Tag: Austin Ekeler

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler: ‘I have no intentions of slowing down’

Austin Ekeler sees big things for himself in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

Remember when the Washington Commanders signed veteran running back Austin Ekeler to a two-year deal in the early moments of free agency in March? Many reacted that Washington overpaid Ekeler. We aren’t sure how giving Ekeler a two-year deal worth up to $11.43 million is a bad deal.

Ekeler had a down year for the Chargers in 2023. However, the Chargers, much like the Commanders, had a horrible season playing out the string with a lame-duck head coach. Additionally, Ekeler was dealing with a nagging injury that he played through for most of the season.

Washington, with new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, had a plan for Ekeler. His signing with the Commanders reunited Ekeler with his first NFL head coach, Anthony Lynn. Washington hired Lynn as the running backs coach/run game coordinator in the offseason. The Commanders believe a backfield consisting of Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. can be one of the NFL’s best.

Ekeler, who has been the NFL’s best pass-catching back for several seasons, can also be a safety valve for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Ekeler still believes he has plenty left to give Washington.

“It’s been great,” Ekeler told Scott Abraham of ABC 7 in Washington. “I think every year is the same type of adjustment minus this year for me the location. What I mean by that is coming in, establishing yourself, establishing your role, being a leader at the position I’m at, and continue to bring everyone along and push yourself at the same time.”

Ekeler then discussed his motivation entering year eight of his career.

“I think it’s just really something that’s been built into my journey. I’ve come from what I call the bottom and took the stairs. And have no intentions of slowing down. So, for me, it’s continue to push myself because I want to see how far I can take my capabilities.”

Ekeler seems excited about his role in Kingsbury’s offense.

“To put the right plays in place and put players like myself, I’m all over the field, I’m in the slot, I’m out wide,” Ekeler said.

Washington believes it has two starting running backs, Robinson and Ekeler. Both will be on the field at the same time at times.

Rich Eisen believes the Commanders will be one of the NFL’s top sleepers in 2024

Playoffs? Eisen thinks it’s a possibility for the Commanders in 2024.

The Washington Commanders aren’t expected to be a playoff team in 2024. Considering Washington went 4-13 last season, that’s not a surprise. However, there is a lot of goodwill and excitement surrounding the Commanders after the franchise underwent massive changes this offseason.

One person who thinks the Commanders have a chance to be good is Rich Eisen. On a recent edition of the “Rich Eisen Show,” Eisen named his top five sleeper teams for 2024. The Commanders came in at No. 2.

“I like the Washington Commanders to really wake up, guys,” Eisen said. Jayden Daniels, despite what the coach is saying that we need to see something before we name him the starter, he’s going to be your starting quarterback. Terry McLaurin is as good as they come in the National Football League. And I love Austin Ekeler with Brian Robinson Jr., and you know how DQ, Dan Quinn, can rile some people up. This team is going to be good this year, folks. I think they can make the playoffs.”

It’s difficult to go from four wins to the playoffs in one offseason. It’s been done before. Remember how bad the Houston Texans were in 2022? Like Washington, Houston selected a quarterback with the second overall pick in the draft and went from worst to first.

While the Texans remain more of an outlier right now, that can’t be ruled out. With many questions surrounding the Dallas Cowboys, there’s a chance the NFC East will take a step back this year.

Can the Commanders make the playoffs? The defense will be much better. That’s a guarantee. Two things that will help determine Washington’s season are rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offensive line. If both things go in the Commanders’ favor, watch out.

Where do Commanders rank among all NFL 32 teams in skill position talent?

How good are Washington’s skill positions heading into the 2024 season?

A quick glance at the Washington Commanders’ offensive roster and some names stand out. Wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, tight end Zach Ertz and running back Austin Ekeler.

But with those questions are some concerns.

Ertz is 33 and coming off a couple of injury-shortened seasons. Ekeler is 29 but is coming off a disappointing season. McLaurin is a star and always reliable. Dotson was expected to be a breakout star last summer, but that didn’t happen for multiple reasons — some within his control, others not so much.

The most significant offensive change for Washington in 2024 is under center. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels brings excitement to the Commanders. How good can Daniels be as a rookie? Does Washington have enough around him?

We know there are concerns about the offensive line. What about at the skill positions? In addition to the aforementioned names, the Commanders have third-year running back Brian Robinson Jr., rookie wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and rookie tight end Ben Sinnott.

How does Washington’s group of skill talent compare to the rest of the NFL?

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ranked every NFL team’s skill players (running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends). Washington ranked 26th.

