Tag: William Jackson

4 key matchups to watch as Chargers face Washington in Week 1

Breaking down key matchups to watch for in the Chargers’ opener against Washington.

The Chargers’ 2021 regular season kicks off with a road matchup against the Washington Football Team this Sunday at 10 am PT.

Here are five matchups to keep an eye on in Week 1:

Chargers offensive line vs. Washington defensive line

General manager Tom Telesco made a major investment into the line this offseason, signing Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi and drafting Rashawn Slater to join Bryan Bulaga.

On paper, this is arguably the most talented lines that the Chargers have had in years, but what matters at the end of the day is the product that they put on the field.

Facing a Washington defensive front that largely attributed to having the second-best overall defense last season, Los Angeles will have their work cut out for them.

In particular, the battle between reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young and Slater is one of the biggest storylines.

After finishing No. 31 in pass block win rate in 2020, this matchup should set the tone early on. If the Bolts can hold their own, they’re capable of doing it against any other team.

Chargers’ wide receivers vs. Washington’s cornerbacks

Even in the face of a fearsome front, the Chargers will still likely look to put the ball in the hands of quarterback Justin Herbert. While pressure is one thing, Herbert will still have a talented pairing in the defensive backfield to be aware of.

Football Team signed William Jackson, who limited Keenan Allen to only four catches for 37 yards on eight targets last season when he was with the Bengals. Washington will also put Kendall Fuller in the slot, with Jackson moving outside.

After spending two seasons prior to with the Chiefs, Fuller re-signed with the team that originally drafted him last offseason and put together one of his better campaigns from a production standpoint – amassing 11 passes defensed and four interceptions.

Chargers CB Michael Davis vs. Washington WR Terry McLaurin

Re-signed this offseason after proving his worth in a starting role against some of the league’s top wideouts in 2020, Davis is now the No. 1 cornerback for the Chargers, and he will have the opportunity to live up to his label to kick off the season with a tough matchup in McLaurin.

Catching passes from seven different quarterbacks, including Colt McCoy, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke, McLaurin still managed to be productive – eclipsing over 2,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his first two seasons.

With Curtis Samuel out of this contest due to a groin injury, veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely target McLaurin early and often. Davis will look to use his foot speed, length and width to challenge him as much as possible.

Chargers tight ends vs. Washington LB Jamin Davis

During the final season that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi called plays for the Lions, QB Matthew Stafford targeted the tight end on nearly 25% of his passes. Saints’ Drew Brees relied heavily on his tight ends, as well.

This season, Jared Cook and Donald Parham will be integral pieces of the passing offense, and don’t be surprised to see them involved quite often this weekend in hopes of exploiting Davis, Washington’s first-round pick.

One of Davis’ strengths coming out of Kentucky was his ability to cover bigger tight ends, so only time will tell if that skill translates over in his regular season debut.

Other matchups to watch

Chargers EDGE Joey Bosa vs. Washington rookie OT Samuel Cosmi

Chargers LB Kenneth Murray vs. Washington RB Antonio Gibson

Chargers S Derwin James vs. Washington TE Logan Thomas

Chargers CB Asante Samuel Jr. vs. Washington rookie WR Dyami Brown

5 takeaways from day 3 of Washington training camp

It was hot in Richmond on Friday. Here are our top takeaways from day three of Washington’s training camp.

The Washington Football Team wrapped up day three of training camp in Richmond on Friday with their most spirited practice yet. The competitive juices were flowing on both sides of the ball, which led to a pair of minor incidents in practice.

Friday’s action featured more fun one-on-one drills between the defensive backs and the wide receivers. The battles between Terry McLaurin and William Jackson III remain the most exciting part of practice. McLaurin seemed to get the best of Jackson on Thursday and is already developing a nice rapport with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Here are our top five takeaways from day three of Washington’s training camp.

William Jackson rips the Bengals and fans after signing with Washington

The former Cincinnati Bengals DB had some choice words for the fans and team.

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The Cincinnati Bengals lost William Jackson to free agency this offseason when the cornerback decided to sign with the Washington Football Team on the open market.

And now Jackson has some thoughts about his former team and fans.

Appearing on 106.7 The Fan’s “BMitch &Finlay” show, Jackson took a shot at the fans when asked how receptive Washington fans have been about his arrival: “Cincinnati, they got some crude fans, man. Misery loves company.”

There was another shot in there about the organization in general, albeit with a bit of positivity tacked on at the end:

“Them dudes, they wonder why they’re not winning. I’m happy I’m out of that thing man. It’s a blessing to get away, and I wish them the best, but Washington…let’s go from here.”

Jackson, a first-round pick by the Bengals in 2016, spent five seasons in Cincinnati before becoming a free agent.

His commentary here might partially stem from the way the roster has turned over since the arrival of Zac Taylor as head coach and Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator. It does mesh with the general vibe given off by some Marvin Lewis carryovers such as Carlos Dunlap before he forced his trade at the deadline. Schematically speaking, Jackson is probably in a better spot with Washington than he was with this new Bengals staff.

That said, taking a blanket shot at the entire franchise and calling out at least a portion of the fanbase is a weird way to get his tenure in Washington started.

Cincinnati attempted to retain Carl Lawson in free agency but Jackson never seemed like a guy who was going to return. The coaching staff instead remade the cornerback spot again, adding Mike Hilton, Eli Apple and Chidobe Awuzie to the core headlined by Trae Waynes.

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Ranking Washington’s 2021 NFL Draft needs following free agency

With the biggest free-agency signings now behind us, we take a look forward to the draft and identify the biggest needs Washington still has.

