Who Should I Start? Jeremy McNichols or Zack Moss

Monday, April 1, 2:02 PM

The Washington Commanders signed free-agent running back Jeremy McNichols to an undisclosed deal on Monday. McNichols spent most of last year on the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad but did play a special teams role in three regular-season games. The former fifth-round pick (162nd overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 out of Boise State will serve as running back depth in Washington behind Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson Jr. and Chris Rodriguez Jr. There's a good chance the 28-year-old will be on the team's practice squad to begin the 2024 regular season if he isn't cut after training camp and the preseason. In his six NFL seasons with four different teams, McNichols has only 90 carries for 364 yards and one rushing touchdown, adding 40 receptions for 295 yards and an additional score in 37 games (zero starts).

Monday, March 11, 11:03 PM

According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, the Bengals and free-agent running back Zack Moss agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal. Cincinnati released Joe Mixon on Monday night, so it didn't take the team long to fill the void in the backfield. Moss is coming off his best year since being drafted in 2020, showcasing his talents while filling in for the oft-injured Jonathan Taylor. In 14 regular season appearances, he finished with 794 yards off 183 touches to the tune of 4.3 yards per carry. The 26-year-old also caught 27 passes for 192 yards while totaling seven touchdowns (five rushing, two receiving). It's reasonable to assume Moss will get the bulk of the work in Cincinnati. But the Bengals have a few up-and-coming options, notably Chase Brown, who could compete for routine snaps heading into the 2024-25 campaign. That said, Moss should benefit from playing alongside Joe Burrow (wrist), Ja'Marr Chase, and potentially Tee Higgins, assuming he is the No.1 option on the depth chart by the end of training camp.