Riggo’s Rag Podcast: What to make of the Redskins RB situation
By Ian Cummings
There’s a lot to write about the Redskins current running back situation. There’s even more to talk about.
I’ve written about the dramatic swing from Derrius Guice to Adrian Peterson, Rob Kelley, and Samaje Perine multiple times, but the Washington Redskins experienced it only once, in its full and unrelenting fury. Once graced with an ascending rookie talent, the Redskins are back to square one, by almost no fault of their own.
The show must go on. The Redskins followed this mantra by signing veteran running back Adrian Peterson earlier this week. However, it’s unclear if Peterson has the ability to help the running game stay respectable, or if Jay Gruden will even give him the requisite opportunities. And if he gets the opportunities of a No. 1 back, can he stay healthy? If he doesn’t, how will he react? It all goes full circle. And it’s a dangerous cycle for the Redskins to catalyze.
Further befuddled by the signing of Peterson is the pecking order in the running back room. Aside from Peterson, there are half a dozen backs fighting for limited roster spots. Rob Kelley hasn’t yet shown tangible improvement. Samaje Perine, for all his good moments last year, hasn’t gained consistency, either. Byron Marshall and Kapri Bibbs are unknowns even after strong offseasons, with the former a possible injured reserve candidate, and De’Veon Smith is now in the equation as well.
The only lock on the roster at running back is Chris Thompson, and as good as he is at what he does, he can’t bring the Redskins’ running game back to life on his own. To put all of the chaos into a short, simple sentence: We have no idea what’s going to happen.
But we can guess.
On this edition of the Riggo’s Rag podcast, the usual cast was joined by fellow Riggo’s Rag writer Matt Valdovinos, who gave his take on the team’s current running back situation. The other writers dished in as well, and at the end, we went over the team’s upcoming preseason matchup against the Denver Broncos. Check it out!
Next. Redskins vs. Broncos: 5 position battles to watch. dark
If nothing else, the signing of Adrian Peterson gives us must-watch football in the near future for the Redskins. But lost amidst the buzz surrounding the backs is the fact that the Redskins’ roster, save for Derrius Guice, is still very much in tact as the 2018 season approaches. The team can still compete. But for now, we’ve still got some edges to round out.