Tag: J.D. McKissic

Former Washington RB J.D. McKissic to sign with Bills

Former Washington RB J.D. McKissic agreed to terms with the Buffalo Bills Tuesday.

The Washington Commanders had hoped to keep running back J.D. McKissic. Unfortunately for the Commanders, that is no longer an option as McKissic agreed to a two-year deal with the Buffalo, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

McKissic is now the third free agent the Commanders have lost since the legal tampering period began Monday, following guard Brandon Scherff and defensive tackle Tim Settle. Settle also agreed to terms with the Bills.

Now, Washington is left with Antonio Gibson, Jaret Patterson and Jonathan Williams at running back. Gibson is the every-down back, while Patterson made the team as an undrafted free agent last season. Washington wanted to keep McKissic and had an eye on upgrading the depth behind Gibson.

McKissic was Washington’s second-leading receiver in 2021, despite missing six games, which tells you the state of the team’s passing game outside of wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

McKissic is a tough loss for the Commanders.

Looking at Chiefs’ potential free agent options at running back

Our @Nicolas_Roesch takes a look at some pending free agent running backs that the #Chiefs could be interested in.

The Kansas City Chiefs currently have just two running backs under contract: 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and reserve/future signing Brenden Knox.

Knox spent the preseason with the Dallas Cowboys but wasn’t on a team during the regular season. He signed a reserve/future contract with K.C. back in January after multiple workouts in the regular season. As for Edwards-Helaire, his first two NFL seasons have been injury-riddled and his performances have been inconsistent.

Regardless of how the running back room ends up looking like for the Chiefs in 2022, Edwards-Helaire will likely play a key role. Let’s take a look at some free agent options who could help him and provide some depth at the position.

7 running backs Jets should avoid in free agency

The Jets should avoid these seven free agent running backs when trying to find a right-hand man for Michael Carter.

Important decisions lie ahead for Joe Douglas with free agency looming.

The Jets made some progress in 2021, but Robert Saleh still needs more talent to work with. New York enters the offseason with holes on both sides of the ball and free agency is the perfect time to address some of them.

Gang Green is set for the future with Michael Carter at running back. The fourth-round pick led the team in scrimmage yards as a rookie despite missing time with an ankle injury and is a perfect fit in Mike LaFleur’s offense.

Carter can’t do it alone out of the backfield, though. Ty Johnson looked like he was going to be a sufficient No. 2, but he struggled in 2021 and was at times a healthy scratch. Tevin Coleman was decent as a complementary back, but the Jets could use a bit more explosiveness when Carter’s not on the field.

After looking at some rushers who could interest the Jets, here are seven free agent running backs they should stay away from when looking for Carter’s right-hand man.

Did Washington offer to trade for Aaron Rodgers?

Did Washington make a trade proposal for Aaron Rodgers? It was another day full of Rodgers’ drama.

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Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is amazing at extending plays, finding the open receiver downfield, game after game, year after year.

No. 12 has passed for over 4,000 yards in 10 different seasons and each of the last four. While Taylor Heinicke threw 15 interceptions during the 2021 season, Rodgers played each game in 2018-2020, and 16 of 17 in 2021 to throw 15 interceptions. Oh, this while, passing for 136 touchdowns.

A 136:15 touchdown/interception ratio?

You bet, I would love to see Rodgers in Burgundy and Gold! And so would Terry McLaurin, Logan Thomas, Curtis Samuel, Cam Sims, Adam Humphries and J.D. McKissic.

Yet, isn’t there another side to Rodgers? Last year during the offseason, we heard and read ad nauseam how Rodgers was feeling like the victim, not respected, not loved by the Packers front office.  Am I the only one that doesn’t want to hear again this offseason how he is leaning to retirement one day, wants to be traded another day, is unhappy the next?

Two days ago Rodgers felt the need to inform Pat McAfee that he had just completed a 12-day cleanse.  12 days of cleansing the body, eliminating unwanted waste, removing toxins from your body? Not exactly the 12 Days of Christmas, huh? Sounds somewhat private to me, but Rodgers then continued, “I was going through some pictures from the last year and felt an intense amount of gratitude for the life that I have and the lessons I’ve learned.”

Would that gratitude include Mark Murphy and the Green Bay Packers management who signed Rodgers to that $134 million deal? Or that this upcoming 2022 season (according to Spotrac.com) Rodgers is set to count $46.1 million against the Packers salary cap?

That puts the Packers over the cap; so, how will the Packers respond? Rework a few contracts, release a few players, threaten a few with pay cuts or they will simply be released?

If ESPN’s Dianna Russini is accurate, she reported today that Rodgers wants to be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Not only does he want to be the highest-paid player, but she added, “by a wide margin.”  Yet, Russini said teams have already offered the Packers trades for Rodgers.

I wonder if the most endearing factor attracting these teams to Rodgers is his “intense amount of gratitude?”

John Keim doesn’t expect Brandon Scherff to return

ESPN’s John Keim discusses free agency and quarterbacks.

