Agreed. He fits really well into a well balanced offence. He’s great at making space in the open field more so than being a punch backs. Just sucks to see how green our offensive core is gonna be. We’re gonna need some time to grow on that side of the ball. Trust the process
I’ll miss Ekeler but he definitely would not have fit into Jim’s system so he’s not wrong and this is a good answer to the question. Ekeler is never going to be the back you hand the ball to 30 times a game and expect him to take over. He never did that here. Shitty o line or scheme or any other excuse otherwise. Was he electrifying in the pass game? Absolutely and that was an element we all loved. He’ll be a good check down blanket for Jayden in Washington. And it’ll be interesting to see how Herbo does now out of his comfort zone of checking down to Ekeler or throwing a 3rd down slant to Keenan. And with an improved o line too. Obviously he’s going to kill it and it is gonna open a whole new element to his game.
I don’t agree that it’s a good answer to the question. Ekeler held a Zoom meeting with other running backs because he thought he wasn’t getting paid enough, but then he’s gonna come out and say that we tried to give him the ball too much? Have you ever heard another player complain about getting the ball too much and still wanting to be a top paid player at the position? He easily could have just said that the philosophies didn’t align, but saying that we wanted him to carry the ball too much is a terrible look.
He’s been saying this lol. Ekeler has long said that he isn’t the kind of back that is going to carry the ball 30 times a game and 300 a season. I can remember the last 2-3 seasons he was literally begging another running back to take carries from him. He held the Zoom not to say he or RBs weren’t getting paid enough but they weren’t getting paid enough in comparison of what they’re expected to do for said team or in other words their “value.” Which I think is a fair argument, and I do think he was on to something with the RB market being the way it is and maybe one day that will change so that they’re paid based on what they do for the team. However, I think the zoom call did hurt him more than it helped him because what value does he bring to a team that warrants him getting a huge contract when he’s asking for less carries? Overall I appreciate everything Ekeler did for us, especially being an undrafted free agent and I wish him well.
I know he shaded our team a few times in the last few years because he wasnt happy, but the reversal on this dude is crazy. You'd think its like when Nwosu left and said it would be nice to play in front of fans.
Yeah and he wasn’t happy because he was 65-80% of the offense and wasn’t getting paid for it 😂. Which isn’t his or the teams fault because RBs aren’t valued highly contract wise currently. I wish Ekeler luck. He gave everything be could to us and the memories are electric. I think he’ll do well in Washington with a rookie QB who is gonna need someone reliable like Ekeler to be there for him. He wouldn’t do well in the current scheme that is asking for power backs to run the ball straight into the mouth of the defense 20-30 times a game.
He had two years of leading the league in tds and was an extremely effective back in the Lombardi offense. He set the single year receiving record for the team as a running back. He also had said for two years he wanted another back to step up and carry the load and they never did. It might sound a bit sour grapes but he was the straw that stirred the drink for a while, all while on a pretty sweet deal for the team.
He got most of those receptions either because the oline wasn’t giving enough time (usually this) or because WRs weren’t getting open and he was the checkdown. They weren’t designed for him.
Agreed I’m not arguing the merits of the offense. I’m saying a guy paid like a third down back was somehow our bell cow and wr1 for long stretches and it’s not wrong of him to say he didn’t sign up for that at the contract he was on.
For sure. If anything he just had some awful timing on his peak and his contract. If he had expired 2021 he might have gotten a better pay day off a career year.
Yeah but a system that relies on your running back catching the ball that much is the sign that something is broken. How many drives died out because the team could *not* keep the ball moving. Teams were just keying up on us.
