Redskins: 5 most underappreciated players on the roster

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by Manti Te’o #51 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

5. RB Samaje Perine

One of the most baffling choices Jay Gruden made last season was not to play Samaje Perine outside of the final game of the season. Coming off a solid rookie season, Perine looked ready to take on a bigger role in the backfield and could have been given a chance to lead the attack with Derrius Guice out. Or, at the very least, he should have been the primary backup to Adrian Peterson.

Instead, Perine only got on the field for five games and was given just eight carries. Despite this fact, Perine still has a lot of upside and could emerge as a quality rotational back during the 2019 season.

People seem to forget that Perine looked solid as a rookie fourth-round pick. He had back-to-back 100-yard outings against the Giants and Saints and ran with good strength and showed solid one-cut ability. His overall numbers for the season — 3.5 yards per carry and just one rushing touchdown — weren’t great, but given that he was running behind a very banged-up unit, he certainly showed enough to be a part of the backfield in 2018. But Gruden never gave him the chance.

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However, this offseason, Gruden has been hyping up Perine and saying that he needs to give him more opportunities. With Guice returning from a torn ACL and Peterson entering his age 34-season, Perine could work into the rotation if Gruden uses a back-by-committee approach. It may not happen right away, but it seems that Perine at least has a firm grip on the fourth RB spot on the roster for the moment.

Some may point to Perine’s fumbling “problems” as part of the reason that he’s not underappreciated. But in reality, Perine has only fumbled once every 104 touches during his NFL career, which is a better mark than that of Peterson. So, if Perine can continue to prove that he’s a solid runner during the preseason, he should put the fumble narrative to bed.

Perine isn’t a solid starter yet. But he only turns 24 in September and has the makings of a top-end backup in the NFL at the very least. If he is given a chance to get some carries this year, he may be a pleasant surprise. That said, it’s no guarantee that he will be able to get touches because of the crowded Redskins backfield.

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