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Redskins: 3 top position battles to watch in training camp

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 15: Bashaud Breeland #26, Quinton Dunbar #47 and Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins tackle Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of a game at FedEx Field on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins won 26-24. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 15: Bashaud Breeland #26, Quinton Dunbar #47 and Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins tackle Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of a game at FedEx Field on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins won 26-24. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by Manti Te’o #51 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by Manti Te’o #51 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

3. Running back

Some people may scoff at the notion that the Redskins have any sort of competition at running back. After all, Derrius Guice is the answer at the position. He was a second-round pick and considered to be the second or third-best running back in the 2018 NFL Draft. So, why wouldn’t he be given the rock 20-plus times a game right off the bat?

Well, the answer to that is complicated. The first thing is that Guice has yet to play a down at the NFL level. That has been a criticism of the Saquon Barkley hype train in recent weeks, anointing him as the next great running back before he plays a down, but it applies to all rookies. Guice may well be ready to handle a starting role in the NFL, but he still has to prove it.

Beyond that, Jay Gruden hasn’t trusted rookies in his previous years as head coach. Matt Jones saw intermittent action during his rookie season despite looking more explosive than Alfred Morris. Granted, that was partially due to his penchant for fumbling, but Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine both took half a season or more to earn the starting job in the two years following that. And while it makes sense to give the starter a few weeks to prove themselves, waiting until midway through the season to make a switch can be inefficient.

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Still, Gruden’s track record shows that rookie backs won’t always get a full workload, even if they might deserve it. Of course, Guice is more talented than these players are on paper, but he still has to prove that he’s sure-handed enough to hold onto that starting role out of the gate and run with it.

Meanwhile, behind Guice, Perine and Chris Thompson will be battling for time. Thompson should see a lot of action on third downs. As for Perine, his role is the most undefined right now. That said, he has solid power and if he shows better playmaking ability, or at least better patience and vision, he may be able to swipe some early-season carries from Guice.

This battle is less about the long-term and more about the short-term. By the end of the year, Guice will be the starter. But at the beginning? It’s a bit unclear. That’s why this battle is a bit more important than people think because this could end up being a true back-by-committee approach to start the season.

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