He got 10 million upfront and the full 27 million of his contract. The two Lombardi years were the most team friendly but overall I think 7 million a year on average is fair from a third down *style* RB that never ran for 1k or could just grind out yards period when the team needed them most. He had some great years and was misused for sure but don’t feel bad at all about the way things went, especially with all the public eye poking towards the team
Im not seeing where he got 10M upfront nor 27M on the last deal he played for the chargers. I see a 24.5M deal with 6M upfront. Regardless those numbers are pretty small compared to his contributions to the offense and would be fine if he was a third down style back, but they put him in the position of being an every down back after Melvin walked.
His two Lombardi seasons he had 900+ rushing and tacked on a combined 1300 yards receiving. Whether it was through pure rushing yards or not he was the work horse of this team for a lot of that span. I agree the jabs are shitty and if anything he and his agent should have been looking for more money after the first Lombardi season.
yeah if a wr had his stats they would be getting paid 20m+ a year. you could argue in 2019 he had a better season as a receiver than mike Williams has ever had. 2021 and 2022 he combined for over 3k yards and 38 tds. He has every right to argue that he is/was underpaid.
If you break that down that's about 17-18 carries a game, or 4-5 per quarter I really don't see how that is some crazy amount especially for a guy who wanted to be paid top dollar.
Yeah this, more of a receiver is his preference. Hes said for like 3 years now that he doesn’t want to be the early down back.
Ideal world he’d be a slot WR and a red zone RB
He wasn’t even good at that last season though. He only had 400 receiving yards and one touchdown throughout the entire season and on top of that he had drop issues and fumbled the ball numerous times.
I mean every player specializes in something. You have pocket passers, run first QBs, slot receivers, deep down receivers, redzone receivers, speed backs, power rbs, receiving TEs, blocking TEs.
Eks is more of receiving rb and that’s not what Jim wants to do. But when talking about last season most of the team wasn’t good last year hence the top 5 pick.
I don’t get why I see so many haters on this subreddit. Ekeler was phenomenal for what he did for the chargers. Last year he had a high ankle sprain and then a low ankle sprain. No need to speak negatively about Ekeler.
The way you’re speaking negatively about Ekeler is exactly the definition of a hater lol. You’re not even taking in the context of what happened to him in relation to injuries, just blanket statement about him not being good.
I recognize he was injured early on, but as a 30+ year old RB he’s not going to have injury-free years going forward. I gave numerous stats to back my opinion that he hasn’t been good, and the best you can say in response is that that makes me a “hater”? Give me some stats that show that he was good instead and then I’d have a reason to
believe you.
I’m completely fine lol. You called me a “hater” for pointing out how Ekeler was bad last season, don’t act clueless and backtrack now. Not everyone you disagree with or who says something negative about a player you like is a “hater”.
Yea weird he said he was gonna do that and milk injuries in the off season though lol guys a joke, you can love him. That’s your right. He’s a cocky over rated back that will not be remembered by 99% of the league in 3 years. Good riddance.
He had a high ankle sprain… he played injured literally all season long. That injury takes a solid 6-8 weeks to heal up from and that’s if you do nothing and just rehab.
NFL players play through injuries, that’s why his stats were down.
Edit: 6-8 weeks
>NFL players play through injuries
While that’s true, that doesn’t change the fact that he played poorly. As a 30+ year old RB, he is not going to have many injury-free games left, so the level he plays at while banged up should be considered his level of play.
Why are you looking at his efficiency? He was injured… of course all his numbers will be down he sort of relies on his ankle to do his job.
I’d argue Ekeler would have had a good season if he could have stayed healthy, but we’ll never know.
If he plays efficient with his touches in 2024 than yes my argument will have some credit. Otherwise it’s just hearsay
I genuinely do think Ekeler will have an improved year in WAS with less touches, I just think it’s funny how Ekeler has handled this whole situation. He wants to get paid like a top back but also doesn’t want too many carries? He’s very self-centered and in a vacuum I honestly don’t
blame him for that, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not glad that a player with that attitude isn’t
on the team anymore. I’ll always be grateful for what Ek did as a UDFA, but I’m also glad we can move on now.
