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Redskins 53-man roster projection: New-look ‘Skins rely on youth, upside

By Jacob Camenker

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 29: Kelvin Harmon #13 of the Washington Redskins communicates during their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 29: Kelvin Harmon #13 of the Washington Redskins communicates during their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 17: Derrius Guice #29 and Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins leave the field after the game against the New York Jets at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 17: Derrius Guice #29 and Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Redskins leave the field after the game against the New York Jets at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Running Back (5)

Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Bryce Love

One of the most crowded rooms on the Redskins roster is the running back room. They have a handful of veterans on the roster but also have a couple of unproven young players who have yet to play a snap at the NFL level that could make the roster.

Let’s start with what we do know: Gibson, a 2020 third-round pick, will make the roster. The Redskins brain trust invested in him and Rivera and Scott Turner may see some Christian McCaffrey in the versatile weapon.

Hot. Riggo's Rag Podcast - Analyzing RB/WR Antonio Gibson. light

Beyond that, it stands to reason that Peterson and Guice will be kept as well. Peterson had a club option in 2020 that the team picked up. He is a valued veteran leader and will continue to be a mentor for the younger players on the roster. Rivera will value that as he looks to build a culture in D.C.

As for Guice, he has had a lot of trouble staying healthy during his two NFL seasons, but when on the field, he has been a playmaking threat. And it just so happens that his best career game came in Week 13 against the Carolina Panthers. He totaled 129 yards on 10 carries with two touchdowns in Rivera’s final game in charge of the Panthers. Needless to say, the coach will remember that as his ceiling and it should entice him to give Guice one more shot to stay healthy.

The question after those three becomes, who else will the Redskins keep? They have McKissic, Love, and Peyton Barber on the roster. Both McKissic and Barber have NFL experience while Love was a 2019 fourth-round pick. So, they could go in many different directions.

At this point, it makes sense that the Redskins would keep McKissic. He’s a great pass-catching back and will provide some special teams ability. He’ll help to replace Chris Thompson, will add versatility to the offense, and could mentor Gibson, a college receiver turned running back, as he adjusts to the league.

Love also makes the cut, for now, due to his draft pedigree and the talent he could possess if fully healthy. He was once considered a potential first-round talent, so perhaps Turner will find success with another Stanford back.

As for Barber, he seems more like an insurance policy in case Guice or one of the other between-the-tackles runners gets hurt again. Barber is a strong short-yardage and goal-line option, but his career average of 3.6 yards per carry won’t excite anyone, especially since his average ypc has declined in each of his four pro seasons.

Keeping five backs isn’t ideal (or seven receivers depending on what you think Gibson’s primary position is), but the Redskins have done it before. It’s more likely that they’ll keep four around when the season begins, but the pecking order just isn’t established enough to leave a guy like Love or McKissic off the roster at this point.

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