In the first brutal blow of the 2018 Preseason, Redskins rookie RB Derrius Guice has torn his ACL, according to Ian Rappoport. Originally thought to be just an MCL Sprain, Guice will now miss the entire season, devastatingly opening up a massive hole in the Redskins Backfield. Unfortunately, this becomes a must-monitor situation.
Early in Training Camp, Guice had been, by far, the fastest riser on my Big Board. From excelling both physically and, more importantly, mentally in early Training Camp, to inheriting a more defined 3-down role with Chris Thompson still on the mend, Guice had flown up to No.23 overall, above even Devontae Freeman.
Unfortunately, that has all come crashing down, as Guice’s rookie year ends before it could begin. The Redskins return to Square One with this backfield, although Chris Thompson recently said he wouldn’t be fully recovered from his broken fibula until November. Thus, the team will likely be forced to again turn to their sluggish plodders Rob Kelley and/or Samaje Perine. Kelley was listed atop the first official Week 1 Depth Chart, and now seems likely to stay there. He has reportedly slimmed down to 221 lbs, as compared to the 249 he weighed when drafted, and has been working on his pass-catching.
But we’ve seen what he can bring, and it’s not pretty. Expect the Redskins to remain highly airborne in 2018, with perhaps the biggest sneak beneficiaries here being the pass-catching corps (Jamison Crowder, Jordan Reed, Paul Richardson, and Alex Smith). Thompson’s health is also now even more crucial to monitor, as he may once again receive the Lion’s Share of work that he rode to the 11th most RB PPG in 2017. Lastly, potentially more “exciting”options like Kapri Bibbs or Byron Marshall now need to be on radars… but let’s just hope the team makes some sort of backfield moves.
Regardless, this one is a true heartbreaker, and an unfortunate reminder to never draft before Week 3 of the Preseason has passed.