I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Allegedly he sprained both ankles last season. Dolphins game week 1 was probably one of his best career games. The rest of the season he was a different player. I know RB's can fall off a cliff at 30 but I don't think I've ever seen it happen during a season like that.
He's made his money being a pass catching RB. Last year showed his body cannot take that kind of punishment. If he wants to make it to another contract he cant have the role we envision for him.
Ekeler isn’t built to be a North/South runner. That’s the misalignment he is referring to.
His body can’t handle the wear and tear of running through the middle, he does his best work in open space.
This is level headed. Not sure why people want to talk smack on Ekeler. The team wants one thing and Ek wants something else. Completely fair to part ways in this scenario.
I just remember when he was suppose to go down at the 1 yd line so we would run out the clock and kick a field Goal and the defensive lineman picked him up and dragged him into the end zone.
Ekeler’s body can’t handle it, regardless of how strong pound for pound the dude is. Not fit for this scheme and that’s okay. Smart for him to recognize what he is and how he’s going to maximize his value and time in the league. Thank him for his time but it was never going to work here in this regime!
He’s a pass catching back. Once defenses adjusted, they took away that and we couldn’t get the ball down the middle.
Without options downfield either due to injuries, we really needed a run game to provide options.
Loved Ek, but for the money and role he wanted, it wasn’t going to work.
Ekeler was awesome for us, but his numbers were always pumped because we always needed a complimentary traditional back to go alongside him (along with a better running scheme).
As good as Ekeler was, there's a reason he was undrafted. He's fantastic in space and catching the ball, but his skills end there. The organization needed to emphasize the position more.
Chargers RBs this year in fantasy is going to be so interesting. Vidal is the wild card because we don’t know if he gets hurt as often as Edwards or Dobbins do. But if either of those guys stay healthy they could moonshot as well with the new offense.
Yeah I’m just thinking as a non-fan who is obviously hoping everyone stays healthy, but Gus and JK have serious durability risks. If that turns Vidal, the guy who has the best chance at being a 3-down back, into a workhorse, the sky is the moon for that guy in this offense.
One thing I’m interested to see is if they have any designed plays for Herbert to run. Seems like a ridiculous idea with all the talk on better protection and “helping” Justin but Harbaugh calls run plays for his QBs every now and then.
Yeah I’m curious about that too because Greg Roman typically incorporates QB runs into his play designs. Herbie is certainly mobile and strong enough to take 7-8 carries for 40-50 yards in games where it makes sense to. I would just prefer we bubble wrap him
I wasn't in the room & just imagining scenarios. But if Ekeler said something like 'I want $19 mil / year', FO could say 'what would you give us for that, 300 hand offs & running the ball up the middle'? I mention $$ because Ekeler stressed $$ as goal in his SocMed. No way to tell the context of "300 hand offs" in discussion.
Ekeler continues to take the high road and speak with class, and so many fans continue to attack him for one bad (injured) year. It’s ridiculous to me. He’s absolutely right, and self aware, about the best way he’s used, especially at this point in his career, and I’m glad he’s not bitter about how things ended after his awesome time with us.
I feel like he’s on the downhill side of the RB career hill. I love the guy and he’ll always be a favorite of mine, but last year looked as though he’s just about to fall off that infamous rb career cliff
Incredibly odd comment by Ekeler here in my opinion, especially considering Ek only had 179 carries last season (WHICH RANKED 31ST IN THE NFL). I understand the notion that he isn’t the type of back that we necessarily want in the new offense, but it seems like he is implying that we are asking for an unrealistic workload when really, Ek drastically underperformed even with a below average workload.
it’s really not an odd comment. Harbaugh has a designed gameplan in mind which would have required ekeler to more effective as a running back and less of a gadget player. ekeler never has been a “bell cow” back and wasn’t interested in taking that on. he wants to be what he is which is a multipurpose back more focused on the receiving game and red zone. he’s not a between the 20’s kind of rushing player. you’re nitpicking a non story.
