Washington Football Team: Potential fill-ins for Antonio Gibson

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Oct 5, 2019; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Maryland Terrapins running back Javon Leake (20) runs the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at SHi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

In-House Options

Bryce Love

Love has been on the injured list for his entire NFL career. He suffered a major knee injury in his final collegiate game and despite some promising signs, has never been able to get back on the field.

If healthy and able to perform like he did at Stanford, Love is easily the option most capable of replicating Gibson’s productivity. He can run and catch. He should be well-versed in the team’s system. This certainly appears to be a now-or-never moment for Love. Were he able to join Alex Smith in the backfield for a playoff push, it would add to the fairytale quality of the season.

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Unfortunately, Washington already tried to activate Love from IR, but the young, talented back was unable to practice during his 21-day window to return. As such, he’ll remain on IR for the rest of the season and won’t be an option for Washington.

Javon Leake

Leake, a former Maryland Terrapin, is currently on the practice squad. He was put on the COVID list several weeks ago, but appears to be ready to return.

Leake, if healthy, knows the system and should be able to perform immediately. Maryland fans may recall an explosive kick returner and back who appeared to have good breakaway speed and decent power. His NFL prospects took a big shot when he ran a very slow 40 before the NFL draft. His other numbers were equally mundane.

Still, raw numbers do not give a complete picture of a player’s effectiveness. Leake’s measurables are very similar to those of Theo Riddick, who was a fairly effective all-purpose back for Detroit a few years back. Other backs, like Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman, have been very productive despite surprisingly slow 40 times. Leake may be one of those players whose “play speed” is better than his speed numbers suggest.

Michael Warren

Washington added Warren to the practice squad on Wednesday, and it’s possible that he could have a shot to backup McKissic and Barber. Here’s what our own Jacob Camenker wrote about Warren after the signing was announced.

"Warren is an intriguing pickup. He played three collegiate seasons at the University of Cincinnati before going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his final two seasons, Warren was a great lead back and managed 36 TDs in his final two seasons to go along with nearly 2,500 rushing yards. At 5-foot-11, 222 pounds, he’s a thickly-built player and could end up being a solid part of a committee. The only real concern with Warren is that he isn’t all that fast and doesn’t have great burst. Still, there is a place for him with an NFL team, so Washington giving him a chance to prove himself is sensible."

Is Warren the only addition that Washington will make? Perhaps not. There are a few out-of-house options that Washington could consider to add more depth to the running back room.

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