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Re-evaluating the Redskins RB depth chart after Derrius Guice’s injury

By Jacob Camenker

FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 9 : Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins hands the ball off to Rob Kelley #20 during the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 9 : Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins hands the ball off to Rob Kelley #20 during the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 17: Running back Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 17: Running back Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field on December 17, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Starter: Samaje Perine

I’ve been on the Samaje Perine hype train since his days at Oklahoma. I liked his strength, power, and vision and thought that he would have a great chance to become an early-downs starter at the NFL level. Now, his moment has come.

When Guice joined the Redskins, most people wrote off Perine. He was always going to take a backseat to Guice, but some were calling for him to be off the roster. Some liked the other depth backs on the team’s roster and while that’s all well and good, Perine needed to be kept for this exact reason. To serve as the starter if Guice went down.

Perine’s numbers from last season aren’t that pretty. He got 175 carries, but only managed 603 yards and a single touchdown. His yards per carry of 3.4 was pretty poor, but it’s also worth noting that he was running behind a makeshift offensive line that was pretty banged up. He also still did notch a couple of 100-yard performances in back-to-back weeks. Perhaps with a healthier unit, and another offseason of adjusting to the NFL, Perine will be in better shape.

light. Related Story. Can Samaje Perine break out in Year 2 with Redskins?

Of course, Perine does have to work on a couple of things to improve. Notably, he has to learn to run with lower pad level to give him some more power. He also needs to be a bit less afraid to seek out contact, as that will give him a chance to use his size and strength to bull forward for some extra yards. He doesn’t have great speed, but adding power to his good vision and one-cut abilities should make him a solid starting option.

Perine could end up making the leap in his second season. His story is somewhat similar to Devonta Freeman, in that he has mostly been a forgotten man who could end up becoming a solid starter. Of course, Freeman is more athletic than Perine and has a different running style, but the point is that they both had mediocre rookie seasons but possess more talent than most realized at the time.

If the Redskins don’t add another running back and then chooses not to start Perine, then they will be making a mistake. He has the most upside of any healthy player on the depth chart, so he should be given a chance to prove himself in his second season.

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