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How Byron Marshall can win a spot on the Redskins 53-man roster

By Jacob Camenker

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Byron Marshall #34 of the Washington Redskins leaps over Orlando Scandrick #32 of the Dallas Cowboys on a run in the first quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Byron Marshall #34 of the Washington Redskins leaps over Orlando Scandrick #32 of the Dallas Cowboys on a run in the first quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 17: Byron Marshall #39 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field on August 17, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Bills 20-16. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 17: Byron Marshall #39 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field on August 17, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Bills 20-16. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Byron Marshall’s career to date

Marshall was a big-time producer during his collegiate career with the Oregon Ducks. He came to the school as an all-purpose player, and he eventually developed into a running back/receiver hybrid. In his sophomore season, he ran for over 1,000 yards. During his junior campaign, he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards. He truly had a well-rounded skill set in college, but he still went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft.

After the draft, Marshall signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. For the next season and a half, Marshall spent time on the Eagles practice squad, and also was on the active roster at the end of the 2016 season. He only recorded 74 scrimmage yards on 22 touches, and it appeared that the leg injury he suffered during his senior season has stripped a bit of his athletic ability.

Still, Marshall possessed upside, and that’s why the Eagles held onto him on their practice squad. But midway through November of 2017, the Redskins inked him to a contract after a boatload of injuries struck their running back corps. And Marshall came in and had an impact right away.

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Marshall emerged as a jack of all trades for the Redskins. He didn’t see a lot of touches, serving mostly as the backup to Perine, but he did what he could to help the squad. He got nine carries and turned them into 32 yards. He also caught six passes for 36 yards. And most importantly, he helped in the return game, and averaged 22.3 yards per return on his four returns.

Considering that Marshall had been a midseason acquisition who was thrown into the fire, he fared pretty well for the team. Unfortunately, his season prematurely came to an end after he suffered a non-contract hamstring injury returning a kick against the Los Angeles Chargers. He landed on Injured Reserve, and that was tough news for the versatile back.

Still, it appears that Marshall may have won over the coaching staff and may stand a chance at making the 53-man roster. And much of that can be credited to two things.

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