3 Commanders players skating on thin ice entering training camp

1. Jaret Patterson

This one’s tough, as Patterson has done nothing to warrant his current standing on the periphery of Washington’s roster, but the arrival of third-round pick Brian Robinson Jr. puts the 2021 undrafted free agent’s job in jeopardy.

Antonio Gibson is returning as the lead back after he finished sixth in the NFL in rushing yards last campaign despite battling through a stress fracture. Per Next Gen Stats, Gibson tallied 24 rushes of 10 or more yards and 38 carries in which he topped 15 miles per hour, both of which ranked in the top 10 at the position.

The re-signing of JD McKissic doesn’t hurt Patterson’s stock as much as Robinson, but the 28-year-old vet represents another obstacle for carries. Having logged zero catches in his final season at Buffalo, and just 20 in his entire college career, the Maryland native is largely one-dimensional.

Unfortunately, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Robinson brings more to the table than the 5-foot-8, 195-pound Patterson. The Alabama product forced the most missed tackles by an SEC running back last season with 79 (next closest was 57) and will supply the power in the Commanders’ three-headed monster. He’s also underrated as a pass-catcher and figures to see some semblance of snaps in that role.

With McKissic locked into third-down duties as the change-of-pace back and Gibson looking to build off a career year, Patterson is currently on the outside looking in on the 53-man roster assuming the team only keeps three RBs.