Washington Redskins: Top 5 acquisitions based on instant impact

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BATON ROUGE, LA – OCTOBER 14: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers runs the ball during a game against the Auburn Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The LSU defeated the Auburn 27-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Derrius Guice was a steal for the Redskins late in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Guice should have been an early second round pick, but he slipped due to perceived character concerns that were reported. Despite this, nothing ever came of the rumors, and Guice has been a model citizen since arriving in D.C. In fact, he’s been a lot more than that.

Guice truly is a man of the people, and he has stopped at nothing to interact with fans and spend quality time with people around the area. He invited a group of fans to the movies, was at one of the Capitals watch parties, and has interacted with seemingly every fan he comes across. In terms of community impact, Guice has already done a great deal, and it seems that he will continue to embrace the fans. And all that has been done without even stepping on anything but the practice field.

And that’s the best part. Once Guice is on the field, he figures to be a potential three-down back. Guice has good strength, runs with balance, and has the ability to elude runners as a result. He’s the type of back who is above average in almost everything, but has no elite skill. And that’s not a knock on him. That just means that he’s a very well-rounded player with the potential to grow.

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The Redskins ground game has lacked a lead for the past few seasons. Alfred Morris was a great runner during his first few years in Washington, but he tapered off as time went along. Neither Matt Jones or Rob Kelley proved to be a quality option for the team as the starter either. Jones is no longer on the team while Kelley is fighting for a roster spot.

Guice should be the type of back who can come in and earn the starting job right away. Jay Gruden spoke frequently of his desire to improve the position this offseason, and Guice seems to fit the mold of what the Redskins want to do. They want a guy who can play all three downs and allow them to mix in Chris Thompson as needed. And Guice will allow them to do that.

The only reason that Guice comes in at No. 3 on this list is because it’s still uncertain whether or not he will begin the year as the starter. While many believe that to be a foregone conclusion, Gruden has rolled with veteran options over more promising rookies in the past couple of seasons. For the first month of 2018, it’s possible that we could see a committee approach featuring Guice, Thompson, and Samaje Perine leading the charge. So, that may delay the impact that Guice can make on the squad by just a bit.

Make no mistake. Guice is ready to play and should be a great NFL running back. He will give the Skins something they have needed for a long time: stability at running back. It’s just a matter of whether or not he will be getting 10 touches a game or 20 touches a game to start the season.

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