We’re firmly in the tier of teams that have one commanding wide receiver and a shrug of the shoulders for everything else behind that wideout on the roster. In Washington, the main man is Terry McLaurin, who has spent his entire career in quarterback hell. If he had racked up 91 more receiving yards as a rookie, he would be able to boast of five consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns while catching passes from 10 different quarterbacks. As bad as Commanders passers have been over his career, they’ve posted a 41.1 QBR with their star wideout on the field and a staggeringly bad 30.4 mark without him.

I’m willing to believe McLaurin is a top-15 wide receiver in a vacuum, but there isn’t much around him. Jahan Dotson, a first-rounder in 2022, failed to build upon his rookie campaign and had just 158 receiving yards in eight games during the second half of the season. Curtis Samuel departed and was replaced by rookie Luke McCaffrey. Logan Thomas has been swapped out for 33-year-old tight end Zach Ertz, who was a catch-and-fall guy last season. No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels will need McCaffrey or rookie tight end Ben Sinnott to grow into a second option behind McLaurin.

Barnwell was optimistic about Washington’s running backs, specifically Robinson. He also likes Ekeler’s pass-catching skills, even if he has lost a step.

Is Barnwell too high or low on Washington’s skill talent?

For now, it’s fair to rank the Commanders in the 20s. There is talent in the building, but also question marks. If Dotson lives up to his first-round billing, Robinson’s career takes off, and the rookies (Sinnott and McCaffrey) are immediate contributors, this list will look much different after the season.

 

Fantasy Football Top-10 Repeatability: Running Backs

Take a step back and see how the Top-10 RBs change from year to year.

A Top-10 running back is a difference maker because not they score among the highest fantasy points of any position, and do so with great consistency.  The position has fallen in value over the last several years and the reliance on a workhorse back wanes each season. But – there is still an undeniable advantage to owning a Top-10 fantasy running back.

Also see: Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end

Below are all running backs that produced a Top-10 finish in any of the past five seasons, and what they did in the other years. This shows the volatility of the position and how rarely backs actually return to the Top-10 the following season, despite the fact we all draft like they are going to repeat.

Chance of repeating Top-10 = 20%

Running backs have been on the decline for many years while backfields become more fragmented and workloads spread over more “specialists.” That’s accelerated greatly for the last two seasons, and it is not just injuries shaking up depth charts.

Consider that in the last two years, 18 running backs made the Top-10. Only Joe Mixon and Derrick Henry logged back-to-back Top-10 seasons. And both have changed teams for 2024. The volatility of the top players is dramatic and unlike any other position. Six of the 2023 Top-10 were no better than No. 33 in 2022. Austin Ekeler and Josh Jacobs were in the Top-2 for 2022 and yet fell to No. 24 and No. 27 respectively. That’s a high draft pick last year that did no better than a fantasy RB3 for your team.

The disturbing part of this is not so much the tremendous turnover at the top, but that the new batch of elite fantasy scorers are almost all coming from deep in the rankings for the one year. The position has become the host for the annual Cinderella’s to show up and then stumble the next year.

The 2023 Top-10 running backs are very well represented in fantasy drafts with seven of them again drafted in this year’s Top-10 (Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Travis Etienne, Kyren Williams, and Derrick Henry). The only Top-10 backs who fell out of the Top-10 in drafts so far have been Rachaad White (No. 14), Joe Mixon (No. 17), and Raheem Mostert (No. 32).

Hard to argue against waiting on running backs. Very hard.

Let’s make this even worse. Consider how well the Top-10 of 2021 fared just two years later.

Joe Mixon was the only running back to be Top-10 in 2021, and then again two years later. Half of the 2021 backs failed to place better than No. 33 just two seasons later.

For better or for worse: Evaluating Chargers offense ahead of training camp

A quick rundown of each position on offense and whether the Chargers are better, worse or neutral at that spot.

The Chargers lost some key starters from last season but added a few in correspondence via free agency and the draft.

But how do they compare from the end of the 2023 regular season to now?

Let’s break it down by position, starting with the offense.

Quarterback

Offseason moves: Re-signed Easton Stick.

Summary: The Chargers are locked in with Justin Herbert. Herbert is coming off a down year, as he was hit with injuries to both hands, with his throwing hand being season-ending. Another year, another offense for Herbert, marking his fourth in five seasons in the league. Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman want to run the football, so it’ll be enticing to see how they design this offense to accomplish that and allow Herbert to flourish as a passer. They brought back Stick to serve as Herbert’s backup. Stick was the backup with zero experience as a starter until last season when Herbert was sidelined with his finger injury. Stick went on to start the final four games and finished with 1,129 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while adding 144 rushing yards and a score on 27 carries.

