The St. Louis Rams raided the New York Jets' practice squad today, grabbing former USC RB Chauncey Washington.
My first reaction/question is what happens to the Rams depth chart at RB now? Will Washington replace Keith Toston or Kenneth Darby? Could Steven Jackson miss a game or two?
I don't know much about Washington, but based on his scouting report he looks like a replacement for Toston. We have lots of USC fans on here, so I'll await your opinion in the comments. Here's what we do know about Washington, which could explain what his role with the Rams will be:
Scouting reports identify him as a solid between the tackles runner, though not much of a threat on the outside because of a lack of speed. Here's how Cowboys RB Skip Peete described him last year, when he did a stint with the Cowboys:
He's a big, physical runner. He's capable of pounding the ball inside. He's more of a physical runner than a slasher with good size and can catch the ball out of the backfield.
That gets at the "comparable size" to Steven Jackson issue that was cited in the Larry Johnson talk this week. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the seventh round in 2008. Here's his Combine page.
Washington will likely contribute on special teams as well, a unit that's been pretty banged up this year. Still, I can't see the Rams keeping four running backs on the roster, five counting FB Mike Karney. I stand by my prediction that he'll replace Toston.
In preseason play this year, he had 20 carries for 75 yards, averaging 3.75 yards per carry.