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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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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) /

Backup Runner: Rob Kelley

I was very torn on whether to include Kelley or Kapri Bibbs on this depth chart. On the one hand, Bibbs has nice combo ability and a shifty running style. He also doesn’t have a proven track record in the NFL and has been mostly a journeyman.

Meanwhile, Kelley is a favorite of Jay Gruden and has actually worked as the starter for the Redskins throughout parts of the offseason. It was always a foregone conclusion that Guice was going to eventually usurp him, but that didn’t stop Gruden from marching Kelley out as the starter in the first preseason game.

Kelley has also slimmed down this offseason, causing some to call him “Fit Rob” instead of his older nickname “Fat Rob.” That could help him be a bit quicker, but the fact is that he is still just a strong, power based player for the most part.

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The reason that I don’t have Kelley as the starter is because he hasn’t really been a very good top option during his Redskins career. He rarely ever loses yardage, but he also doesn’t have a lot of big gains. He doesn’t have speed, which is fine, but his lack of great vision essentially means that he is relying solely on his strength and power to make plays. That is not a recipe for long-term success, and it can be seen from his results last season.

In 2017, Kelley began the year as the Redskins starter, and the results weren’t very good. He totaled only 194 yards on 62 carries for an average of 3.1 yards per carry. That is pretty bad. Even worse, because of Kelley’s tough running style, he got banged up early in the year and was never healthy. His method just isn’t conducive for a starter at the NFL level, so that’s why he should be the team’s short-yardage and goal-line specialist.

Kelley will probably make the team because Gruden likes him so much. He also might be able to play some fullback, as he did in college, so that should add an element to the Redskins offense as well. But if Gruden elects to start Kelley over Perine, that would be an inefficient decision given that Perine has more upside and much better vision.

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