The Washington Commanders may not have a feature back, but the coaches explain why several pieces can be efficient
The Washington Commanders were among the teams routinely linked to running back Jeremiyah Love through the NFL Draft process, but it ended up being a question the front office never had to answer after the Arizona Cardinals pulled off the first shock in round one by adding him to a room with already multiple pieces. While the domino eventually opened the door for Washington to make other moves at the position, it cemented that a committee approach was the most likely route for first-year offensive coordinator David Blough.
The signings of Rachaad White and Jerome Ford in free agency and selection of Kaytron Allen, who ended his career at Penn State as all-time leading rusher, elevated the rest of the rotation while Jeremy McNichols was among the long list of players to re-sign with the organization this offseason. Add in Bill Croskey-Merritt preparing for a second season, there's pieces to work with. Now it's about putting together the "complementary" pieces together to iron out best fits for each weapon.
"They have different skillsets. They complement each other," running backs coach Anthony Lynn told local media this week. "I think you use them in the right situations and I think you're going to have an excellent backfield."
Head coach Dan Quinn noted White showcasing his receiving ability out of the backfield, an element sorely missed in 2025 that the former Buccaneers running back adds to the offense, while also noting he was featured as a returner during OTAs.
"He's got great hands, so what does he add into it on some third downs?," Quinn added while noting there's "a lot of mixing around" within the room.
Lynn also pointed to pass protection as an area of growth for Croskey-Merritt, who was present yet not participating in drills during OTAs with the team not required to provide an update on injured players at this stage in the offseason. While those are reps he'll look to get back through summer workouts, it gives the rest of the room a chance to shine, including Allen who drew a comparison to one back who departed.
"There's times where I see flashes of Chris Rodriguez," Lynn said of Allen. "He's a bigger back and he has very good feet and agility."
His ability to serve as an efficient short yardage back will help determine just how impactful the Virginia native can be as a rookie, but as Lynn noted "the hot hand rolls" in the eventually finalized Commanders' 2026 rotation.
"We're going to just let them compete and let iron sharpen iron and we'll see what happens because right now, I can't tell you there's one clear-cut starter. I think, but we'll see."
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