Among the undrafted rookies to make it through cuts and onto initial 53-man rosters around the league was Washington running back Jaret Patterson.
There were signs that Patterson was close to earning a spot in recent weeks and word ahead of the official announcement on Tuesday that the team released Peyton Barber all but sealed the deal. Attention will now shift to what Patterson can do in the regular season and, in a press conference after the cuts were announced, General Manager Martin Mayhew gave an optimistic view of what’s ahead for the running back.
Mayhew compared Patterson to former Washington teammates Ricky Ervins and Jamie Morris because he is low to the ground and runs with “good vision and acceleration.”
“I think Jaret can be pretty special,” Mayhew said, via NBCSportsWashington.com. “He’s got a ways to go, obviously, as a young player. Did not have a great game that third game, but we saw a lot in those first two games that was very promising from him. . . . He brings a lot to the table. He’s going to be fun to watch this year and hopefully he can continue to grow and develop as a player.”
Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic are back from last season and set for sizable roles in the offense, but Patterson could change those plans if his regular season performance matches what he showed the team in the summer.