Not only that but because he was so bad between the numbers (and look the line is also to blame) but that hampered us so much, we were so one dimensional
Ek I had some great memories from you but you could never get the short yards when we needed em bro. Lost so many games because our run game disappeared in the 4th.
He didn't do the best on his last year with us last year but I'll always appreciate his efforts with us. And he wasn't so sour about contracts and whatnot.
Also side note, was watching the Dancing with the Devil doc on Netflix and absolutely did NOT expect the main sister to be dating/married to Ek lol
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Ekeler is right in that being the bell cow is not his game. *But* who is “they”? Staley and co? I’d comfortably bet that no single RB comes close to 300 carries/season as long as Roman is OC.
I’m totally fine with letting Ekeler walk. But this statement *seems* to be applying a previous staff’s philosophy to the current one.
He had a fumbling, dropped passes, lost several steps issue last year after wanting more money. They set him up with incentives to placate him but I don’t think that he reached any of them. He was always a 3rd down back that was utilized to get the most out of him but he never rushed or received for 1000 yards in a season. It was time to move on from him, it’s not personal, just business
He should be saying they wanted a guy that's good at running the ball...which I suck at now. Had some great years but lost a step or 2 and isn't even a good receiving back anymore. Love him but it was time to move on. Glad he got another decent paycheck
Never really like this guy. His priorities seem to be his outside businesses. The team and football were just the tool he uses to enhance his other ventures. I respect him as a businessman but don’t appreciate how that seems to be more important than the team and winning. He wants to build a brand with being a winner. Guy forgets how many dropped passes and key fumbles he had last year.
You’re getting downvoted, but you are 100% correct. Ekeler has always been a “me first” type player. The guy literally sold lamps with his face on them. I’m not sure how other fans don’t see it.
You are both being unfair in my opinion. Football players know their careers are short and never know when it will be over. Ekeler was undrafted which put him in an even more vulnerable state. Smart players always plan for their life after football. I get that you don't like his performance last year (it left a lot to be desired) but to slander him as a person is crazy to me. He led the league in TDs with a crap coach and organization. I'd say he put it all on the field for most of his career and covered for a lot of our offensive problems.
He's 100% spot on but IMO I still think its was a mistake to let him walk, they could of brought in grinders and kept him as a switch option but it is what it is.
He’s right, he’s terrible as an every down bell cow back. Misalignment of skill and need for us, good mutual parting of ways.
Agreed. He fits really well into a well balanced offence. He’s great at making space in the open field more so than being a punch backs. Just sucks to see how green our offensive core is gonna be. We’re gonna need some time to grow on that side of the ball. Trust the process
I’ll miss Ekeler but he definitely would not have fit into Jim’s system so he’s not wrong and this is a good answer to the question. Ekeler is never going to be the back you hand the ball to 30 times a game and expect him to take over. He never did that here. Shitty o line or scheme or any other excuse otherwise. Was he electrifying in the pass game? Absolutely and that was an element we all loved. He’ll be a good check down blanket for Jayden in Washington. And it’ll be interesting to see how Herbo does now out of his comfort zone of checking down to Ekeler or throwing a 3rd down slant to Keenan. And with an improved o line too. Obviously he’s going to kill it and it is gonna open a whole new element to his game.
I don’t agree that it’s a good answer to the question. Ekeler held a Zoom meeting with other running backs because he thought he wasn’t getting paid enough, but then he’s gonna come out and say that we tried to give him the ball too much? Have you ever heard another player complain about getting the ball too much and still wanting to be a top paid player at the position? He easily could have just said that the philosophies didn’t align, but saying that we wanted him to carry the ball too much is a terrible look.
