Eric Bieniemy, Scott Turner, and the Washington Commanders never took use of Antonio Gibson’s dual-threat ability. If the Commanders sign Austin Ekeler from the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 NFL free agency, new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will have the opportunity to fix the error.
Ekeler is the ideal alternative for free agent Gibson, according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. Spielberger feels Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. may make a strong one-two punch.
The pairing may go something like this: “Robinson as the early-down bruiser and Ekeler as the late-down pass catcher who can break off chunk gains through the air and make life easier for a rookie quarterback.”
Despite Spielberger’s observation that “Robinson’s pass-catching volume increased significantly in his second season,” Ekeler is a far more capable receiver. He caught 107 passes during his greatest season of 2022.
Adding Ekeler would provide the Commanders with the versatile backfield threat they had hoped Gibson would become. A wandering playmaker with Ekeler’s abilities would be vital to whichever quarterback the Commanders pick second overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