The NFL free agency period isn’t technically over, but the first wave of signings is definitely in the rearview mirror. The Washington Football Team was extremely productive in that first wave as well, adding QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, CB William Jackson III, and WR Curtis Samuel to the roster.

Those three pieces ass came at major positions of need for the team, and they undoubtedly improved their roster with the three major signings.

So now that we have many of the top free agents off the board, and any team looking to find major fixes at a position will likely turn to the NFL draft rather than a flier-signing in free agency, where does Washington stand?

They’re in a good position, but there are still several needs that they have to fill before the start of the 2021 season. Here’s our ranking of their biggest needs heading into the draft.

William Jackson heads to Washington as Bengals gamble at CB

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback William Jackson has chosen a new team.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have lost former first-round pick William Jackson to free agency.

Jackson agreed to a mega-contract with Washington, leaving the Bengals in a tough spot.

It’s one the front office and coaching staff chose, of course. Jackson, at its most basic, received a nearly identical contract to the one the Bengals gave Trae Waynes last year.

This week, the Bengals threw cash at Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton to join Waynes as the team’s new starters at corner.

And it’s a major gamble. Waynes missed all of last season, so every starting corner in the secondary next year will be playing his first snap with the team in Week 1. For a defense that has often cited communication issues as a problem, that could be an issue. The Bengals seem to want guys who better fit coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, so these moves make sense viewed that way — but that too is a gamble.

Jackson, 28, was a first-round pick by the Bengals in 2016 and promptly missed his rookie season due to an injury.

But Jackson has excelled since, even posting a 90.2 PFF grade in 2017 during his “rookie” year. A variety of defensive coordinators haven’t always used Jackson to his strengths, but his upside in an aggressive scheme as a boundary corner made him one of free agency’s best outright players.

Like edge rusher Carl Lawson, a tag would have made plenty of sense for WJ3. Instead, another team paid up and he’ll likely see better usage with a team that prioritizes his strengths. The Bengals, meanwhile, can only hope the new starting trio better aligns with what the coaching staff wants.

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Report: Bengals’ William Jackson expected to get major free-agent payday

Cincinnati Bengals CB William Jackson is expected to have a huge market in free agency.

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The Cincinnati Bengals could have a hard time keeping cornerback William Jackson once free agency opens.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jackson is one of two cornerbacks about to get paid on the open market.

Per the report, Jackson is one of two players about to get “big-time paydays” on the market. Jackson and Seattle’s Shaquill Griffin “are the two teams are really focusing in on that are going to get somewhere in the $10, $12, maybe even more than that million-per-year range.”

That sort of money might put the Bengals out of the running for Jackson, provided they want to spend similar cash on an offensive line upgrade in front of Joe Burrow.

While the Bengals seemingly want edge rusher Carl Lawson back, it has been all quiet on the Jackson front despite his being the team’s best corner. The front office spent huge money on Trae Waynes last year, so this year’s market price for Jackson could end up being too rich.

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Chargers Free Agency: 7 potential replacements for CB Casey Hayward

The Los Angeles Chargers might look to free agency to find Casey Hayward’s replacement.

The Chargers released cornerback Casey Hayward on Saturday.

With Michael Davis currently a pending a free agent, there aren’t many other ready-made answers on the roster to step into that role.

With that being said, let’s take a look at a few potential free agent options.

Here are seven cornerbacks who are about to hit the market this offseason that head coach Brandon Staley and company could consider signing.

Bengals’ top fallback targets if William Jackson leaves in free agency

Here are some free-agent options for the Cincinnati Bengals if William Jackson leaves on the open market.

With about $41 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to be pretty busy in the free-agent market, especially after last season’s big splash with DT D.J. Reader.

One position that will be certainly worth watching is the cornerback position, especially if the Bengals do not re-sign William Jackson III. So who are some fallback options? Let’s take a crack.

7 NFL players not franchise tagged that the Bills could target

Players that were not recently franchise tagged that the Buffalo Bills could have interest in.

On Tuesday at 4 p.m., the NFL’s deadline for teams to place the franchise tag on players passed. In total, it happened nine times.

It was expected the Bills wouldn’t be one of the teams doing so… and they didn’t. But with only a few guys getting the franchise tag slapped on them, that leaves a lot more that are now likely to become free agents. Among those, could any interest the Bills?

While the price tags for such players might be a bit higher, here are seven such players that could interest the Bills:

Potential free agent target for Cardinals: CB William Jackson

Arizona’s cornerback room may be getting a shakeup this offseason – could they pursue William Jackson should he hit the open market?

In a continued look at free agents the Arizona Cardinals could pursue, today we look at cornerback William Jackson.

It’s probable that Cincinnati, who is trying to build around quarterback Joe Burrow, won’t let a top cornerback like Jackson go. They have more cap space than many other teams, but in that theoretical world, Arizona should absolutely pursue Jackson, even if they find a way to bring back Patrick Peterson.

PFF surmised on a recent podcast that perhaps Jackson would excel in a man-heavy scheme more so than Cincy’s current scheme, which means that Arizona would make a ton of sense. Jackson doesn’t have amazing stats, as he only has three career INTs, but his presence in Cincy’s defensive backfield has been felt.

Arizona does not have a ton of cap space, but cornerback might be one of the most glaring needs, especially if Patrick Peterson departs in free agency. And Jackson would be one of the top, if not the top, CB on the free agent market – not to mention it might allow them to address other needs or take the best player available at pick 16.

And in fact, PFF mentions Jackson as the ideal offseason signing for Arizona. Given the need for agressive man corners for Vance Joseph’s scheme to work, it would make a ton of sense.

What do you think Cardinals fans? Would you like to see Jackson in Cardinal red?

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