One of the main questions surrounding the Washington Redskins offense is what they’re going to do when it comes to the running back personnel. Across the board, there are some concerns about depth at certain positions, with a hope that the players slotted on the depth chart at TE and WR can live up to the billing.
At the running back position, however, the Redskins have no shortage of bodies that they can throw in there, and a lot of the players should instill a good bit of confidence as well. So while Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice are seemingly locked, alongside offseason additions like Antonio Gibson (Draft), Peyton Barber (FA), and J.D. McKissic (FA), who will still be standing by the time week 1 rolls around? There’s also Bryce Love, who was drafted in 2019, hoping to make a return before long as well. With six viable options at the RB spot and a reasonable expectation that Washington may only keep four or five on the roster, somebody is going to get the short end of the stick. But who? Let’s break it down.
Tier 3 — On the Cut Block
Players: Bryce Love, J.D. McKissic, Peyton Barber
Is it harsh to say that any one of these three players are on the chopping block without having had a chance to even prove themselves in Washington yet? Absolutely. Do you feel confident staking your life that any of these players will be on the roster in Week 1 of the 2020 season? Absolutely not.
Let’s start with Love. The Redskins drafted Love in the 2019 draft, and he was meant to be a play for the future, seeing as he was recovering from a torn ACL, and not expected to play for much of his rookie season. That recovery has unfortunately taken a bit longer than expected, and we are still without a clear idea of when he will return to the field. Assuming that he can come back and play this season, it will be extremely interesting to see what he can do on the field. Judging by his time at Stanford, where he was nominated for the Heisman Trophy in 2017, the talent is there. However, if he can’t get on the field, then it becomes no question.
As for McKissic and Barber, both are coming into a tough situation. Both have had decent careers in the NFL, though nothing spectacular, and now they are being asked to crack an RB rotation in Washington where they’re playing from behind right out of the gate. While the Redskins are likely to deploy offenses that match both of their skill-sets — Barber is a power-runner, and McKissic is a great pass-catching third-down back — it seems highly unlikely that both men will get the job come September if either does at all.
Tier 2 — Probably Safe, but Prove It
Player: Antonio Gibson
On a team that has time and again preached the message that youth and talent come first, I find it hard to believe that Gibson will not be a part of this offense in 2020. Having been drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Gibson is a do-it-all back who can line up in either the backfield or the slot, and will likely be deployed in various positions and schemes under OC Scott Turner, who has a knack for ingenuity on offense.
A few notable voices have raised concern about Gibson’s prospects, however, saying that entering the NFL without a solid position group you can hang with can be disruptive to a rookie who needs guidance during his transition to the league. This is a fair concern and one that needs to be watched along the way. Still, though, I don’t see much of a chance that Gibson isn’t suited up on the first Sunday of the NFL season.
Tier 1 — Virtual Roster Locks
Players: Derrius Guice, Adrian Peterson
We threw the word ‘virtual’ in this tier title because of the risk of injury that both of these players pose — Guice with his history and Peterson with his age. However, outside of a potential ailment that would keep them from the field, there is hardly a world where either of these players isn’t a main component in the Redskins offense in 2020.
For Guice, in the moments where he actually was on the field and playing in 2019, he was electric and proved that he could be a potential game-changer for Washington in the years to come. Unfortunately, in his two years in the NFL, the LSU product has played in just five total games and undergone two knee surgeries. Peterson, on the other hand, is nothing short of a physical anomaly at this point in his career. At age 35, AP is still chugging along and dragging defenders behind him. We go into every season questioning whether or not it will be his last, and he in turn picks up right where he left off and gives a hefty stiff-arm to Father Time. I expect nothing less in 2020.
