Five Redskins players to watch in Week 2 of training camp
By Ian Cummings
No. 5 – RB Byron Marshall
For much of the offseason, the projected running back room for the Washington Redskins has looked something like this:
- Starter: Derrius Guice
- Third-down back: Chris Thompson
- Primary backup: Robert Kelley
- Secondary backup: Samaje Perine
The above prediction is the most reasonable. After all, it leaves the four running backs with the most experience on the roster. But after the first few days of training camp, it’s become clear that the running back room isn’t going to settle that way.
Instead of taking the four best running backs, the Redskins appear to be searching for a backup to both Derrius Guice and Chris Thompson. Not just any back will do. The Redskins want both a thumper and a solid receiving back to man the third and fourth spots on the depth chart. They want versatility, and a receiving back complete that careful puzzle. That receiving back could wind up being Marshall.
No, not Keith Marshall. Byron Marshall.
While the former Marshall was recently waived with an injury settlement, the latter Marshall remains on the Redskins’ roster, and is slowly becoming a favorite of Jay Gruden. His compact, stocky frame makes him an able runner, while his quickness out of the backfield makes him a dangerous receiving threat, and a capable backup to Chris Thompson. As NBC Sports’ J.P. Finlay noted more than once, Marshall got first-team snaps that normally would have gone to Chris Thompson today. Thompson wasn’t injured. Marshall has simply been better than anticipated.
Marshall is a player to watch for this reason. If players are truly battling for the backup receiving back position, then it’s clear that Byron Marshall is the current front runner. Believed by many to be a roster sleeper, Marshall could have a better chance than almost all other backs.