Determining what Washington should do at running back

J.D. McKissic has always been an excellent pass catching back. Like Gibson, he began college as a receiver before transitioning to running back. His only real problem has been injury. He has missed significant time in four of his six NFL seasons. However, he has played in over 90% of his games over the last three seasons, and when he has stayed healthy, he has been a dynamic playmaker.

With disappointing production coming from the wideouts, the Washington Football Team has relied on McKissic and tight end Logan Thomas to provide big plays in the passing game. Losing both players late in the 2021 season was a major blow to the team’s fortunes.

Re-signing McKissic, and then keeping him healthy, will be major goals for the Washington Football Team. That is another reason why Patterson’s emergence will be crucial. Essentially, though he is an effective runner, you don’t really want McKissic to have to carry the ball again. If Patterson settles in as Gibson’s primary backup, McKissic can be used almost exclusively as a receiver. He is a couple years younger than Tampa’s Gio Bernard, and should have several more years productive years, provided he doesn’t take too much unnecessary punishment.

The Washington Football Team currently has four other running backs under contract. Jonathan Williams, who has been with the team in some capacity for the past two years, filled in late in the season. He is a solid, if unspectacular runner, who has been able to take over as lead back in the event of injury. Since you do not want either Patterson or McKissic shouldering a major load should Gibson miss significant time, the team needs a more rugged back like Williams to step in. Wendell Smallwood, currently signed to the practice squad, is the same type of player.

And so is Reggie Bonnafon, another former Carolina Panther who found his way to Washington via a futures contract. Bonnafon, who played with Lamar Jackson at Louisville, lined up at quarterback and wide receiver in addition to playing running back in college. He was known as a quality character guy. Though he lacks any eye-popping athleticism, his type character and versatility have been prized by the current regime in Washington.

And one more former Panther – Alex Armah – who was signed late in the season and is currently on a futures contract. Armah is a classic fullback. He will rarely carry the ball, but he is an excellent blocker who can catch the occasional pass. I like the idea of employing a fullback. We have all seen how effective San Francisco is with Kyle Juszczyk on the field. Kansas City’s offense was at its best when fullback Anthony Sherman was rotating in and out of the lineup back in 2020. But I suspect Washington may have someone better suited to play this role than Armah. I should probably save this for a later column, but I would not be surprised to see athletic wunderkind Sammis Reyes line up more in the backfield in 2022. He doesn’t have a classic fullback’s low center of gravity, but his size, speed and strength could make him a dynamic lead blocker who can also slip out on pass routes.

We shall see.

Assuming McKissic is re-signed, the Gibson/McKissic/Patterson trio should be just fine for 2022. Williams, Smallwood or Bonnafon could serve as Practice Squad depth. But I suspect the team might be looking to upgrade that role with a younger player. There are no obvious free agent targets currently available. There are several intriguing names – Rashad Penny who finally was healthy enough to play serious minutes in Seattle late in 2021 and looked tremendous – may be the most exciting young back available. Cleveland’s D’Ernest Johnson should be in for a big payday one day, but he is a restricted free agent this year, and there’s little chance Washington would show interest.

But I would not be surprised to see the Washington Football Team spend a Day Three draft pick on a back who could come in challenge Patterson for playing time behind Gibson. Draft stock will rise and fall quite a bit over the next several months, so it is hard to say with any certainty who will available in rounds 5-7. But I have been most intrigued by USC’s Keaontay Ingram as a potential late rounder with a very high upside. He transferred from Texas for his final year in SoCal and never put up eye-popping numbers. But he has size, speed and skills, and was productive enough to show that he doesn’t merely look good on paper.

Whether the Washington Football Team drafts a player like Ingram or not, the running back position should be in good hands over the next couple of years. It is not a priority, but given the turnover at the spot, you can never sleep on it.