Five dark horses that could make the Redskins 53-man roster

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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 15: Craig Reynolds #22 of the Washington Redskins returns a kick against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

3. RB Craig Reynolds

Coming into training camp, it seemed like the Redskins running back corps was set in stone. The team had Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice to serve as the one-two punch between the tackles. Chris Thompson would be the receiving back with Bryce Love ready to back him up when healthy (he is currently on the NFI list and is expected to remain there to start the season).

And while waiting for love to return, it looked like Samaje Perine would get a chance to serve as the fourth running back. Jay Gruden had sung the praises of Perine throughout the offseason and with an opportunity to prove himself in the preseason, it was expected Perine would lock down that fourth spot.

However, things haven’t gone as planned for Perine. Though he had a decent outing in the first preseason game, including a couple of nice plays in pass protection, he hasn’t looked good between the tackles. His vision and burst aren’t as good as they were early last preseason and it seems possible that his time in Washington could be coming to an end soon.

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The one thing working in Perine’s favor is that the squad doesn’t have a lot of other veteran running back options that look intriguing. Veteran Byron Marshall hasn’t proven to be much during his NFL career and has struggled mightily with injuries. Meanwhile, Shaun Wilson, who looked good returning punts, suffered an injury in the second preseason game and had to be carted off on the sideline.

If the Redskins are looking for a player with upside, that could end up being Craig Reynolds. The undrafted rookie out of Kutztown has looked solid in limited action during the preseason and if he is given some carries earlier in the game, that could give a better idea of his upside. But given his ability to find space behind a makeshift offensive line, he could have a chance to earn that fourth running back spot. It all depends on whether or not he can show more upside than Marshall and Perine.

Reynolds may not make the Redskins roster, and there could be a case for the team keeping just three backs to start the season if Guice is healthy. But nonetheless, Reynolds could earn a shot to stay on the active roster as a placeholder at least until Love is ready to go. If not, he seems highly likely to make the practice squad.

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