Washington Redskins fourth-round pick Samaje Perine may be thrown into the fire right away this season.
John Keim, the Redskins reporter for ESPN, projected on Monday that Perine will win the team’s starting running back job over Rob Kelley, calling Kelley “a complementary piece” to the former Oklahoma star.
Kelley broke out in the second half of 2016, taking the starting job from Matt Jones and rushing for 601 yards and six touchdowns in the final nine games of the year. Meanwhile, Perine, who racked up over 4,000 yards rushing in three seasons with the Sooners, was drafted by the Redskins with the No. 114 overall pick last month but likely figures to be a more physical runner than Kelley.
Uncertainty has clouded the Washington backfield and really their entire team this offseason, but giving Perine the opportunity right off the bat to become a potential franchise cornerstone could help give the Redskins some direction that they badly need right now.
Image via OU Daily on YouTube
H/T Rotoworld
