Commanders now have a running back room of invested draft picks

The Washington Commanders are set at running back with its initial 53-man roster, and the position’s room will not include either Jonathan Williams or Derrick Gore. The Commanders released both running backs.

Williams, 29, suffered an injury in Washington’s preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to The Athletic’s Ben Standig. His injury isn’t serious, but considering the depth at the position, Williams was on the outside for now.

Meanwhile, Gore, 28, has bounced around the league since 2019, including two stints with the Los Angeles Chargers and a previous one with Washington. He also played 11 games with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 with Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Gore’s connection with the Bieniemy makes him a practice squad candidate. So does Jaret Patterson, the hometown running back the Commanders waived on Monday. Patterson has more of an upside. Yet, Gore can contribute on special teams and be a game-day elevation.

The Commanders running back room is upgraded

The releases indicate the Commanders’ active roster running back room will consist of Brian Robinson Jr., Antonio Gibson, and rookie Chris Rodriguez.

Robinson and Gibson are no surprises. Robinson won the lead back position last year as a rookie. He’s a year removed from the unfortunate armed robbery attempt that left him shot twice, forcing him to miss the first four games of the season.

He appears more focused and mentally better entering his second year out of Alabama.

Gibson, 25, enters his fourth year with the Commanders. He burst onto the scene as a third-round rookie in 2020. A wide receiver in college, Gibson rushed for 18 touchdowns and 1,832 yards as a starter in his first two seasons with Washington. But, fumbling issues cost the starting role to Robinson last year.

Now, Gibson gets the opportunity to use his pass-catching skills under Bieniemy. He may not be the lead back anymore, but Gibson should get a good deal of touches as a runner and receiver — Commanders fans can look to JD McKissic in 2020.

Rodriguez is an upgrade for the Commanders. He’ll complement Robinson as a runner. The Commanders selected Rodriguez in the sixth round of this year’s draft after an impressive career at Kentucky. At 5-foot-11, 224 pounds, Rodriguez is a speedy thumper.

He had 32 touchdowns and 3,644 rushing yards at Kentucky. During the preseason, Rodriguez averaged 7.2 yards per carry, totaling 122 yards on 17 attempts.

Under head coach Ron Rivera, the Commanders have built an intriguingly good running back room. Their position construction started in 2020 with Gibson and continued with Robinson and Rodriguez, all three through the draft.

Washington also has in-house insurance with Patterson, Gore, and possibly Williams.