Peyton Barber

Barber may have been the worst starting running back in the NFL the past two seasons, averaging 3.5 yards on 388 carries and 5.8 yards on 36 catches. He was benched in favor of Ronald Jones over the final two months of last season, but even then the Bucs found regular touches for Barber in a backup role. The 26-year-old then left Tampa to sign a one-year contract in Washington, where he appears to be on the outside looking in for a spot on the 53-man roster. In addition to retaining Bryce Love, the team brought in third-round pick Antonio Gibson and passing-down specialist J.D. McKissic, with carries are up for grabs in advance of Week 1 now that Adrian Peterson is no longer in the mix.

Nobody in Tampa Bay will miss Dirk Koetter more than Barber. Despite Barber's lackluster YPC and limited utility as a receiver, the ex-Bucs coach stubbornly insisted on using him as his lead back, with predictably subpar results. The Auburn product simply doesn't offer any standout traits as a runner, grinding out yards with low pad level but lacking the ability to avoid tacklers or run through them. A significant portion of his value came from the way Koetter used him --- Barber ranked top 10 in red-zone carries, carries inside the 5-yard line and the percentage of his team's red-zone carries. All of that could change now that Bruce Arians is in charge. The former Cardinals coach prefers backs with more speed and a well-rounded skill set, and 2018 second-round pick Ronald Jones appears to be a much better fit for the new offensive scheme, not to mention the team's addition of Andre Ellington, who handled a lead role for Arians with the Cardinals in 2014. Barber enters training camp atop the depth chart, but if Jones shows significant development, last year's starter could be staring at a workload closer to what he saw in 2017.

Barber went from depth option to lead role after Doug Martin flopped, and for the second straight year Barber showed why he's not particularly well suited for the role. He has the frame and low pad level to bang out yards between the tackles, but he doesn't have the speed, burst or elusiveness to do much damage on the rare occasions when he does make it to the second level, and he hasn't shown any ability to catch passes. The Bucs drafted Ronald Jones II in the second round and will give the rookie every chance to cement his spot at the top of the depth chart, but Barber's skill set could allow him to hang onto a role as the team's short-yardage and goal-line back in an effort to save the 205-pound Jones from unnecessary punishment.

Barber exceeded expectations in 2016, making the practice squad out of preseason and then receiving a promotion to the active roster just before regular-season opener. After exclusively playing special teams in the first four weeks, injuries to Doug Martin and Charles Sims eventually led to double-digit carries for Barber in three contests overall, and he finished the season with 223 rushing yards (4.1 yards per rush) and one touchdown in 15 games. The undrafted second-year man survived roster cutdown day, presumably due to his ability to contribute on special teams. He'll probably need a wave of injuries in front of him to have a meaningful role on offense.

The undrafted free agent out of Auburn was an early entrant into the 2016 draft, after amassing 1,128 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns during his sophomore 2015 campaign. As with any non-drafted player, Barber faces fairly long odds to make the final roster. However, with his competition for a third tailback role presently consisting of the solid but unremarkable duo of Mike James and Storm Johnson, the 22-year-old could conceivably catch the eye of coaches with a strong camp and preseason.