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Redskins add another running back, Kenny Hilliard, and place LeShun Daniels on IR

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 17: Linebacker Zach Vigil #56 and running back LeShun Daniels #46 of the Washington Redskins wait in the tunnel prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 17: Linebacker Zach Vigil #56 and running back LeShun Daniels #46 of the Washington Redskins wait in the tunnel prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins have signed Kenny Hilliard to their active roster on Sunday. He will provide depth at running back.

This has been an absolutely crazy season for the Washington Redskins running backs. Coming into the year, there were four backs on the active roster. Now, there are four backs on the active roster, and all but one are different than the group that started out the season. The team has been hampered by injuries at the position and the latest one to bite the dust was LeShun Daniels.

Daniels, an undrafted free agent out of Iowa who signed with the Redskins midway through the season, broke his hand during practice this week. He was fielding a kick and he broke a bone in his hand. With just a week and a half left in the season, the team has elected to put him on Injured Reserve.

To replace Daniels on the active roster, the team signed another new running back. Kenny Hilliard will be the ninth running back to don the burgundy and gold this season, and he will serve as a depth player in the final two weeks of the season.

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Hilliard was a former seventh round pick by the Houston Texans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Hilliard played his college ball at LSU where he had a decent career. In four years as a rotational back, Hilliard totaled 1,557 yards on 302 carries. He also scored 28 career touchdowns, 27 rushing and 1 receiving. He was thought to potentially be a piece in a running back by committee group, but he never got the chance to do much in Houston.

Hilliard spent parts of his first two seasons with the Texans, but he was only a practice squad player for the team. Hilliard signed with the Redskins just before the start of the preseason in 2017 and he stayed with the team for about a month. At the time, he was buried on the depth chart and was considered to be no better than the team’s other five backs. But given the injuries, he has made his return.

Hilliard isn’t likely to do much in the final two weeks of the season. The team probably brought him in to guarantee that they had a pure runner to take the field in the event that Samaje Perine can’t play on Sunday. Realistically, Kapri Bibbs and the recently signed Dare Ogunbowale should get far more snaps. But if Perine is out, Hilliard could handle the short yardage duty because of his larger 230 pound frame.

Next: 5 Bold Predictions for Redskins vs. Broncos in Week 16

This move won’t impact the Redskins too much. It’s just shocking to see them have 20 players on IR. It’s been a tumultuous season, but maybe they will find a good player or two in the final couple of weeks that will make the search for depth worth it.

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