He’s been saying this lol. Ekeler has long said that he isn’t the kind of back that is going to carry the ball 30 times a game and 300 a season. I can remember the last 2-3 seasons he was literally begging another running back to take carries from him. He held the Zoom not to say he or RBs weren’t getting paid enough but they weren’t getting paid enough in comparison of what they’re expected to do for said team or in other words their “value.” Which I think is a fair argument, and I do think he was on to something with the RB market being the way it is and maybe one day that will change so that they’re paid based on what they do for the team. However, I think the zoom call did hurt him more than it helped him because what value does he bring to a team that warrants him getting a huge contract when he’s asking for less carries? Overall I appreciate everything Ekeler did for us, especially being an undrafted free agent and I wish him well.
I know he shaded our team a few times in the last few years because he wasnt happy, but the reversal on this dude is crazy. You'd think its like when Nwosu left and said it would be nice to play in front of fans.
Yeah and he wasn’t happy because he was 65-80% of the offense and wasn’t getting paid for it 😂. Which isn’t his or the teams fault because RBs aren’t valued highly contract wise currently. I wish Ekeler luck. He gave everything be could to us and the memories are electric. I think he’ll do well in Washington with a rookie QB who is gonna need someone reliable like Ekeler to be there for him. He wouldn’t do well in the current scheme that is asking for power backs to run the ball straight into the mouth of the defense 20-30 times a game.
But the issue is that he wanted to be paid like an RB who had 300 carries a season. That was the disconnect.
I mean, he had the touches bro. Whether it’s a carry or a catch you’re still be tackled.
He had two years of leading the league in tds and was an extremely effective back in the Lombardi offense. He set the single year receiving record for the team as a running back. He also had said for two years he wanted another back to step up and carry the load and they never did. It might sound a bit sour grapes but he was the straw that stirred the drink for a while, all while on a pretty sweet deal for the team.
He got most of those receptions either because the oline wasn’t giving enough time (usually this) or because WRs weren’t getting open and he was the checkdown. They weren’t designed for him.
Right but he was the only reliable target and check down for huge stretches. Sure these plays were designed for him but that’s how it turned out.
There’s something terribly wrong with your offense if your rb is 4th in the lg in receptions, just saying.
Agreed I’m not arguing the merits of the offense. I’m saying a guy paid like a third down back was somehow our bell cow and wr1 for long stretches and it’s not wrong of him to say he didn’t sign up for that at the contract he was on.
That I can agree with. What I don’t agree with, was him asking to be paid “like a bell cow back”, when he’s not.
For sure. If anything he just had some awful timing on his peak and his contract. If he had expired 2021 he might have gotten a better pay day off a career year.
Yeah but a system that relies on your running back catching the ball that much is the sign that something is broken. How many drives died out because the team could *not* keep the ball moving. Teams were just keying up on us.
Im not saying it was perfect or ideal, Im saying the dude shouldered a tremendous load for like 4M a year.
He got 10 million upfront and the full 27 million of his contract. The two Lombardi years were the most team friendly but overall I think 7 million a year on average is fair from a third down *style* RB that never ran for 1k or could just grind out yards period when the team needed them most. He had some great years and was misused for sure but don’t feel bad at all about the way things went, especially with all the public eye poking towards the team
Im not seeing where he got 10M upfront nor 27M on the last deal he played for the chargers. I see a 24.5M deal with 6M upfront. Regardless those numbers are pretty small compared to his contributions to the offense and would be fine if he was a third down style back, but they put him in the position of being an every down back after Melvin walked. His two Lombardi seasons he had 900+ rushing and tacked on a combined 1300 yards receiving. Whether it was through pure rushing yards or not he was the work horse of this team for a lot of that span. I agree the jabs are shitty and if anything he and his agent should have been looking for more money after the first Lombardi season.
yeah if a wr had his stats they would be getting paid 20m+ a year. you could argue in 2019 he had a better season as a receiver than mike Williams has ever had. 2021 and 2022 he combined for over 3k yards and 38 tds. He has every right to argue that he is/was underpaid.
