Bill Croskey-Merritt knows where the next step has to come from.
The Commanders running back flashed as a rookie on the ground, piling up 805 yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries. But in the passing game, his role barely existed. He caught just nine passes for 68 yards on 13 targets, a line that points to limited opportunities and limited trust.
That part of his game wasn’t exactly a surprise. Croskey-Merritt entered the league after a college career that didn’t feature much receiving either, including only seven catches for New Mexico in 2023, his last full collegiate season after odd eligibility issues essentially wiped out his 2024 year at Arizona.
Now Washington is pushing him to become more than a runner. The team has challenged him to improve as both a receiver and a pass protector, and that work has carried into training camp.
“They want me to be able to do more,” Croskey-Merritt said in a press conference after Tuesday’s camp practice. “The more you can do, the better.
They know I can do it. I just have to put more of it on film.
There’s always something you can get better at. I just want to go out show I can do whatever is needed.”
For Croskey-Merritt, the message is clear: talent is only part of the equation. Technique, consistency and trust matter just as much, especially if he wants a larger role in a backfield that already has multiple options.
He said he spent the offseason getting bigger and stronger, a move that should help him in pass protection and in showing he can handle more than just carries between the tackles. He also believes his receiving ability has been overlooked.
“I always felt like it was slept on,” Croskey-Merritt said. “I feel like it comes natural for me, and it’s something I definitely want to show.
I can do more than just run the ball. I want to be able to catch out of the backfield, block and run.
I just want to be a jack of all trades.”
That broader skill set would matter in Washington’s offense, especially with new coordinator David Blough’s scheme expected to lean on zone rushing concepts that suit Croskey-Merritt’s style. But it also has to fit within a crowded running back room.
Rachaad White brings proven value as a receiver and an efficient runner after joining as a veteran free-agent addition. Sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen arrives with an A-plus career at Penn State and a physical rushing style that could help in short-yardage situations. Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford are also in the mix as they compete for roster spots and depth roles.
Croskey-Merritt says the work has him feeling stronger and more ready than he did a year ago.
”They had a plan for me and I went at it 100%. I trusted the process and it’s paying off.
I don’t feel like I slowed down any. I feel stronger.
I feel like I’m ready to go and in the best shape of my life right now.
“... When the ball’s coming my way, just make the most of it.
I feel like I have been doing that well so far. I want to get better every day.”
In Other News...
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ESPNs John Keim reported that Washingtons interest has cooled, and the backdrop includes Aiyuks recent social media activity involving quarterback Jayden Daniels. General manager Adam Peters downplayed the idea that posts alone drive acquisition decisions, but the combination of Aiyuks desire to move and the Commanders shifting level of interest leaves the story hanging in a place Washington would rather not be. [Read more 🡒]
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Bill Croskey-Merritt is in a similar spot at running back, where he is trying to sharpen his performance to hold off Rachaad White and keep his place with the starters. The coaching staff still sounds confident in Croskey-Merritts development, but these are the kinds of battles that can change quickly once a team starts looking ahead and weighing upgrades, and both jobs figure to stay under a microscope as the offseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Jacoby Still Fuels A Commanders Debate Fans Know Too Well
Joe Jacoby remains one of the great camp-circuit success stories in franchise history, the kind that still gets retold because it captures everything Washington used to prize about player development. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 1981, he grew into a cornerstone along the offensive line, started 148 games and became one of the defining pieces of the old Hogs unit that helped shape the team through the 1980s and early 1990s.
What keeps Jacoby in the conversation now is not nostalgia alone, but how his career stacks up against the respect he earned from teammates and opponents alike. He collected multiple All-Pro honors and Pro Bowl selections, yet his rsum still sits outside the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is why his name keeps resurfacing whenever fans revisit Washingtons best players and the debate over who truly belongs among the sports immortals. [Read more 🡒]