The Washington Football Team currently has six running backs on its roster. Not a single one of them was with the team fifteen months ago.
Only one was drafted by the Washington Football Team. The other five were free agent signings. Three of those free agents were either undrafted or signed during the 2020 season, after being passed over by every other team in the league. Clearly, this would appear to be a ragtag assortment of oddities, has-beens, and never-weres.
And yet … and yet … they have proven to be a pretty productive group — a blend of versatility and specialists who give the coaches most, if not all, of what they seem to be looking for. In other words, as Billy Beane said in Moneyball, “you may not look like a winning team, but you are one.”
Lets’ take a quick look at the six men who make up the Washington Football Team running back room.
The Stud – Antonio Gibson
Antonio Gibson is the only draft pick, a third-rounder in 2020. He was primarily a receiver at Memphis, and with Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson already on the roster, some idiots out there (like yours truly) figured Gibson would see more time at the talent-thin receiver position in 2020.
All he did was become the absolute alpha in the running back room, getting better and better as the season wore on. If not for a late-season turf toe injury, Gibson may have been in line for Pro Bowl consideration. As it was, he ended up tied with the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor for most rushing touchdowns by a rookie with eleven.
The sky is the limit for Gibson. He seemed to grow in confidence by the week. After a college career that saw him run the ball just 33 times, his running should continue to improve with experience. And Scott Turner has barely tapped into his pass catching ability. That may be due to the second name on our list. . .
The Tough Guy – J.D. McKissic
Like Gibson, McKissic began his college career as a receiver before converting to running back. He is one of only two backs on the team who weighs under 200 pounds, but he plays a lot bigger than that.
McKissic has made his bones in the NFL as a receiving back. Had he remained a receiver, we’d be talking about a poor man’s Gary Clark. Like Clark, McKissic is not very fast, but you don’t see him run down from behind very often. Like Clark, McKissic manages to run through tackles attempted by men who outweigh him by thirty pounds.
McKissic has done this throughout his career, but his size and style of play make him susceptible to injury. Ideally, he will not be Gibson’s primary backup – a role he was forced into last season. He will be a classic third-down receiver and occasional change-of-pace guy.
With both McKissic and Curtis Samuel on the field, the Washington Football Team will have virtually interchangeable players. Samuel is faster. McKissic is stronger. But both can line up in the backfield or line up outside depending on defensive personnel. And that should be fun to watch. Speaking of fun…
The Over-Achiever – Peyton Barber
Peyton Barber is decidedly not fun. He’s boring. He runs for about two yards every time he touches the ball. Cameron Heyward could be in the hole. Two yards. Cameron Diaz could be in the hole. Two yards. It is as boring as it gets. But in a league where contests turn on fourth-and-ones or goal line plunges, getting those two yards can win you games.
Barber was a huge long-shot to make the team last season. But he was there for every game. He will be a long-shot this season. But do not count him out. It’s true he doesn’t catch the ball very well. And though he’s a good blocker, Washington will use bigger tight ends like Deon Yelder or Sammis Reyes if they want to employ a lead blocking back.
If Gibson ever needs a long-term replacement, you’d much prefer a more dynamic runner than Barber. But he will play special teams and he will get you those two yards when you need them. And that might be enough. And at 27, he is still three years younger than…
The Vet – Lamar Miller
Here’s a trivia question for you. Titans all-world back Derrick Henry owns the longest touchdown run of the last decade – a 99-yarder back in 2018. Who has the second longest?
That would be Lamar Miller, who popped one for 97 when he played for Miami in 2014. Actually, I’m not being entirely accurate here, because Miller’s run is tied with another 97-yarder from 2018. That would also be by Lamar Miller, this time, as a member of the Houston Texans. That’s right, two 97-yards runs in the last seven years. How many do you have?
Miller has more yards on his resume than the other five running backs combined. But he has not touched the ball in a game since 2018. Does that mean, at 30, he is totally washed up? Or does it mean that he is fresher than other runners with his long tenure?
No one knows the answer to that. We don’t even have anything on which to hazard a guess. A healthy and effective Miller is exactly what Washington would like in an Antonio Gibson backup. He’s a veteran who can actually be a very productive every-down back in a short run of games.
On the other hand, if age and rust have slowed him, there’s not much reason for him to hang around. This will be one of the assessments that Scott Turner and Randy Jordan will need to make throughout the pre-season. Because if he can’t still do it, they may choose to go in a totally different direction…
The Kid – Jaret Patterson
If you don’t already know about the undrafted rookie phenom from the University of Buffalo, check out Jacob Troutman’s recent analysis. I’ll just add that the team’s website lists Patterson at a very optimistic 5’8”. He is closer to 5’6”, and he has been getting advice from Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the best short running backs in league history.
Patterson is not as strong as MJD or as fast and versatile as Darren Sproles. But he is a very good runner whose college production, even if it came against weaker opposition, demands attention. Patterson will not break the long touchdown runs he had in college because NFL linebackers and defensive backs will run him down. But he will hit holes hard and get positive yards.
Whether he can develop as a receiver and a blocker to rise above the one-dimensional role he played in college will go a long way toward determining his future in the NFL. I want to see him succeed. We all want to see him succeed.
When I first saw Patterson run with ball, my immediate thoughts were of Marshall Faulk. Now, understand, Jaret Patterson is no Marshall Faulk. Faulk was the second-best college back I ever saw (Earl Campbell was the best). Faulk was bigger and faster, and had the pass catching skills of a wide receiver. But something about the way Patterson runs – the ability to shift direction without losing a step – the surprising strength at the point of contact – something made Faulk pop into my mind.
That alone makes me want to see more of Jaret Patterson. Though, truth be told, I’m kinda sorta rooting just as hard for…
The Sleeper – Jonathan Williams
Williams was headed for a big senior year at Arkansas back in 2016 when ligament damage in his foot derailed his entire season. He was back in time for the Senior Bowl, but was clearly still recovering. A second or third-round draft pick fell into the fifth-round, and he has kicked around the league ever since. Six teams. 334 yards. There was a brief stretch in 2019 when Marlon Mack’s injury allowed him to briefly shine for Indianapolis. But he was not able to build on that.
It is possible that Williams simply doesn’t do any one thing well enough to make an impact in the league. He is a big strong runner, but not quite powerful enough. He doesn’t have enough burst or raw speed to scare defenses. And he has been plagued by fumbling dating back to his college days. In other words, he may have a tiny bit more upside than Peyton Barber, but is not nearly as reliable.
Roster Predictions
Gibson and McKissic are locks. If the Washington Football Team decides to keep just three backs, as they did last season, then I think, as boring as it seems, that back will be Barber. With Curtis Samuel able to run the ball and with a good blocking tight end/H back likely to make the squad, Barber’s skill set may be the best fit for the team.
Either Miller or Patterson could force his way onto the roster as pure lead back depth, so that McKissic does not have to take on that role, should Gibson be slowed by injury. But Patterson would seem most likely headed for the practice squad. Miller will have to prove he can still be productive in order to stick around. Williams would seem to be here primarily as deep depth in the event of injury. As he showed back in 2018, he is a good fit in that kind of role.
We did not consider Curtis Samuel in this assessment, but he will almost certainly run a few plays a game out of the backfield. We also are not considering how much the addition of the more mobile left tackle Charles Leno Jr. will benefit the running game, but you can read about that in my upcoming piece on the offensive line.
Those factors, combined with the natural maturity of Antonio Gibson, should provide the Washington Football team with a very solid running back corps in 2021.