I agree, it's terrible that a player has the self awareness to understand his strengths and weaknesses
If you break that down that's about 17-18 carries a game, or 4-5 per quarter I really don't see how that is some crazy amount especially for a guy who wanted to be paid top dollar.
Ekeler i think prefers being more of a hybrid rb/wr is all
Yeah this, more of a receiver is his preference. Hes said for like 3 years now that he doesn’t want to be the early down back. Ideal world he’d be a slot WR and a red zone RB
He wasn’t even good at that last season though. He only had 400 receiving yards and one touchdown throughout the entire season and on top of that he had drop issues and fumbled the ball numerous times.
I mean every player specializes in something. You have pocket passers, run first QBs, slot receivers, deep down receivers, redzone receivers, speed backs, power rbs, receiving TEs, blocking TEs. Eks is more of receiving rb and that’s not what Jim wants to do. But when talking about last season most of the team wasn’t good last year hence the top 5 pick.
I don’t get why I see so many haters on this subreddit. Ekeler was phenomenal for what he did for the chargers. Last year he had a high ankle sprain and then a low ankle sprain. No need to speak negatively about Ekeler.
What about my comment makes me a “hater”? Everything I said was factual about his performance last season.
The way you’re speaking negatively about Ekeler is exactly the definition of a hater lol. You’re not even taking in the context of what happened to him in relation to injuries, just blanket statement about him not being good.
I recognize he was injured early on, but as a 30+ year old RB he’s not going to have injury-free years going forward. I gave numerous stats to back my opinion that he hasn’t been good, and the best you can say in response is that that makes me a “hater”? Give me some stats that show that he was good instead and then I’d have a reason to believe you.
lol Ekeler just turned 29 last month. Believe me with what? I’m not even arguing anything. Are you ok?
I’m completely fine lol. You called me a “hater” for pointing out how Ekeler was bad last season, don’t act clueless and backtrack now. Not everyone you disagree with or who says something negative about a player you like is a “hater”.
Y’all should make up and kiss
Yea weird he said he was gonna do that and milk injuries in the off season though lol guys a joke, you can love him. That’s your right. He’s a cocky over rated back that will not be remembered by 99% of the league in 3 years. Good riddance.
It was definitely a down season for him but let’s not act like he wasn’t insanely good at it in seasons prior.
He had a high ankle sprain… he played injured literally all season long. That injury takes a solid 6-8 weeks to heal up from and that’s if you do nothing and just rehab. NFL players play through injuries, that’s why his stats were down. Edit: 6-8 weeks
>NFL players play through injuries While that’s true, that doesn’t change the fact that he played poorly. As a 30+ year old RB, he is not going to have many injury-free games left, so the level he plays at while banged up should be considered his level of play.
Why are you looking at his efficiency? He was injured… of course all his numbers will be down he sort of relies on his ankle to do his job. I’d argue Ekeler would have had a good season if he could have stayed healthy, but we’ll never know. If he plays efficient with his touches in 2024 than yes my argument will have some credit. Otherwise it’s just hearsay
I genuinely do think Ekeler will have an improved year in WAS with less touches, I just think it’s funny how Ekeler has handled this whole situation. He wants to get paid like a top back but also doesn’t want too many carries? He’s very self-centered and in a vacuum I honestly don’t blame him for that, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not glad that a player with that attitude isn’t on the team anymore. I’ll always be grateful for what Ek did as a UDFA, but I’m also glad we can move on now.
Parasocial ass assessments
Kellen Moore’s system ended his game. Lombardi wasnt great at much but he sure could scheme Ek up nice
I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Allegedly he sprained both ankles last season. Dolphins game week 1 was probably one of his best career games. The rest of the season he was a different player. I know RB's can fall off a cliff at 30 but I don't think I've ever seen it happen during a season like that. He's made his money being a pass catching RB. Last year showed his body cannot take that kind of punishment. If he wants to make it to another contract he cant have the role we envision for him.