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ESPN’s Washington Commanders insider John Keim appeared on Kevin Sheehan’s The Team 980 show Tuesday, stating he is not yet accustomed to writing Washington Commanders. But Keim did say (as I did last night) he saw the survey as actually a positive for the Commanders that 41% already like the name.

Bobby McCain, J.D. McKissic, DeAndre Carter and Joey Slye are free agents Washington would like to retain. Due to his injury history, don’t expect Brandon Scherff to come back at a high price tag. Keim feels there will be a market for McKissic, however, because he is very good out of the backfield. Ricky Seals-Jones and Cam Sims are also good depth guys they would like back. Adam Humphries is wanted; however, he is good enough he could sign elsewhere, being more selective of the quarterback.

Keim is certain Washington coaches will want to play Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis outside, so they will pursue an inside linebacker in free agency or the draft. A good inside linebacker would really make an impact in this defense. Keim genuinely feels Davis can play on the outside better than he did inside.

Who might the Commanders cut this offseason? Landon Collins is simply not feasible unless they lower that cap hit. “I don’t think Landon Collins is going to get that (his current salary) on the open market,” expressed Keim. He played well enough at a hybrid, if he does go to another team, they will likely use him in a similar role.

Keim laughingly said of course they are going hard after a quarterback. Head coach Ron Rivera has stated so multiple times. Deshaun Watson certainly would draw interest from Washington but there are too many questions and his court cases could also go into May.

Understandably Keim insisted it doesn’t make sense why the Raiders’ new coach Josh McDaniel or Seattle would get rid of their starters Derek Carr and Russell Wilson, respectively. There is no clear path to the next quarterback in either case.

Would they be interested in Carson Wentz? Keim thinks so but was quick to add that Wentz is someone they would probably add with a QB draft choice as well.

J.D. McKissic ‘definitely’ wants to return to Washington

J.D. McKissic is one of Washington’s priorities this offseason. He’d prefer to remain with Washington.

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The Washington Football Team has a busy offseason in front of them. Not only is Washington desperately seeking to upgrade the quarterback position, but it has several free agents it would like to retain.

Washington re-signed left tackle Charles Leno toward the end of the regular season, solidifying an important position for the next three years. Other free agents for Washington include Brandon Scherff, J.D. McKissic, Cornelius Lucas, Tim Settle and Bobby McCain.

Scherff is obviously the biggest name of the bunch, but he is expected to depart after back-to-back franchise tags. When discussing free agents, head coach Ron Rivera specifically mentioned Leno, McKissic and McCain as players he’d like to keep around.

McCain told reporters he preferred to stay. In a recent interview with Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, McKissic made his preference known.

“Definitely, I want to stay,” McKissic said. “Everybody knows that.”

McKissic entered the NFL back in 2016 as an undrafted free agent from Arkansas State. He spent most of his rookie season with the Falcons before signing with the Seahawks in December. Seattle converted McKissic to running back, where he enjoyed some success with the Seahawks.

After being waived by Seattle, the Detroit Lions claimed McKissic off waivers. He spent the 2019 season in Detroit, where he played all 16 games, making three starts.

He signed with Washington in 2020, and at the time, no one thought much of McKissic’s signing. He and tight end Logan Thomas ended up being signings for Washington that offseason. Both players have played a vital role in Washington’s offense when healthy.

Washington wants to keep McKissic, and it should. Before he was lost for the season in Week 12, McKissic was having another solid season as Washington’s complement to Antonio Gibson. It’s no coincidence that Washington’s offense was more efficient when McKissic was involved. He and Gibson are an outstanding duo because both are versatile. McKissic is arguably the game’s top pass-catching running back.

Washington will have a new quarterback in 2021. Whether that quarterback is a rookie or a veteran, he’d be better if McKissic was still around.

McKissic appreciates that Washington gave him an opportunity.

“I finally got the opportunity to just really be trusted and really show my versatility and what I can do,” McKissic said. “They gave me the chance to do that.”

Curtis Samuel and J.D. McKissic are out vs. Eagles

J.D. McKissic and Curtis Samuel are out for Washington in Week 15.

The Washington Football Team will be without two key offensive players in their Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel was initially ruled out in Friday’s injury report. His status did not change.

However, running back J.D. McKissic, who cleared concussion protocol after missing two games, was listed as questionable. However, McKissic did not practice over the weekend with a neck injury and is now out of Tuesday’s NFC East battle.

Washington is accustomed to playing without Samuel. However, going without McKissic for a third straight game is a tough break for Washington. As of now, Washington doesn’t know if either of its top two quarterbacks — Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen — will play due to being on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones is questionable.

For Samuel, this will be the ninth game he’s missed in his first season in Washington. He was dealing with a nagging groin injury; now, it’s his hamstring.

In some rare good news for Washington, the team did activate rookie right tackle Sam Cosmi and defensive end Montez Sweat from injured reserve. Cosmi started every game before injuries impacted his season. Sweat should move right back into the lineup for Washington. Head coach Ron Rivera said that he didn’t believe Sweat would face any limitations over the weekend.

