The Washington Redskins were not thrilled with their rushing game last year. Thanks to shaky run blocking up front, decreasing returns from Alfred Morris and fumble woes from rookie Matt Jones, Washington finished the 2015 season ranked No. 20 in rushing yards per game (97.9) and touchdowns (9) and No. 30 in average yards per carry (3.7). They need to be better in 2016.
However, improvement may be difficult to come by. Morris signed a two-year deal with the rival Dallas Cowboys, leaving the callow Jones as the lone 53-man roster back. As such, it's possible that veteran Pierre Thomas could return to D.C.
At running back, Gruden said Pierre Thomas is still a possibility. Thomas is a free agent.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikCSN) March 23, 2016
Thomas, 31, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints. In 2014, he was sidelined by a variety of injuries and subsequently let go. He spent a few weeks with the San Francisco 49ers last year before landing with the Redskins in December.
In four games with Washington, Thomas carried the ball 11 times for 52 yards (4.7 YPC). He also added nine catches for 84 yards. His veteran presence could complement Jones well.
Jones' rookie season was a streaky one. In just his second game, the third-rounder exploded for 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns, whetting the appetite of Redskins fans everywhere. However, he failed to top 62 rushing yards for the rest of the season, though Morris struggled as the lead back as well behind a so-so offensive line. Overall, Jones received 144 carries for 490 yards (3.4 YPC) and three touchdowns. He also caught 19 balls for 304 yards and one additional score.
Bringing back Thomas as a change-of-pace option would not be expensive, which is good because the Redskins only have roughly $14 million in remaining salary cap space.
Other free agent running backs still on the market include Arian Foster (29), Joique Bell (29), Reggie Bush (31), Stevan Ridley (27), LeGarrette Blount (29) and Ronnie Hillman (24). It would not be a big surprise to see Washington explore any of these options, as well as Thomas.
