Jerick McKinnon had a steep learning curve when he arrived in San Francisco as the highly paid featured back for the 49ers.
After four seasons as mostly a backup in Minnesota
patrick mahomes authentic jersey , McKinnon was one of San Francisco’s big-ticket additions in free agency this offseason and took some time to learn
coach Kyle Shanahan’s complex new offense.
”When I first got here, I was lost. I was really lost,” McKinnon said. ”My head was spinning. It’s different protections I have to learn, different
concepts I have to learn and basically I have to take my whole way of thinking
for four years and switch it up to a new one. I guess it’s complex when you’re
new to it, but once you start studying it, you get it. I’m starting to get
it.”
McKinnon has shown just that early in training camp. He broke a long run around the left side on the team’s first 11-on-11 drill of the summer and also
has made several catches out of the backfield.
Those skills are why the 49ers gave the career backup a $30 million
patrick mahomes stitched jersey , four-year contract this offseason. McKinnon will get paid $12 million in 2018. Only Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley
have signed contracts that will pay them more this season, according to
spotrac.com.
But McKinnon feels no added pressure because of the high price tag.
”I’ve had the same mindset I’ve had since my rookie year, which is coming in and working,” he said. ”A lot of guys get contracts and some of them get
content. For me, it’s about staying the same and continuing to work and showing
my teammates how I work and what I bring to the table and pushing everybody
around me.”
McKinnon spent four years in Minnesota after being drafted in the third round in 2014 out of Georgia Southern. He has rushed for 1,918 yards with an average
of 4.0 yards per carry
http://www.kansascitychiefsteamonline.com/patrick-mahomes-ii-jersey , has 142 catches for 984 yards, and has scored 12 touchdowns.
McKinnon had his most productive season last year, when he ran for a career-high 570 yards while setting personal bests with 51 catches for 421
yards.
McKinnon replaces Carlos Hyde, who left as a free agent for Cleveland.
McKinnon has more speed and is a better receiving threat than Hyde and should fit well into Shanahan’s offense. But Shanahan said McKinnon’s strengths start
as a runner.
”You have to be a good running back to truly get the effects of being good in the pass game because if you’re only good in the pass game, then they can just
treat you as a receiver and it’s different,” he said. ”So
Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey , it starts with being a running back and we really like him as a running back. We studied every run he had in Minnesota. I
think he fits in the type of runs we do very well. He’s got the speed. He’s got
the cutting ability and he’s got the toughness to run through arm tackles. Then
the pass game is the huge bonus. He is a matchup issue. He’s very good in his
routes. … Just versatility-wise, he’s going to help us a lot.”
Having a running back who is a threat in the passing game is a crucial part of Shanahan’s offense. The Niners ranked third in the NFL last year with 113
receptions out of the backfield, up from just 67 the previous year under Chip
Kelly.
While Hyde had a team-high 59 catches last season, he wasn’t particularly productive. He averaged just 5.9 yards on those catches and turned only 28.8
percent of them into first downs.
Those numbers are significantly below McKinnon’s 8.3 yards per catch and 39.2 percent first downs as his skills make him a better option in the passing
game.
”Jerick is a unique talent,” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. ”He can do things out of the backfield. You can line him up in the slot. … He can do so
many different things that it’s hard for a defense. What do you put on him? A
linebacker, a safety
Brandon Carr Jersey , a corner? It’s a pick your poison type of thing so it makes my job a whole lot easier.”
—
The Washington Redskins will present replacement players from 1987 with Super Bowl rings.
The team announced Wednesday it would honor the work of the replacement players who went 3-0 during the NFL strike. Washington went on to finish 11-4,
win the NFC East and beat the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.
Owner Dan Snyder says the replacement players' "contributions are part of Redskins history and represent an integral reason why a Lombardi Trophy from the
1987 campaign resides in our facility." The Virginia General Assembly passed a
resolution Tuesday commending the replacement players on the 1987 team.
An exact date for the celebration of the replacement players' contributions is yet to be announced.
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