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Washington football training camp profiles: Running backs

By Ian Cummings

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 17: Derrius Guice #29 of the Washington Redskins warms up prior to playing against the New York Jets at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 17: Derrius Guice #29 of the Washington Redskins warms up prior to playing against the New York Jets at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 29: Peyton Barber #25 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Raymond James Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 29: Peyton Barber #25 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Raymond James Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Peyton Barber

Experience: 5th season

Draft Status: Undrafted, 2016

2019 Stats: 16 games (Seven starts), 154 carries, 470 yards, six touchdowns, 16 receptions, 115 yards, one touchdown

2020 Outlook: Peyton Barber gained a certain degree of fame when he became the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ lead back during the 2018 season. He finished that campaign with 871 yards and five scores on 234 carries — respectable numbers for a former undrafted free agent. 2019 was a much less efficient year for the Auburn product, however.

Barber only started the first seven games of the 2019 season before the job was taken away from him by Ronald Jones II. He rushed for under three yards per carry in seven games, and found most of his success on the goal line, reverting to mere mediocrity elsewhere. His underperformance led to him signing a cheap deal with Washington, also for two years.

Expected Role: Like McKissic, Barber’s two-year deal, although lacking in second-year guarantees, shows that Barber has more experience than the average free agent castoff. But Barber doesn’t have the versatility that McKissic has. Barber is more of a standard early-down back who can also move linemen on the goal line. He has good size and physicality, but he’s a below-average athlete for the position, and his upside is limited from this point on.

Status: Barber was added this year, but he might not make it past cut day. He’ll have to prove to Ron Rivera that he’s worth keeping over running backs with more utility, and that may be a tough ask, especially without preseason games to simulate game environments.

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