The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily supported by the team.
We’re back in the United States after a trip to London, and the Washington Commanders have an opportunity to get one game closer to .500 this weekend at Northwest Stadium when the New York Giants come to town.
Let’s not waste any time and get to what Commanders fans want to know this week.
@DhaCuteOne: With Ekeler back and McNichols returning off IR soon, how do you see the workload at RB being distributed going forward/how would you like to see the workload distributed? Do you feel that Rachaad White should get more carries? Do you think Croskey-Merritt gets a reduced role?
This is actually a question I have been working through for a while now. I thought the workload would be pretty clear about two weeks ago, but then Austin Ekeler rejoined the team and Kaytron Allen got released. Admittedly, Allen’s absence does make things clearer, but there are still a few factors at play here.
I don’t feel like I’m alone in this, but there’s a lot of overlap in each running back’s skill set. You could argue that Jeremy McNichols is more physically suited for runs between the tackles, but like Rachaad White and Ekeler, he can operate as a good option in the passing game. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is capable of that, but to be fair, we haven’t seen that much of it. Either way, Croskey-Merritt does possess that quickness and burst that the other three have as well.
To me, this feels like the Commanders doubling down on their desire for a committee approach to the backfield. They don’t want to be limited by any player’s limitations, nor do they want defenses to key on what plays they can or cannot run based on who is lined up at running back. So, perhaps the best approach to that is having four players who can do a little of everything as opposed to four players with different traits.
As for the workload, I think it’ll change from week to week based on the hot hand. They don’t have any serious financial or draft investments in the position, so they shouldn’t feel obligated to get one player the ball over the others. I could see all four of these players having good performances in any game, which I’m sure is exactly how the Commanders want it.
Source: www.commanders.com
