Hogs Haven
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…
The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season and offseason, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.
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One position group that almost certainly needs to be upgraded this offseason is running back.
Brian Robinson Jr will be in the final year of his rookie contract in 2025 with a cap hit of $3.5m. As a 2022 3rd-round pick, Robinson has been fairly economical, costing Washington just $3.77m for three full seasons of play to date. Robinson has played in 41 games and gained 2,329 rushing yards, which projects to 966 yards per 17 games. Outside of 2023, Robinson has not been a significant factor in the passing game. He scored 9 touchdowns in 2023 and 8 more in 2024. With his cap hit jumping by 260%, it may be time to look for a lead back with more upside, better consistency, and greater explosion than No. 8.
Austin Ekeler suffered two concussions during the ‘24 season. That dramatically cut into his production, with the 29-year-old RB achieving his lowest yards-from-scrimmage total since his rookie season. Despite being under contract for 2025 with a $5m cap hit, the 8-yr veteran, who was married just a few months ago, might decide, for health reasons, to hang up his cleats. The team could save nearly $3.6m in cap space by releasing him. While Ekeler was extremely dynamic as a pass-catching RB and kick returner, he may or may not be back for the ‘25 season.
Chris Rodriguez is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA), which means that the Commanders control his rights if they want to keep him, and his cap hit for 2025 would be very economical. It seems likely that the team will hold onto the 2023 6th-round pick heading into training camp, but his usage during the ‘24 regular season and playoffs indicates that the coaches are not enthusiastic about his role. He was on and off the practice squad for most of the season (and not signed by any other team). When he was on the 53-man roster, he was often inactive on game days, including all three playoff games. He had only 36 touches for 185 scrimmage yards for the season.
Jeremy McNichols will be a free agent at the start of the new league year unless he is re-signed in the next 5 weeks. During the past season, McNichols proved to be a solid depth player. The return on his $985K cap hit was 64 touches for 288 scrimmage yards and 4 touchdowns. McNichols, who will be 30 years old in 2025, is a replacement-level RB whose biggest advantage will be familiarity with the coaching staff in 2025.
I could make an argument for each of...
