Re-evaluating the roles of the Washington Redskins running backs

Derrius Guice

It’s fairly obvious what Derrius Guice‘s role will be this season. Or so it would seem.

Guice will be the team’s starter. There’s just too much of a talent gap between him and the next best option. Where Robert Kelley and Samaje Perine failed last season, Guice will not.

Guice has the rare ability, as a running back, to create for himself. Different kinds of backs do this in different ways. Chris Thompson relies solely on his twitch and his vision. Guice can do everything, and that’s what makes him a special weapon in the backfield.

The most popular trait of Guice’s is, by far, his balance through contact and his tough, angry running style. But don’t let his physicality fool you; Guice has the lateral quickness and vision to make decisive cuts when he needs to. His agility is an underrated trait that he uses to reset and gain momentum quickly. It magnifies his punishing traits, and makes him only more dangerous.

Guice has the potential to be this year’s Kareem Hunt, which is convenient, because Alex Smith’s running back last year was Kareem Hunt. As we saw last year, Jay Gruden is willing to give the running game a fighting chance even when it isn’t effective. With Guice, the Redskins offense will finally be able to consistently move the ball on the ground. Guice is the kind of back who can succeed with any offensive line. With a solid, ascending line such as the Redskins’, his potential is great.

Guice will have a chance to put up comparable production to Hunt this year, but with all of the weapons in the Redskins’ offense (more than what the Chiefs had), that might not come to fruition. 1,000 yards is a reasonable goal. Guice won’t have as much receiving production, simply due to the fact that Thompson will take a sizable portion of receiving snaps. That said, Guice will contribute. And he’ll be the starter the Redskins have needed for years.