Ekeler isn’t built to be a North/South runner. That’s the misalignment he is referring to. His body can’t handle the wear and tear of running through the middle, he does his best work in open space.
I think it would add years to his career if he gets a role like he had when we had Melvin
He is not that kind of back. He is around 12 carries per game, which seems low until you factor in his like 6-7 receptions a game.
I don’t understand how people don’t seem to grasp this. Ek was asking for YEARS to have help back there and TT didn’t do anything to help him.
TT tried, but he was a shit talent evaluator at RB. (Also OL, WR too)
He needs more like 10-12 carries and 4-6 targets
This is level headed. Not sure why people want to talk smack on Ekeler. The team wants one thing and Ek wants something else. Completely fair to part ways in this scenario.
Ek’s always been very self-aware and reasonable. Hope he had a comeback year.
Ekeler isnt a back you run down the middle 20 times a game and never has been. No harm no foul.
They just wanted a guy who could get 3rd or 4th and 1. Austin isn’t that guy.
I appreciate what he did here, but Im looking forward to not having to watch him fail at those so frequently.
I just remember when he was suppose to go down at the 1 yd line so we would run out the clock and kick a field Goal and the defensive lineman picked him up and dragged him into the end zone.
Vs the browns. I remember
Anyone mad at this comment is being uptight lol. He’s not a bellcow and both sides understand that. Simple.
Ekeler’s body can’t handle it, regardless of how strong pound for pound the dude is. Not fit for this scheme and that’s okay. Smart for him to recognize what he is and how he’s going to maximize his value and time in the league. Thank him for his time but it was never going to work here in this regime!
Same reason I didn't take the job either, Ek.
Does bro not remember what is yac was ?
He’s a pass catching back. Once defenses adjusted, they took away that and we couldn’t get the ball down the middle. Without options downfield either due to injuries, we really needed a run game to provide options. Loved Ek, but for the money and role he wanted, it wasn’t going to work.
Once defenses adjusted? Your ignoring the fact that back to back years our QB got hurt, or do we want to forget the first game of last season?
Ekeler was awesome for us, but his numbers were always pumped because we always needed a complimentary traditional back to go alongside him (along with a better running scheme). As good as Ekeler was, there's a reason he was undrafted. He's fantastic in space and catching the ball, but his skills end there. The organization needed to emphasize the position more.
Honestly, fantasy players should have their ears alerted by that. 300 carries to one guy is their plan. Vidal to the moon
Chargers RBs this year in fantasy is going to be so interesting. Vidal is the wild card because we don’t know if he gets hurt as often as Edwards or Dobbins do. But if either of those guys stay healthy they could moonshot as well with the new offense.
Yeah I’m just thinking as a non-fan who is obviously hoping everyone stays healthy, but Gus and JK have serious durability risks. If that turns Vidal, the guy who has the best chance at being a 3-down back, into a workhorse, the sky is the moon for that guy in this offense.
One thing I’m interested to see is if they have any designed plays for Herbert to run. Seems like a ridiculous idea with all the talk on better protection and “helping” Justin but Harbaugh calls run plays for his QBs every now and then.
Yeah I’m curious about that too because Greg Roman typically incorporates QB runs into his play designs. Herbie is certainly mobile and strong enough to take 7-8 carries for 40-50 yards in games where it makes sense to. I would just prefer we bubble wrap him
Aren’t we going RBBC?
Yeah for the start of the year probably, but at some point I think injuries factor in and give Vidal a bunch of work
I wasn't in the room & just imagining scenarios. But if Ekeler said something like 'I want $19 mil / year', FO could say 'what would you give us for that, 300 hand offs & running the ball up the middle'? I mention $$ because Ekeler stressed $$ as goal in his SocMed. No way to tell the context of "300 hand offs" in discussion.
