Fantasy Football Today – Free Agency Updates (03/12/2026)

Free Agency Updates! Chris Rodriguez, Aaron Jones, Rachaad White, Chig Okonkwo and More

Date: March 12, 2026
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings

Episode Overview

The team breaks down the latest wave of NFL free agency moves—particularly focusing on unsettled running back committees in Jacksonville, Minnesota, and Washington—plus the fantasy football implications for players like Chris Rodriguez, Aaron Jones, Rachaad White, Keaton Mitchell, and Chigoziem Okonkwo.

Key Discussion Points

1. Free Agency Roundup: Notable Running Back Moves

Timestamps: 01:03 – 02:40

• Chris Rodriguez to Jaguars: 2-year, $10M deal ($6.2M guaranteed).
• Aaron Jones returns to Minnesota: 1-year, $5.6M deal.
• Keaton Mitchell to Chargers: Adds speed to the backfield.
• Rachaad White to Washington: Commanders replace Rodriguez; White once finished as RB4 overall, RB10 per game in 2023.
• Chigo Okonkwo to Commanders: Moves to tight end-needy Washington.

2. Ranking the Crowded Backfields

Timestamps: 02:43 – 07:02

• Top RBs on Each Team: Staff ranks the “top two” RBs from Jacksonville, Minnesota, and Washington.
  • Washington: Bacchal (Basil) Tootin and Jakory Crosby Merritt are favored by Jamie and Dave.
  • Minnesota: Aaron Jones mentioned for per-game upside, but "how many games is that going to be?" (Heath, 03:33).
  • Jacksonville: Basil Tootin presumed RB1, Chris Rodriguez role discussed as possibly short-yardage.
  • "None of the guys on any of these teams are in my top 20. I'm not sure they're in my top 24." — Dave (06:40)
  • General tone: Skepticism and “meh” about current fantasy ceiling for these committees.

3. Could More Moves Be Coming? Uncertainty and RB Draft Outlook

Timestamps: 07:07 – 10:53

• Jamie: "There feels like there’s another shoe to drop for two of these teams... Minnesota, you kind of figure they are what they are. But I think you could see another guy go to Washington or Jacksonville."
• Possibility of Alvin Kamara being released and fitting with Jacksonville discussed.
• 2026 Draft Class: "It's a 1B draft class. You're going to get a lot of running backs who might end up being like 1B types." — Dave (09:10)
• “You’ve got Jeremiah Love, who looks like a stud... but last year’s class was supposed to be amazing, and so far not so great.” — Jamie (09:17)

4. Team-by-Team RB Outlooks and Usage Trends

Timestamps: 10:10 – 19:22

Jacksonville Jaguars

• RB target rate very low with Trevor Lawrence ("fourth lowest running back target rate in football" — Adam, 10:10)
• LaQuint Allen still expected to have the third-down role, but even he saw very few targets.

Washington Commanders

• As a team, they "have produced in the last two seasons the fifth most rushing touchdowns in the NFL" (Adam, 11:43).
• But pass-game involvement for RBs is historically minimal.
• “If Rashad White comes in and… we can build our run game around, then he's easily the best one [in Washington].” — Jamie (11:36)

Minnesota Vikings

Timestamps: 17:02 – 19:22

• Jamie: He wishes Aaron Jones hadn’t returned, preferring to see a Jordan Mason-centric backfield.
• Aaron Jones: Age/injury concerns; “I probably will end up letting somebody else take Aaron Jones…” — Jamie (17:08)
• “In the five games that Jones missed, Mason averaged over 13 PPR points per game. You can see that’s almost double what his season average was [6.8].” — Jamie (17:11)
• Whether the offense can support RB ceiling if they add (or don’t add) a mobile QB like Kyler Murray.

5. RB Profile: Efficiency vs. Opportunity

Timestamps: 19:22 – 20:58

• Chris Rodriguez: “Ranks 10th in avoid rate… but when you zoom out, sometimes guys are efficient in small samples but are just average overall playmakers.” — Adam (19:22)
• Discussion of how select stats can mislead about true RB upside when scaled up to heavier workloads.

