Though the need isn’t high up on the list of things to address this offseason, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see the Washington Redskins look to add another running back to the roster in free agency or the NFL Draft over the coming months.
As it stands now, Adrian Peterson is the incumbent RB1 in Washington, while both Derrius Guice and Bryce Love are sitting in the waiting, hoping to stay healthy long enough to make a difference in the offense. However, their struggles with injury over the past couple of years present a legitimate need for the Redskins to add depth to the position.
A recent report from ESPN’s John Keim on his podcast, The John Keim Report, says that Washington might look to land a big fish on the free agency market, should his current team agree to let him walk.
“One guy I think they could, and will pursue if he’s free, is Arizona running back Kenyan Drake,” Keim said. “I had one league source tell me that’s what he thinks the Redskins will do based on the chatter that you hear. Drake would be a good fit; a back who could help both as a runner and as a receiver.”
There were rumors that the Redskins could potentially look to trade for Arizona RB David Johnson earlier this season, but landing Drake would be an even bigger get, as he’s coming off of a monster stretch of the 2019 season, where he totaled eight touchdowns in eight games after being traded to the Cardinals mid-season.
Because of that, there’s no guarantee that the Cardinals will let Drake go, and many believe they will do everything they can to re-sign him once free agency rolls around. However, should he hit the open market, it would make sense for the Redskins to try to sign him. As a veteran player who still has a lot left in the tank, Drake could complement the Redskins’ roster as a dynamic change-of-pace from Peterson, and he could likely be signed on a contract worth $8-9 million per season.
The first step of this all is seeing whether or not Drake is available to sign when the time comes. But if he is, the Redskins might be quick to get in his ear.
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