Matt Jones in line to be the lead back for the Washington Redskins
By Jon Dove
Matt Jones has a great chance to establish himself as the long-term answer at running back for the Washington Redskins.
The Washington Redskins showed a lot of confidence in Matt Jones when they decided not to make any major running back additions during the offseason. Keith Marshall was the one player brought in who offers any upside.
However, ESPN’s John Keim is reporting that Marshall isn’t a threat to take carries away from Jones. This is a significant report because it means that Jones could be one of the more heavily used running backs in the league.
Jay Gruden loves to run the football and work off play action. The Redskins are a team committed to the running game with not only Gruden but also offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
Washington gave Callahan a strong salary thanks to his ability to develop offensive linemen and draw up effective running plays. The Redskins have also gone on to support Callahan and Gruden by adding offensive line talent through the draft.
Some of their recent picks include 1st rounder Brandon Scherff, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long and Arie Kouandjio.
All the pieces are in place for Jones to be one of the more productive running backs in the NFL. However, he needs to perform and stay healthy.
Jones burst onto the scene last year but his early success quickly fizzled out. The Redskins are taking a gamble by trusting Jones who has yet to establish himself. Washington’s other running back options include Chris Thompson, Mack Brown and Keith Marshall.
None of those three really jump off the page and screen high upside. It’s even hard to imagine any of them really challenging Jones for carries. Thompson is the one who’ll see some action but his role will be as a 3rd-down back.
It’ll be interesting to see how this situation plays out. The Redskins are coming off a playoff berth and are hoping to build off that success.