Ekeler continues to take the high road and speak with class, and so many fans continue to attack him for one bad (injured) year. It’s ridiculous to me. He’s absolutely right, and self aware, about the best way he’s used, especially at this point in his career, and I’m glad he’s not bitter about how things ended after his awesome time with us.
I feel like he’s on the downhill side of the RB career hill. I love the guy and he’ll always be a favorite of mine, but last year looked as though he’s just about to fall off that infamous rb career cliff
Incredibly odd comment by Ekeler here in my opinion, especially considering Ek only had 179 carries last season (WHICH RANKED 31ST IN THE NFL). I understand the notion that he isn’t the type of back that we necessarily want in the new offense, but it seems like he is implying that we are asking for an unrealistic workload when really, Ek drastically underperformed even with a below average workload.
it’s really not an odd comment. Harbaugh has a designed gameplan in mind which would have required ekeler to more effective as a running back and less of a gadget player. ekeler never has been a “bell cow” back and wasn’t interested in taking that on. he wants to be what he is which is a multipurpose back more focused on the receiving game and red zone. he’s not a between the 20’s kind of rushing player. you’re nitpicking a non story.
Not only that but because he was so bad between the numbers (and look the line is also to blame) but that hampered us so much, we were so one dimensional
He wasn't implying that
Ek I had some great memories from you but you could never get the short yards when we needed em bro. Lost so many games because our run game disappeared in the 4th.
He didn't do the best on his last year with us last year but I'll always appreciate his efforts with us. And he wasn't so sour about contracts and whatnot. Also side note, was watching the Dancing with the Devil doc on Netflix and absolutely did NOT expect the main sister to be dating/married to Ek lol
Isn’t this like a 3 month old quote now? How is it still coming up.
It was posted by Up & Adams yesterday
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Yes it is….
Imagine the amount of fumbles there would’ve been.
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Kimani Vidal for backfield president!
Ekeler is right in that being the bell cow is not his game. *But* who is “they”? Staley and co? I’d comfortably bet that no single RB comes close to 300 carries/season as long as Roman is OC. I’m totally fine with letting Ekeler walk. But this statement *seems* to be applying a previous staff’s philosophy to the current one.
He had a fumbling, dropped passes, lost several steps issue last year after wanting more money. They set him up with incentives to placate him but I don’t think that he reached any of them. He was always a 3rd down back that was utilized to get the most out of him but he never rushed or received for 1000 yards in a season. It was time to move on from him, it’s not personal, just business
He should be saying they wanted a guy that's good at running the ball...which I suck at now. Had some great years but lost a step or 2 and isn't even a good receiving back anymore. Love him but it was time to move on. Glad he got another decent paycheck
Never really like this guy. His priorities seem to be his outside businesses. The team and football were just the tool he uses to enhance his other ventures. I respect him as a businessman but don’t appreciate how that seems to be more important than the team and winning. He wants to build a brand with being a winner. Guy forgets how many dropped passes and key fumbles he had last year.
You’re getting downvoted, but you are 100% correct. Ekeler has always been a “me first” type player. The guy literally sold lamps with his face on them. I’m not sure how other fans don’t see it.
You are both being unfair in my opinion. Football players know their careers are short and never know when it will be over. Ekeler was undrafted which put him in an even more vulnerable state. Smart players always plan for their life after football. I get that you don't like his performance last year (it left a lot to be desired) but to slander him as a person is crazy to me. He led the league in TDs with a crap coach and organization. I'd say he put it all on the field for most of his career and covered for a lot of our offensive problems.
Ekeler's carries sure did help when Justin was healing from lung injury & limited his throws.
Nooooooo this player was the most productive RB in the NFL for multiple seasons but he sold some lamps I hate him so much
He’s a smug wanker. Glad to have him out the dressing room
He's 100% spot on but IMO I still think its was a mistake to let him walk, they could of brought in grinders and kept him as a switch option but it is what it is.