6. Chigo Okonkwo: Tight End Landing Spot Analysis

Timestamps: 21:18 – 25:43

• Opportunity in a stripped-down Washington WR corps; possibility to emerge as a streaming TE.
• “Chig Okonkwo can be Zach Ertz… there’s probably a dozen tight ends that are outside the top 12 you could say that about.” — Heath (21:55)
• Jamie: “He’s still one of the fastest tight ends… he just has a hard time catching the ball which is clearly important… I think he’ll end up being a waiver wire addition if he has a couple of good games in a row.” (23:18)
• If Washington brings in a WR like Brandon Aiyuk, “you can say goodbye to whoever is at tight end… being a factor.” — Dave (25:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “None of the guys on any of these teams are in my top 20. I'm not sure they're in my top 24.” — Dave (06:40)
• “There feels like there’s another shoe to drop for two of these teams.” — Jamie (07:07)
• “It might be time to legitimately be excited about Trevor Lawrence… This team could end up throwing the ball a lot next year.” — Dave (08:34)
• “If Rashad White comes in and… we can build our run game around, then he’s easily the best one.” — Jamie (11:36)
• “Aaron Jones… going to be 32 at the end of this year… I probably will end up letting somebody else take Aaron Jones.” — Jamie (17:08)
• “Jordan Mason… in the five games that Jones missed, Mason averaged over 13 PPR points per game.” — Jamie (17:11)
• “It’s a great landing spot just because of the opportunity [for Okonkwo]… this receiving core is really stripped down right now.” — Jamie (23:18)

Running Back Upside & Roles (By Team)

Jacksonville Jaguars

• RB1: Bacchal Tootin (projected)
• Role clarity: LaQuint Allen likely 3rd down, Chris Rodriguez possibly short yardage, but not as passing-game weapons.
• “Tootin wasn’t terrible in short yardage situations... but I’d be startled if [Rodriguez] ended up displacing Tootin as main running back there.” — Dave (05:13)

Minnesota Vikings

• RB1: Aaron Jones
• RB2: Jordan Mason
• Age/injury risk for Jones; Mason productive when starting but labeled “very average at everything” — Heath (19:03).

Washington Commanders

• RB1: Rashad White (potential, but not entrenched)
• Competition: Jacory Kroski-Merritt, Rodriguez’s replacement
• “You could definitely see another guy go to Washington.” — Jamie (07:07)

Chig Okonkwo & Washington Tight Ends

• “As of right now, this looks like a pretty good place to be Zach Ertz because it’s kind of Terry McLaurin and nobody else.” — Heath (21:55)
• Team could sign another major pass-catcher (e.g., Brandon Aiyuk), which would hurt Okonkwo’s upside.

Fantasy Takeaways

• Current depth charts are extremely fluid. Both Jacksonville and Washington may add another back or see roles shift via draft or further signings.
• Aaron Jones is a risky bet due to age and injuries; Jordan Mason is intriguing but neither back offers “must-start” upside unless one takes over the job fully.
• Chigo Okonkwo is a deep streaming candidate, not a priority fantasy tight end, unless Washington’s WR group stays thin.
• Offense and game script matter: low RB pass-game usage in Jacksonville and Washington caps fantasy RB ceilings.

For Deeper League Managers

• Watch depth chart news; Tootin, Mason, Crosby-Merritt, and Rodriguez are all dart throws with upside if opportunity increases.
• Okonkwo is a viable late-round TE or waiver wire watch list addition.
• Prepare to pivot on running back rankings if teams add more significant talent before Week 1.

Summary Table: Key Fantasy Football Impacts

| Team | RB Depth Chart | Highest Upside RB | Notable WR/TE Moves | Offense Note | |--------------|-------------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | Jaguars | Tootin, Rodriguez, Allen | Tootin | N/A | Lowest RB target % (Lawrence-led) | | Vikings | Jones, Mason | Jones (inj risk) | N/A | May add mobile QB; run game in flux | | Commanders | White, Crosby-Merritt | White (in PPR) | Okonkwo (TE) | Top 5 in rushing TDs, no RB targets |

Listener Utility

• No RB in these committees ranks as a top-20 fantasy pick right now.
• Monitor preseason depth charts closely. Opportunity and late additions will shift value.
• Chig Okonkwo: Late-round best ball target or streamer, depending on further Commanders WR moves.
• Don’t overvalue past efficiency stats in small samples (especially for Rodriguez/Mason).

“Remember Bracket Challenge Join the Podcast League. Win the Bracket Challenge…” — Adam Aizer (29:37)

Full show, stats, and more at CBS Sports Fantasy Football Today