If you told Washington Commanders fans during the preseason that the two most exciting young running backs in training camp would be completely off the active roster by Week 5, they probably would have laughed at you.
Yet, here we are.
In a staggering sequence of front-office decisions, the Commanders have remarkably managed to lose two highly promising rookies: sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen and undrafted sensation Robert Henry. And to make matters worse for the Washington faithful, the moves seem entirely motivated by a desire to hold onto aging veterans with redundant skill sets, leaving glaring holes in the offense.
Let’s break down a bewildering Week 5 for the Washington backfield.
The Wasted Pick and the Miami Claim
Just a few months ago, training camp in Ashburn was buzzing with the physical, punishing running style of Kaytron Allen. The sixth-round bruiser out of Penn State looked every bit like the steal of Day 3. He finished runs, picked up blitzes in pass protection, and looked like a reliable, long-term foundational piece for short-yardage situations.
But this week, Washington waived him outright. Waiving a drafted player mere weeks into his rookie season is the definition of a wasted draft pick. You don’t spend draft capital on a player just to expose them to waivers a month into the season.
Unsurprisingly, the rest of the league noticed. The Miami Dolphins immediately claimed Allen off waivers, securing a hard-nosed, young power back for absolutely nothing.
The Seattle Swipe
The sting of losing Allen is compounded by the fact that the team lost Robert Henry in the exact same week.
Henry, the undrafted underdog, flashed electric speed in the preseason, routinely breaking off chunk yards and making a genuine case for a 53-man roster spot. When the team stashed him on the practice squad, it felt like a temporary victory.
That victory didn’t last. Desperate for backfield depth, the Seattle Seahawks swooped in and poached Henry straight off the Commanders’ practice squad. Because practice squad players are free agents to any team willing to sign them directly to their active roster, Washington could only stop it by promoting Henry themselves. They chose not to, and now the dynamic UDFA is wearing neon green and navy.
The GM’s Justification
General Manager Adam Peters addressed the media regarding Allen’s release, giving the standard, PR-polished explanation for cutting bait on a draft pick so early.
“It’s always a difficult decision when you have to let go of a young player who has worked hard and done everything we asked of him,” Peters said. “Kaytron had a great camp, but this ultimately came down to a numbers game in the running back room and finding the right mix of experience and health for the active roster. We wish him nothing but the best.”
A numbers game. Let’s talk about those numbers.
Roster Redundancy and the Missing Power Back
Rachaad White and the ascending Jacory Croskey-Merritt currently headline Washington’s backfield. That’s a solid duo, but the depth behind them is where the “numbers game” falls apart.
Instead of developing young, cheap talent, the Commanders have kept an aging Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, a journeyman who appears to be just coming off Injured Reserve.
The biggest issue here isn’t just age; it’s roster construction. Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler share striking similarities in how they play. Both are finesse runners who thrive in the passing game and excel in open space. Neither is a pure, between-the-tackles grinder.
By keeping Ekeler and waiving Allen, the Commanders are essentially carrying two versions of the same player while ignoring a glaring weakness: they don’t truly have a short-yardage, change-of-pace power back on the roster. When it’s 3rd-and-1 in the freezing cold of December, who will lower their shoulder and get the tough yards? That was supposed to be Kaytron Allen’s job.
In a modern NFL where the running back position is defined by young, fresh legs and complementary skill sets, Washington has sacrificed future depth and situational versatility to keep thirty-something veterans with redundant abilities. Waiving a sixth-round pick by Week 5 and letting your best UDFA walk out the door for nothing is a massive failure in asset management.
Let’s hope Adam Peters and the coaching staff know something we don’t, because right now, this backfield strategy looks like a complete fumble.
