Washington football training camp profiles: Running backs

Positional Outlook

Washington’s running back room could be prone to early shuffling. There’s no sustainable clear-cut No. 1 option, and as many as five different backs could ultimately take on greater roles at some point in the 2019 season.

Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice are the current leaders of the clubhouse, with Peterson being the steady, dependable veteran, while Guice is the high-upside complement who might bud into a star with good health.

Behind Peterson and Guice, Gibson is the next player up on the job security ladder. He has yet to make an impact at the NFL level, but his draft stock, as well as his developmental potential, deems him a roster lock, and he’ll be afforded time and opportunities to learn the ways of the NFL.

After Gibson, J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber inhabit the next tier. Both are former undrafted running backs who went on to carve out roles at the NFL level, but failed to sustain those roles over time. Both have the experience to potentially stick around, but lack the talent to guarantee space for themselves.

Bryce Love is a wild card, as much of his fate will depend on his health and quality of recovery. If he can come to training camp with all cylinders firing on day one, and if he can showcase a level of explosiveness that surpasses his teammates, then he can leapfrog others with more experience and lock down a spot. Josh Ferguson rounds out the group for now, but as the team trims down its stable, he will likely be omitted.

The Washington football team doesn’t necessarily have an inspiring running back room, but there’s a good amount of untapped upside that can help inflate this position’s production. Between Guice’s flashes, Gibson’s athleticism, and Love’s intrigue, there’s a lot to be on the lookout for in 2020.