At the tail end of a season marred by injuries for the Washington Redskins last year, running back Kapri Bibbs was among a handful of players who took advantage of time on the field.
Signed to the active roster from the practice squad after Washington had officially been eliminated from playoff contention, Bibbs appeared in the Redskins' final three regular season games, carrying the ball 21 times for 79 yards along with 14 receptions for 128 yards and one touchdown.
In his Redskins debut against the Arizona Cardinals, the 5-foot-11, 203 pounder snagged a screen pass and turned it into a 36-yard touchdown. Two weeks later in the regular season finale against the New York Giants, Bibbs recorded 100 yards of total offense.
Bibbs' strong first impression could carry over to this season, but the Colorado State product faces stiff competition to make the active roster once again.
Rob Kelley has already returned to full activity following his placement on Injured Reserve last year while Chris Thompson is expected to be back on the field at some point during training camp. Then there's the new face to the running backs room in 2018 second-round pick Derrius Guice.
With so many talented running backs to compete with for a roster spot, Bibbs remains motivated every time he steps on the field.
"I've got a great group of guys that I get to feed off of every single day," Bibbs said. "New guys like Guice. I've got Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine, Byron Marshall, Chris hasn't been out here yet, but I've got a lot of great guys that I can just feed off of and gain new information.
"[Running backs] Coach [Randy] Jordan has given us new stuff to do every single day and it's a blessing being out here and being able to work on my craft and work on the game I love."
Bibbs added that health, of course, will have a big impact on the group's hierarchy once the regular season starts.
"We don't ask for injuries, and we don't go out there expecting to step somewhere and roll an ankle. That just happens, it's just part of destiny," Bibbs said. "So when you talk about injuries, that's just part of the game. As far as staying healthy, obviously that's going to be a key component to any team to being successful. For us right now, we're so deep in every position.
"Of course, our goal is to keep our starters as the starters, but what makes a great football team is when those guys that are lower can step up and play like starters. That's what ultimately makes a great team. I think we're going to do a great job with that."
And if Bibbs can crack the active roster once again this year, he wants to add to his ring collection. He believes the Redskins have the talent to do so.
"I'm trying to go for Super Bowl No. 2," said Bibbs, who was a member of the Denver Broncos' Super Bowl 50-winning squad. "I think that we have a great thing going right now. I think [quarterback] Alex [Smith] is phenomenal, he's a great leader. He knows exactly how to control the guys in the huddle and control the field. You just watch him out there and he knows how to get out of the pocket and he knows where he's at and he understands where guys are at all times. You can't ask for a better guy to step in and do what he's doing right now.
"In the receiver game, obviously we added Paul Richardson. He made a couple of big plays today and he's been making them throughout OTAs. He's fast, and nobody is going to guard him on any post, deep ball, or any intermediate routes as well. I think we really got what it takes to really make that run this year and I'm excited to get it."
