A changing of the guard, or should I say running back, appears imminent in Washington.
Coming into 2018, the Redskins seemed poised to have Derrius Guice holding down the backfield after selecting him 59th overall. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in the preseason opener forced the team to scour the market for a viable replacement. Enter Adrian Peterson, who was a NFL rookie when Guice was just 10 years old.
Fast forward a few months later and things are back on track with Guice healthy again and Peterson, 34, still a freakish athlete. Even with Guice in the lineup, there’s no question that A.P. will see carries in 2019 but there’s a chance the volume will drastically decrease. In fact, it almost sounds guaranteed in light of what coach Jay Gruden said Monday.
When asked about the decision to move on from Samaje Perine on Saturday, Gruden spoke on how he sees the offense operating.
“At the end of the day, it’s not so much about Samaje than it is about Derrius Guice, how much faith we have in him to carry the ball,” Gruden told reporters. “We drafted him for a reason. We feel like he can be a first, second and even a third down back, if needed. I think the offense, carries wise, will probably go through him, pretty much.
“We feel good about the guys we kept. Obviously, A.P. is still here and can run the ball as good as anybody. We’re good at running back.”
Peterson with the Redskins was supposed to be the final chapter of his illustrious career in his age-33 campaign. Of course, that was before he stiff-armed Father Time and rushed for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns on 251 carries — his highest since 2015 — in 16 starts.
Aside from their 1-2 punch, the Redskins will play the speedy Chris Thompson and ex-Eagles RB Wendell Smallwood in certain situations this upcoming season. Smallwood is expected to see more time as a return specialist.
It seems hard to fathom replacing Peterson with a guy in Guice whose only in-game action came this preseason against the Falcons but the ‘Skins believe in the 22-year-old. Expect to see way more of the guy we saw none of a year ago when the Redskins face the Eagles in Week 1.