Bryce Love drawing praise at Washington Football Team’s training camp
Bryce Love has performed well so far at the Washington Football Team’s training camp, by all accounts.
In the aftermath of Derrius Guice‘s release, it became clear that the Washington Football Team was going to roll with what they had at running back. Between Adrian Peterson, J.D. McKissic, and Peyton Barber, the team had enough veterans available to make up for the loss of Guice. And beyond that, they have young talent on the roster as well.
With Guice gone, 2020 third-round pick Antonio Gibson and 2019 fourth-round pick Bryce Love now represent the future of the running back position in Washington. At this point, it remains to be seen how either will progress. But at least one has drawn solid reviews so far during training camp.
That would be Love. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted when talking about Washington’s running back situation, Love “could be a surprise” for the team as he enters his second season.
"“Keep an eye on Bryce Love, the former Stanford running back. From what I understand, he is looking really good, feeling very healthy, and could be a surprise there in the backfield.”"
Love missed all of his rookie season after suffering a torn ACL in his final year with the Cardinal. He was once projected to be a first-round pick, but regression in his final year at Stanford along with his injury tanked his stock.
That said, Love finished second in the Heisman voting during his 2017 junior season. That year, he carried the ball 263 times and logged a ridiculous 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. If he can regain that form, that would be excellent news for Washington.
And per Kyle Stackpole of Washington’s official website, Ron Rivera is seeing flashes of Love’s skill set at Stanford during camp.
Rivera said that RB Bryce Love has gotten more comfortable and confident each day he's out there.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 17, 2020
"He actually did something the other day that I thought was reminiscent of when he was at Stanford."
Very curious what that was.
Fans are probably curious about what Love is showing too. Without a preseason, it’s hard to know exactly what he’ll do during the 2020 campaign. But at the moment, it seems like he’s doing his best to prove that he deserves a chance to be in the running back rotation.
Love may not overtake Peterson quickly. But by the end of the season, Washington would probably like to have Love and Gibson play big roles out of the backfield. The duo could be the one-two punch of the future in Washington if all goes well.
Next. Roster Projection - How Alex Smith impacts Washington. dark
It will be interesting to see if Love can get on the field, stay healthy, and showcase the skills that once made him a coveted prospect and potential fourth-round steal. At the moment, it seems like he’s on the right track and making a good impression on the right people as he looks to make an impact in a wide-open running back room.