It feels like it was a lot more than two years ago, but there was a time in the recent past when Roy Helu was the shining star of the Redskins running game.
Alfred Morris pretty much shattered that brief moment upon arrival in 2012 and Helu dropped totally off the radar because of a foot injury that cost him all but two games of the season. He had surgery on that foot in February and says he expects to be ready to go when training camp starts this summer. That will likely be vital to his chances of remaining on the roster.
The Redskins drafted a pair of running backs last month, a clear signal that jobs are open in the backfield. Helu understands the moves and the situation.
“I can’t control that, and I can’t blame them,” Helu said, via Zac Boyer of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. “I got into the procedure late, so you’ve got to plan [for the future]. I don’t blame our organization at all.”
Fifth-round pick Chris Thompson profiles as a similar change-of-pace option to Morris, although Thompson’s coming off an ACL tear and may not be ready to go full speed right away. If he isn’t, it would seem to help Helu or it could also cause the Redskins to revisit things with Tim Hightower.