Verdict: Same

Running Back

Offseason moves: Lost Austin Ekeler (signed with the Commanders). Signed Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins (previously with the Ravens). Drafted Kimani Vidal (sixth-round pick)

Summary: After playing with the Chargers for seven seasons, Ekeler departed and eventually reunited with former head coach Anthony Lynn, who is now Washington’s running backs coach. With the vision of the offense pounding the rock and wearing defenses on the ground, Los Angeles went out and got guys familiar with Roman’s gap/power scheme. Edwards is coming off a year where he set career highs in rushing yards (810) and touchdowns (13). Dobbins has struggled to stay healthy, but his most productive season came under Roman in 2020 when he rushed for 805 yards, nine scores and 6.0 yards per carry. Vidal was productive at Troy, rushing for 1,661 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns on 295 carries.

Verdict: Better

Wide Receiver

Offseason moves: Traded Keenan Allen (Bears). Lost Mike Williams (signed with the Jets). Drafted Ladd McConkey (second round), Cornelius Johnson and Brenden Rice (seventh round). Signed D.J. Chark (previously with the Panthers).

Summary: Once a strength of the Chargers, now the wide receiver room lacks top-end talent after the losses of Allen and Williams. Joshua Palmer has the most experience in the group, and he is expected to take a big step in his contract year. McConkey, who Los Angeles traded up for to get in Round 2, is expected to be a significant contributor in his rookie season. He and Herbert have already started to develop a rapport. The team is hopeful that Quentin Johnston can shake off his rough rookie campaign and provide the offense with a legitimate yards-after-the-catch threat. Chark hasn’t had a productive season since 2019 with the Jaguars when he earned Pro Bowl honors. He offers elite speed to serve as a vertical threat. Johnson and Rice will compete for roster spots.

Verdict: Worse

Tight End

Offseason moves: Lost Gerald Everett (signed with the Bears). Signed Will Dissly (previously with the Seahawks) and Hayden Hurst (previously with the Panthers).

Summary: In two seasons as a Charger, Everett was vital in the passing game with his yards-after-the-catch ability and clutchness on money downs. They found their replacement for Everett with Hurst, who played under Roman for two seasons in Baltimore. Hurst offers the upside as a receiver but can also block. In a new offense where blocking tight ends are integral, they signed one of the best in that department in Dissly. The offense hasn’t had a good blocking tight end since 2020. Parham returns for another season and should be reliable in the red zone with his 6-foot-8 frame.

Verdict: Better

Offensive line

Offseason moves: Lost Corey Linsley (likely to retire). Drafted Joe Alt (first round)

Summary: The Chargers felt the loss of Linsley throughout last season when he was sidelined with his heart issue. Filling Linsley’s void was arguably the most critical offseason move. They did so with Bozeman, who has seven years of starting experience and is familiar with Roman’s scheme, having played under him for four seasons. Los Angeles struck gold with Rashawn Slater. They hope they do the same with Joe Alt, who will start opposite Slater. Alt should make a difference in the run game from Day 1. Now it’s just a matter of how he holds up against NFL pass rushers. With Alt sliding in at right tackle, Trey Pipkins will move inside to right guard. Despite never playing the position, Pipkins has the athleticism, length and football IQ to make the transition seamless.

Verdict: Slightly better

Former Giants RB Tiki Barber critical of Commanders’ Austin Ekeler

Barber didn’t agree with Ekeler saying why he was no longer a Charger.

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber has never shied away from controversy. In 2002, Barber was entering his sixth season in the NFL and criticized a teammate—siding with the team—regarding the teammate’s contract.

That player was future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan. Needless to say, Strahan was not happy, and neither were others around the league. It’s one thing to say that as a media member, but not as a current player, much less a teammate.

It’s no surprise that Barber would join the media after his career. So would Strahan, who is in a different stratosphere as co-host of the Fox NFL pregame show and “Good Morning America.”

These days, Barber co-hosts a daily radio show, “Evan & Tiki,” on WFAN Sports Radio in New York. This week, Barber made some headlines by criticizing current Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler.

Why would Barber criticize Ekeler, one of the league’s good guys?

A few weeks ago, Ekeler was a guest on “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams when he spoke of why he was no longer with the Los Angeles Chargers.

“They went out and drafted a tackle in the first round, brought in some bigger backs over from Baltimore,” Ekeler said. “They want a guy that can hand the ball off to 200-300 times a year, and look, I haven’t had the capacity to do that; that’s not my game. That’s not how Austin Ekeler is going to be best on the field. There was a misalignment there, no harm, no foul. I will go find somewhere else where I can add value, where Austin can be the best version of myself out there.”

