Is the Jerick McKinnon signing starting to show that it might not work out?
There’s a lot to worry about with the offensive success when the starting running back gains negative four yards on three carries. That’s averaging -1.3 yards per rushing attempt. McKinnon was bottled up and appeared not to find any running room against the Cowboys.
To be fair, he did come away with a seven-yard catch before the lone drive the starting offense had ended. But, it wasn’t as if the rest of the running backs couldn’t find success.
Both Joe Williams and Jeremy McNichols found the end zone when they were given playing time. Special teams ace Raheem Mostert even shined when given the ball.
To add insult to injury (or injury to insult), Jet suffered a calf muscle strain. The injury is minor, but it’s going to affect his productivity for the rest of training camp.
If McKinnon wants to prove that he’s worth being paid as a top-five back in the league, then he’ll need to prove it more in the preseason. He has three more preseason games to show that he is. And with Matt Breida out likely until the end of training camp, McKinnon should be able to show why he’s being given the $7.5 million per year.
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