The Redskins selected Stanford running back Bryce Love in the fourth round of the 2019 draft yesterday, and running back Derrius Guice — whom Washington drafted in the second round last year — promptly tweeted out a nonplussed emoji that drew plenty of attention on the NFL Network’s draft coverage. Guice later said his tweet was not a response to the Love selection at all, but regardless of his thoughts on the matter, the pick does set up an interesting dynamic in the team’s RB room.
Guice, of course, tore his ACL last August, thereby ending his rookie campaign before it started. There was a report in December that his recovery had hit a snag, though he was said to be sprinting at full-speed in February. The last we heard, Guice was aiming for a training camp return, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote this morning, head coach Jay Gruden expects the LSU product to be back prior to the start of training camp. Gruden also refuted the December report that Guice’s rehab was delayed, and he added that the Love selection is no reflection on Guice.
Gruden said, “[The Love pick] is no reflection of anybody. We just got an opportunity to draft one heck of a player with an unbelievable production at a big-time school.”
Love entered his final collegiate season as a potential Heisman candidate after a tremendous junior year, but he put together an underwhelming campaign before tearing his ACL in December. There has been some chatter that Love could redshirt his rookie season in Washington as he continues to recover, but Love himself said he plans to be ready to go by the middle of training camp.
That is probably a little ambitious, and Love may very well spend the entire season the PUP list. But if he is ready to suit up at some point this year, it would create a logjam in Washington. The team is also rostering Adrian Peterson — who signed a two-year pact in March — Chris Thompson, and Samaje Perine. As Florio notes, one or more of those players will be on the move when Love is ready to go.
So let me get this straight. They draft a starting RB who recently tore his ACL, while their starting RB is still recovering from a recently torn ACL?
Dang, that sounds worse than what my Browns used to do.
Man I want to like the Browns I really do but you make it near impossible. They brought in a guy who kicked a woman, that is a lot worse than a couple of guys with injuries. You can’t talk about how another team is run when yours went 0-16 a couple years ago, and again brought in a guy that kicked a woman.
Well said!
Rueben foster come to light
even better said!
Yes. And the team’s third option is 34, and has a torn LCL, ACL and meniscus in his history.
Didn’t AP get a year off for beating his kid?
AD is still better at 34 than all of those other RBs combined.
Sounds to me like the Redskins finally have a decent running back stable. Guice and Love complement one another.
* 1 x all down back but who can’t take a full season’s workload (All Day Peterson).
* 1 x 2 down back, also a threat for the big play (Guice)
* 2 x 3d down back, also a threat for the big play (Chris Thompson, Bryce Love)
* 1 x goal line/backup back, not a threat for the big play, loose hands (Perrine)
All of those guys should be playing in the NFL finally. The way a running back room should look. Any two of those guys could go down and then the Redskins would still need practice squad bodies. The main back for 2019 is 34 for heaven’s sake.
Nobody will be sitting on his laurels, expecting to play. Healthy competition.
Love was a reach in the 4th round, even without the ACL injury. Most mock drafts had him going in the 6th or 7th round.
With that said, I am rooting for him to be a star in the NFL. Gotta love a kid who could have easily been a first round pick after a spectacular Junior year, but chose to go back to Stanford for his Senior year for his education and aspires to be a doctor one day. How can’t you root for this kid?