3 best moves of the Commanders offseason thus far
By Jerry Trotta
2. Re-signing JD McKissic
The start to free agency was brutal for the Commanders. From losing Brandon Scherff to Jacksonville and Tim Settle to Buffalo, then cutting Ereck Flowers, Matt Ioannidis and eventually Landon Collins, it was doom and gloom for a while.
From there, it only got worse, albeit temporarily, as JD McKissic verbally agreed to join Settle on the Bills. Before the start of the new league year, though (when contracts become official), the Commanders, who hadn’t made McKissic an offer at the time, swooped in and convinced the beloved running back to re-sign.
It’s tough to put into words what this move means for Washington. We know third-down backs can be found anywhere, but McKissic isn’t your ordinary third-down specialist. He’s a huge presence in the locker room, a machine when it comes to moving the chains and is brilliant in pass protection.
Additionally, McKissic finished second on the team in catches in each of the last two seasons. It’s unclear if he’ll carry that big of a workload with Carson Wentz presiding over the offense, but the newly-minted QB would be smart to incorporate him as much as possible when his downfield options are blanketed.
Having McKissic is back in Ashburn is a great feeling and the front office deserves credit for swooping in at the eleventh hour.