Who Should I Start? Nyheim Hines or Terry McLaurin

Tuesday, September 9, 9:53 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced that they have released running back Nyheim Hines from their practice squad. Hines, now 28 years old, was at his best as a pass-catching back with the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-21. He averaged 53 receptions per year during that span and exceeded the 60 mark twice. His production began tailing off when the Colts traded him to the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 season, though he did return a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns in a Week 18 win over the New England Patriots. Hines hasn't played in a regular-season game since then, though, as he missed both the 2023 and '24 campaigns after suffering a torn ACL in a jet-ski accident. He was unable to earn a roster spot with the Chargers during the preseason this summer, and now the organization will move on without him.

Wednesday, September 10, 4:01 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was slow out of the gate in Week 1 against the Giants, catching two of his four targets for 27 yards. A slow start to the season could have been somewhat expected for McLaurin after limited practice time amidst his contract negotiations. The talk of a slow start could have been mitigated if he and Jayden Daniels were able to connect on a deep shot where McLaurin had his man beat badly on a double move. With the new acquisition, Deebo Samuel Sr. making his team debut, play caller Kliff Kingsbury made an emphasis to get Samuel involved, and he has established a good connection with Daniels after McLaurin missed a lot of time in training camp. A positive, at least for McLaurin, is that he did not face any restrictions regarding his snap count and routes. The star receiver started slow last season as he built rapport with Daniels, and should be expected to bounce back against an exploitable Green Bay secondary. McLaurin has faced the Packers three times in his career and has put up strong numbers, catching 16 of 27 targets for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in a projected high-scoring Week 2 matchup against the Packers.