 

 

Washington OC Scott Turner has done an outstanding job in 2021

Washington will again be shorthanded on offense in Tuesday’s game vs. Eagles. It’s time to give Scott Turner some credit.

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It’s been another tough season for Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner. Washington’s goals entering the 2021 offseason centered around finding stability at quarterback and finding more playmakers opposite of Terry McLaurin.

In May, after the NFL draft ended, it looked like Turner had surrounded McLaurin, running backs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic and tight end Logan Thomas with several new playmakers.

First, there was quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in free agency, immediately followed by wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries. In the NFL draft, Washington added wide receiver Dyami Brown and tight end John Bates.

Things were supposed to be much easier for Turner in 2021, after dealing with injuries across the board in his first season as offensive coordinator.

Well, as you know, things haven’t worked out the way Washington or Turner envisioned. The WFT lost Fitzpatrick for the season in the second quarter of Week 1, while Samuel has been in and [mostly] out of the lineup with a groin issue. After Samuel’s recent return, he’s now battling a hamstring injury.

Washington has gotten five games from Curtis Samuel. In those five games, Samuel has six receptions for 27 yards and four rushes for 11 yards.

What about Brown? Glad you asked. The rookie has nine receptions for 87 yards in 11 games. Remember the hype about him being a fantasy sleeper?

Then there is Logan Thomas. Washington’s starting tight end was brilliant before he was injured — both times. Now, he’s lost for the season due to a cheap shot. Humphries has given Washington 33 receptions for 341 yards.

Quarterback Taylor Heinicke has mostly been good for Washington. He’s had some stinkers, such as his Week 14 performance vs. Dallas, but overall, Heinicke has helped win games.

Heading into Tuesday’s critical NFC showdown against the Eagles, Samuel will miss another game. It also looks like McKissic, who missed the last two games with a concussion, will also not play. Now, there’s a possibility tight end Ricky Seals-Jones could miss the game, too.

Ouch.

Bates has done a good job this season. Consider that he wasn’t expected to play a significant role in 2021. While it’s not ideal now, Bates will benefit from this time in 2022 and beyond.

Meanwhile, McLaurin enters Week 15, coming off a concussion. Expect McLaurin to see plenty of double teams Tuesday. The Eagles will make players like Humphries, Brown, or Cam Sims beat them, and rightfully so.

A more significant concern for Washington is who will start at quarterback? Will Heinicke and/or Kyle Allen clear COVID protocols in time for Tuesday’s game?

If not, it looks like freshly signed Garrett Gilbert will be under center for a critical December division game.

So, the next time you criticize Turner, remember what he’s had to do without during his tenure as offensive coordinator.

 

Washington Week 14 inactives vs. Cowboys

Washington released its inactive list ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the Cowboys.

The Washington Football Team will enter Sunday’s Week 14 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys shorthanded. Running back J.D. McKissic will miss a second consecutive game with a concussion, while defensive end James Smith-Williams was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.

Washington released its inactive list ahead of Sunday’s game and it featured no surprises after the McKissic news.

McKissic, wide receivers Dax Milne and Antonio Gandy-Golden, cornerback Corn Elder, and linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk are Sunday’s inactives.

Kunaszyk is a key special-teams contributor and is out due to injury.

Washington is down its top three defensive ends for this game. Chase Young is out for the season, while Montez Sweat will miss his fifth consecutive game. After missing four games with a fractured jaw, Sweat was set to return but was placed on the COVID list last week.

On Saturday, Smith-Williams was also added to the COVID list.

Washington running back J.D. McKissic will not play vs. Cowboys

More bad news for Washington on the injury front: J.D. McKissic is out vs. Cowboys.

The Washington Football Team received more bad news early Sunday morning when Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that running back J.D. McKissic would not play in Week 14 vs. Cowboys.

This is more brutal news for Washington, which is on a four-game winning streak and only two games behind Dallas in the NFC East.

McKissic was injured late in the Week 12 Monday night win over the Seahawks. He was carted off the field but later diagnosed with a concussion. McKissic missed the Week 13 win over the Raiders and was listed as questionable on Friday’s final injury report.

McKissic is one of Washington’s most valuable weapons on offense. Before his injury in Week 12, he scored both of Washington’s touchdowns. He is arguably the NFL’s top pass-catching back and plays a vital role in Washington’s offense. In his absence, starting running back Antonio Gibson saw a career-high 82% of the snaps in Week 13.

Washington will be without tight end Logan Thomas, who is now out for the season, and McKissic on offense in a big division game.

In some good news, Schefter did say wide receiver Curtis Samuel is expected to play. Samuel can play various roles on offense, including lining up in the backfield, the slot, or out wide. Washington has yet to entirely turn Samuel loose since his recent return.

Will Gibson see over 80% of the snaps again? Or does Washington turn to Jaret Patterson, Wendell Smallwood, or Jonathan Williams to ease some of the burden on Gibson?

Keep an eye on Samuel and fellow wide receiver DeAndre Carter filling some of McKissic’s offensive roles.