimore’s John Simpson is that it will push up the ceiling for their own deals.

Schoen better pack a lunch, as there will be a lot of competition for those players mentioned come Monday.

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7 running back the Ravens could target in free agency

We’re looking at ten running backs the Baltimore Ravens could target during the 2024 NFL Free Agency period

The Ravens have several pressing needs this off-season, but one exciting position to watch will be running back, where three players (Melvin Gordon, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards) could all move on in free agency.

Baltimore could add a player in the draft, but if they want to make a splashy or value signing at the start of next week’s free-agent period, GM Eric DeCosta has plenty of big-named options to target.

We’re considering ten running backs Baltimore could target with the new league year fast approaching.

10 running backs the Eagles could target in NFL free agency

We’re looking at 10 running backs the Philadelphia Eagles could target during the 2024 NFL Free Agency period

The Eagles have several pressing needs this off-season, but one exciting position to watch will be running back, where three players (D’Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott) could all move on in free agency.

Philadelphia could add a player in the draft, but if they want to make a splashy or value signing at the start of next week’s free-agent period, GM Howie Roseman has plenty of big-named options to target.

The Eagles added a new offensive coordinator in former Cowboys and Chargers play caller Kellen Moore. He’ll look to institute a”physical, north-and-south run game” rooted in”getting downhill.”

With the new league year fast approaching, we’re looking at ten running backs Philadelphia could target.

Chargers OC Greg Roman emphasizes importance of strong running game

Greg Roman has always boasted strong rushing offenses.

Jim Harbaugh spotlighted improving the running game at his introductory press conference. In hopes of having his vision materialized, Harbaugh hired Greg Roman, a run offense specialist, to oversee the offense.

Roman believes that running the ball effectively will aid Justin Herbert’s play.

“Can you imagine Justin Herbert with a great running game?” Roman said, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “… We don’t know, but I can imagine what it might look like. So that’s kind of the vision.”

The Chargers have not had an efficient running game since LaDainian Tomlinson donned the blue and gold. Since 2008, they have finished outside the top 10 in rushing yards per game, most recently finishing 24th.

“I think in this league, you can really, really help dictate the defenses if you have a strong running attack,” Roman said. “If you really talk to most defensive coordinators in this league and got them off to the side when they’re playing a really good running team, they’re sweating a little bit. They’re sleeping a little less that week.”

During Roman’s four seasons as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator (2019-2022), they led the league in rushing yards per game (175.2). When he was Harbaugh’s OC with the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, they were second in the NFL in that time frame in rushing yards per game (139.3).

Roman had Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson as his quarterbacks, and they’re known for their athletic prowesses and the ability to use their legs.

Herbert, on the other hand, is athletic enough to run. But he is more of a prominent passer, which has many wondering how Roman will balance a heavy run game and still let Herbert do his thing through the air.

“It’s going to be a little different,” Roman said. “I think you’re going to see probably a multiple running game. You’ll probably see the use of motions and shifting, and then you’ll see a pretty diverse passing game.

“… Right now, everybody’s got a blank slate of who we can be or what we can do. Could be anything right now, our principles and whatnot of what we do offensively won’t change, but how they come to life on the field will.”

While Roman isn’t known for his passing game, Marcus Brady, who was hired to be the team’s passing game coordinator, should help maximize the offense in that department.

“We’re trying to be great at running the ball, and we’re trying to be great at throwing the ball. We’re trying to be great at both all the time.”