Riggo's Rag
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Five players that may not make the Redskins final roster in 2020

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 15: Trey Quinn #18 of the Washington Redskins runs in front of Anthony Brown #30 of the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at FedExField on September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 15: Trey Quinn #18 of the Washington Redskins runs in front of Anthony Brown #30 of the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at FedExField on September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 15: Running back Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 15: Running back Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

5. RB Adrian Peterson

To be abundantly clear, I wouldn’t get rid of Peterson. I think that he’s a valuable part of the roster and provides veteran leadership in the locker room. Those are qualities that the Redskins’ new regime and Ron Rivera values in particular.

But given the construction of the team’s depth chart, it’s possible that the team could consider parting ways with him, especially if a win-now team offers to trade for him to add a key veteran piece to their backfield.

As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pointed out in a recent article, the Redskins have a lot of talent and upside at the running back position. They already had five candidates to make the roster before they spent a third-round pick on Antonio Gibson. So, that could lead the team to part with Peterson if the other young depth on the roster performs well during the offseason.

More from Riggo's Rag

"Washington’s backfield is a crowded mess, with Peterson joined by Derrius Guice, Bryce Love, Peyton Barber and third-round pick Antonio Gibson. The rookie is the only lock to make the active roster, but I don’t really see any reason for a rebuilding Washington team to stick with the 35-year-old Peterson. Ownership seemed to keep Peterson on the roster last season, and he came in handy after Guice went down with an injury in Week 1, but new coach Ron Rivera should have enough personnel power to make tough decisions. Peterson could earn a reprieve if one of the backs ahead of him gets hurt, but the Barber signing seemed to point to Peterson’s eventual release."

I would argue that the Barber signing was more about providing another ball carrier in case Derrius Guice and Bryce Love have trouble returning from injuries that sidelined them last year. But nonetheless, with the Redskins rebuilding, they’ll have to decide what Peterson is worth.

Off the field, it will be a lot. And on the field, it should be something as well. But if everyone stays healthy, Peterson could be a surprise name on the chopping block. Again, I wouldn’t count on it, but it’s tough to figure out exactly how the running back room will shake out this season. That will make it one of the best position battles to watch this offseason.

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