From the sounds of it, Ekeler was being honest. As a running back entering his eighth NFL season, Ekeler understands better than anyone what he can best give a team at this stage of his career. The Commanders agreed, signing Ekeler to a two-year contract early in free agency, where he is expected to be a focal point of new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

“Austin Ekeler said something the other day; it was so discouraging,” Barber began. “So discouraging. It had nothing to do with anything. He was asked about why the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers weren’t ideal for him or why they moved on from him. And you know what his answer was? They want a guy who can run the ball 300 times per season.”

“So, in other words, Ekeler was saying he can’t do that,” his co-host asked Barber.

“Yes,” Barber said. “Go look at how many times I ran the ball 300 times a year,” he said. “He’s just saying, ‘It’s not my game.’ Dude, you couldn’t get me off the field.”

Next, they debated about running back pay and how much Christian McCaffrey carries the football, with Barber noting how many “100-percent participation games” McCaffrey has had in his career.

In his 10-year career, Barber carried the football 300 times or more four different times. He was also a solid receiver out of the backfield. However, his argument here holds no weight. The NFL has determined the value for every running back not named McCaffrey. He’s different from everyone else, much like Patrick Mahomes was different from the rest of the league’s quarterbacks.

Ekeler attempted to get an extension with the Chargers before last season. They weren’t budging. When Harbaugh took over, he runs a completely different offense and Ekeler was not a fit. In today’s NFL, Ekeler does fit a number of teams. One of those teams is Washington. Barber’s Giants were reportedly even considering Ekeler before they lost Saquon Barkley.

Perhaps this was an opportunity for Barber to talk about himself and his playing career. Otherwise, his comments are meaningless.

 

Giants were looking at Austin Ekeler as potential Saquon Barkley replacement

Barkley signed with the Eagles this offseason, while the Commanders signed Ekeler.

In case you missed it, the latest edition of “Hard Knocks” debuted on Tuesday night. It features the New York Giants’ offseason. The full name of the new version is “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.”

The series began in 2001, following a team through training camp and the preseason. “Hard Knocks” began an in-season version in 2021, and the latest edition follows an NFL franchise through the offseason for the first time.

“Hard Knocks” followed the Giants from January throughout the offseason as they made several critical decisions, such as letting star running back Saquon Barkley walk and making a huge trade for Carolina edge rusher Brian Burns. There was also the question of whether or not the Giants would draft a quarterback to replace Daniel Jones—one year after giving him a massive extension.

The Giants did let Barkley go but chose not to draft a quarterback. Instead, they gave Jones some help with the No. 6 overall pick — former LSU star wide receiver Malik Nabers.

It’s been an eventful offseason for the G-Men.

In the first episode of “Hard Knocks,” the show went behind the scenes as the Giants explored potential replacements for Barkley. One of those potential replacement was Austin Ekeler.

New York didn’t have the chance to sign Ekeler, as the Giants’ rival, Washington, prioritized Ekeler early in free agency, signing him to a two-year deal.

Others considered as possible replacements were Joe Mixon and Tony Pollard.

Ekeler figures to play a pivotal role in the Commanders’ new-look offense, led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The 29-year-old Ekeler is arguably the top pass-catching back in the NFL – an area where Barkley also excelled – and has 69 career touchdowns and 440 receptions.

The Giants settled on 26-year-old Devin Singletary, a 2019 third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills. New York general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were with the Bills when they drafted Singletary.

If you’re interested in watching “Hard Knocks,” a new episode debuts every Tuesday through July 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO. You can also stream “Hard Knocks” on Max.

How is the Commanders’ RB unit still ranked outside the top 20?

Washington should have a strong backfield in 2024.

In his second NFL season, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 733 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt. While those weren’t outstanding numbers, it’s important to note that Washington led the NFL in passing attempts while ranking dead last in rushing attempts.

The Commanders could run the ball when they chose to but rarely tried, even when games were close. This irked some Washington players, including guard Sam Cosmi.

This offseason, the Commanders moved on from former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. After hiring Dan Quinn as head coach, he hired former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury as the new offensive coordinator.

Washington wasted no time in adding to the backfield, signing veteran Austin Ekeler on the first day of free agency’s legal tampering period in March. That gave the new-look Commanders a backfield of Robinson, Ekeler and second-year pro Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Kingsbury’s offense plans to feature the run, regardless of what you hear about him as an Air Raid guy. The Commanders reportedly plan to run more 12 personnel in 2024 to support rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Robinson and Ekeler could form one of the NFL’s better duos in 2024 because of their complementary skill sets. Robinson will be the lead back, while Ekeler can operate as the third-down back. While both are good receivers in the passing game, Ekeler has been the NFL’s top pass-catching backs for years. Rodriguez represents the perfect change of pace from both.

