The Washington Redskins have had a fantastic offseason so far thanks to the shrewd, low-risk signings made by new general manager Scot McCloughan. That trend could continue with Washington's latest free agent visit.
The Redskins are scheduled to host former New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley today, according to ESPN. Ridley has already met with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets this offseason. He could be another low-risk bargain after tearing his ACL in November.
McCloughan said he wanted to improve the depth at running back this offseason and Ridley isn't too far removed from his 2012 peak in which he rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Redskins have also expressed interest in free agent running back Pierre Thomas, who would assume the third-down role vacated by Roy Helu. ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim says that the Redskins will revisit a potential signing of Thomas after the draft. However, he has not yet visited with the Redskins so Ridley could be higher on the priority list.
Ridley, at first glance, does not appear to be well suited to fill Helu's role as a pass catching back. Ridley has just 23 career receptions and has had fumbling problems in the past (eight total in 2012 and 2013 combined). He rushed for 340 yards on 94 carries (3.6 YPC) in six games before suffering his knee injury in 2014.
The Redskins still have Alfred Morris, who has rushed for 3,962 yards and not missed a single game through his first three seasons, as the starter. But getting deeper at the position is a necessity as they plan to run the ball even more in 2015. Silas Redd and Chris Thompson have promise but they don't have a lot of experience.
"We're excited to add another piece at some point, hopefully. We have seven picks. Hopefully one of them will be a running back, or a free agent to compete," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said at the NFL owners meetings last month. "There are some good free agents that haven't been signed yet. But, giving Chris an opportunity, Silas, Alfred, that's where it starts. And we'll add some more later on for competition."
Ridley, who is 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, has a solid between-the-tackles type of running style which fits with Washington's scheme.
