1. Receiving Back: Byron Marshall vs. Kapri Bibbs
This may be the battle that sees the most action during Thursday’s contest, and it is also one of the more intriguing battles in camp. With Chris Thompson unlikely to be at 100 percent to start the season, the Redskins seem highly likely to roster an extra receiving back to fill his role if he can’t play as many snaps. That leaves two primary options on the roster, Byron Marshall and Kapri Bibbs.
So far this offseason, Marshall has emerged as a favorite of Gruden. The former Oregon product never got much of a chance to produce after landing with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Redskins nabbed him off their practice squad during the 2017 season as injuries to their running backs piled up. Marshall played a little bit before suffering a hamstring injury, and he flashed versatility thanks to his special teams ability and receiving ability.
Bibbs was added in a similar manner to Marshall, but he was signed after Marshall’s injury. Still, Bibbs was able to put up solid numbers in the final few weeks of the season, and that has led many to believe that he will be the favorite. He still has a chance, but right now, he is ever so slightly behind Marshall.
This is certainly a coin-flip position battle, and the results could go either way. But Thursday’s preseason game will tell us a lot about this one. It will be interesting to see who sees the field first, which player is the most productive, and if either is able to develop a rapport with any of the quarterbacks. If one can start to separate, that will do a lot to ensure that the Redskins have quality depth at running back, and it will also make their decision a bit easier.