The Washington Redskins signed veteran running back Ryan Grant on Tuesday, according to the Washington Post’s Mike Jones.
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With Roy Helu and Evan Royster sidelined, the Redskins were down to rookie Alfred Morris who, though he has performed impressively, should not be expected to carry the load in D.C by himself. Despite ranking second in the NFL in rushing, the Redskins sought to bring in reinforcements to alleviate some of the pressure resting on Morris and fellow rookie Robert Griffin III to perform.
In six NFL seasons, Grant has rushed for 4,016 yards and 25 touchdowns. In his last two seasons however, the former Green Bay Packer has rushed for just 604 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. He has become a bit of a liability constantly battling lingering injuries.
Grant’s injury concerns kept him off of most team’s radars and thus, out of a job this season despite averaging 4.3 yards per carry over the course of his career.
The former Notre Dame back should provide needed depth behind rookie Morris while accumulating carries and delivering a boost to the Redskins offense that would likely prefer to see their rookie quarterback with the football in his hands less often. Any other production from Grant—who did post two consecutive 1,200-yard seasons in 2008 and 2009—would merely be a bonus for an already dangerous rushing attack.
Louis Musto covers the NFC East, NFL and pop culture at GridironGrit.com. Follow @LouisMusto and @GridironGrit on Twitter!