How is Washington’s backfield viewed across the NFL?

Apparently, not too well. Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 NFL backfields and placed the Commanders at No. 24.

The Commanders ranked 16th in PFF rushing grade in 2023 before subbing out Antonio Gibson for Austin Ekeler this offseason. Ekeler is coming off the lowest single-season rushing and receiving grades (65.1 and 57.4) of his career, but a change of scenery for him in Washington could lead to a bounce back.

Behind Ekeler, Washington haw Brian Robinson and Chris Rodriguez Jr., both of whom earned rushing grades above 73.0 last season.

Why does PFF think Robinson will be behind Ekeler? And how is Washington’s backfield not ranked somewhere inside the top 20?

Sure, there are some concerns with Ekeler’s age, as he battled a nagging injury last season. But he says he’s healthy and from watching him during the offseason, he surely looks healthy. Robinson is re-energized under the new coaching staff.

The Commanders essentially swapped out Antonio Gibson for Ekeler. Gibson was frustrating at times, but neither of his two offensive coordinators in Washington knew how to use him. Ekeler has accomplished a lot more in his NFL career, but how much does he have left?

If the Commanders’ backfield remains healthy in 2024, they could be one of the more intriguing units in the NFL.

 

New Commanders RB Austin Ekeler talks why he is no longer with the Chargers

Ekeler discusses his exit with the Chargers and how there are no hard feelings.

Austin Ekeler was an afterthought when he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Coming out of college, Ekeler had a phenomenal career, but Western Colorado wasn’t exactly a hotbed for future NFL talent.

So, Ekeler signed as a priority free agent with the Chargers and their head coach, Anthony Lynn. Lynn, a former NFL running back and first-time head coach, was the perfect mentor for Ekeler. The pair spent four seasons together until Lynn was fired after the 2020 season.

The bond remained strong, though. This offseason, with Ekeler finally a free agent, he chose to join his mentor in his new job with the Washington Commanders. Washington hired Lynn as its running backs coach and run game coordinator.

Why did Ekeler split with the Chargers after seven seasons?

“Well, I think you can kind of see how they’ve been building the team so far this offseason,” Ekeler told Kay Adams on “Up and Adams” of the Chargers and new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

“They went out and drafted a tackle in the first round, brought in some bigger backs over from Baltimore. They want a guy that can hand the ball off to 200-300 times a year, and look, I haven’t had the capacity to do that; that’s not my game. That’s not how Austin Ekeler is going to be best on the field. There was a misalignment there, no harm, no foul. I will go find somewhere else where I can add value, where Austin can be the best version of myself out there.”

Ekeler has had a phenomenal NFL career as a dual-threat back. He has averaged 4.4 yards per rushing attempt and has 440 receptions and 30 receiving touchdowns. While he had a down year in 2023 — so did the entire team — injuries were to blame.

The Commanders are taking the chance that a healthy Ekeler, used correctly in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and reunited with Lynn, will help Ekeler be the best version of himself.

Austin Ekeler reveals reason for departure from Chargers: ‘There was a misalignment’

The Chargers wanted running backs to be able to manage heavy workloads on the ground.

Austin Ekeler will play for a new team for the first since signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

Signed by the Commanders this offseason, Ekeler made it clear that he wasn’t going to be brought back to Los Angeles. Jim Harbaugh wanted a running back who could manage a heavy workload.

“They wanted a guy they can hand the ball off to 300 times a year, and, look, I haven’t had the capacity to do that,” Ekeler said via Up & Adams with Kay Adams.

“That’s not my game. That’s not how Austin Ekeler is going to be the best on the field. So there was a misalignment there, which, no harm no foul. I’ll go somewhere else where Austin can be the best version of myself out there.”

During his time with the Bolts, Ekeler was known for his multidimensional skillset to be able to not only carry the ball out of the backfield, but serve as a pass-catcher.

The most Ekeler rushed was 206 times, which came back in the 2021 season.

Ekeler will split carries with Brian Robinson Jr. in Washington.

The Chargers added former Ravens Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. They are expected to split the carries, like they did in Baltimore.

Los Angeles also drafted Kimani Vidal in the sixth round. Vidal is no stranger to a lot of volume as a rusher, finishing his senior season at Troy with 297 carries.