MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is, in some ways, the bridge between teammate Carlos Washington Jr. and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey.
Robinson plans on his role in Atlanta’s offense resembling how the San Francisco 49ers utilize McCaffrey, who led the league in yards from scrimmage last season. But in Robinson’s own meeting room sits Washington, a player who Falcons head coach Raheem Morris dubbed a “clone” of the former No. 8 overall pick.
Both Robinson and Washington entered the NFL in 2023. Robinson was the highest-drafted running back in five years, Washington went undrafted. Robinson finished fifth in NFL Rookie of the Year voting, Washington spent the year on the practice squad.
Morris knows Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are Atlanta’s top two running backs. Still, he thinks the depth of the room — from Washington to sixth-round rookie Jase McClellan and return specialist Avery Williams — brings a different element.
Yet Morris argued the element Washington provides is similar to the versatile, explosive Robinson.
“Carlos gives a little bit of juice,” Morris said before joint practices with the Miami Dolphins. “Carlos gives a little bit of something else out the backfield, he gives us Bijan-like qualities. We used to call them clones back in the day with Julio (Jones).
“All of these types of clones that kind of go with your starters and they kind of mimic those things — you never have the drastic fall off when a guy’s missing a rep or two.”
Morris linked his clone comment to role clarity, a budding term used frequently around team headquarters in Flowery Branch to highlight the specific responsibilities the staff envisions for each player brought into the building.
During training camp, the Falcons are forming roles for each player, trying to find out what they do best. In the event a backup has to play the whole game, Atlanta wants to identify what ways to maximize each player’s skill set. Morris said the process enables the team to know exactly what it’s looking for and speak clearer when defining these roles.
This summer, Washington has made life easy for Atlanta’s personnel staff. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder has run with decisiveness, his eyes and feet working in sync to find and hit open lanes. He’s been efficient and productive in training camp.
When Robinson missed a majority of Monday’s pad-free practice in Flowery Branch for reasons believed to be linked to load management, Washington received the promotion to the Falcons’ starting offense.
It’s a stark contrast from where he was last year entering Atlanta’s preseason: A wide-eyed undrafted rookie from Southeastern Louisiana University, courtesy of the University of New Hampshire, suddenly on the big stage.
In a full-circle moment, Washington will take the field for the Falcons’ first preseason game at 7 p.m. Friday night against the Dolphins in Hard Rock Stadium, the same place he debuted last year — but with a seasoning of perspective, according to running backs coach Michael Pitre.
“Take a deep breath and go have fun,” Pitre said of his message to Washington. “It’s just football. And that’s what I think he had to realize going from New Hampshire to SELA to the Dolphins. I think he was like, ‘Oh man, the moment.’ Doesn’t matter — it’s just football.
“I think he’s starting to realize he deserves to be here. He’s worked his butt off to be here, now just go relax and play football.”
Last preseason, Washington struggled, turning 30 carries into just 69 yards for an average of 2.3 yards per attempt. He added one touchdown but also lost a fumble. His production was better through the air than on the ground, as he logged 10 receptions for 70 yards in three games.
Washington, naturally, wants personal improvement this time around, and said there’s plenty still to show.
“I feel last preseason I left some meat on the bone,” Washington said. “So just going into it with an open mind, trusting myself, trusting my craft. Going to leave it all out there and don’t question myself this time.”
After the 2023 preseason, the Falcons waived Washington, who remained unsigned for close to a month before joining Atlanta’s practice squad. He did not record any regular season action, and upon the campaign’s conclusion, signed a reserve/future contract to stay with the organization through the summer.
At the time, the Falcons had no head coach or offensive coordinator, as they fired Arthur Smith two days beforehand. They ultimately hired Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson for those respective roles while retaining Pitre to lead the running backs.
The trying process, from fighting for a roster spot to falling short, from being jobless to making the practice squad but not playing, from signing another contract but not knowing if he’d fit with the new staff, created a year full of lessons for Washington.
The biggest, he said, is to approach situations one day at a time. Patience and communication are key, as is trust. Without trust, nothing can be accomplished.
Now armed with a year of experience, Washington, who rooms with Bijan Robinson, Allgeier and Williams at the training camp dorms in Flowery Branch, is running with a sense of conviction he lacked last fall.
“I think he’s just continued to get more and more confident, more and more comfortable,” Pitre said. “He’s extremely smart, works hard. The steps we’ve taken up to this point to get where he’s at, I think everyone’s pretty happy with.”
The 25-year-old Washington is competing with McClellan to be the final running back on Atlanta’s 53-man roster. Robinson and Allgeier headline the room, while Williams is expected to handle kick and punt return duties.
Morris said McClellan resembles Allgeier in his running style, and the Falcons enjoy having two backups who can take on the same responsibilities as their starters in case of absences.
But only one of Washington and McClellan will likely make the roster, subjecting the other to waivers. The Falcons would surely like to keep the other on the practice squad, but it’s not a guarantee the odd man out goes unclaimed.
At this stage, Pitre said he doesn’t think there’s a frontrunner. While Washington saw the first-team snaps in place of Robinson on Monday and had a strong showing with the second-team offense in Tuesday’s joint practice in Miami, McClellan received a bulk of the work in Wednesday’s session.
It’s ultimately still too early for the Falcons to reach a final verdict. The week in Miami is big for Washington, Pitre said, due to putting reps in the bank against another opponent.
The biggest test comes Friday night, when Atlanta plays, as Pitre described it, “real football” against the Dolphins. It’s the first of three exhibition contests before the Falcons trim their roster from 90 to 53 on Aug. 27.
For Washington, walking into Hard Rock Stadium may encompass a sense of Déjà vu — but he has the opportunity to rewrite a few important pages of last year’s story, and he intends on making every snap count.
“That’s up to the coaches, up to the staff,” Washington said about winning the final running back spot. “I just got to continue trusting myself, trusting my craft and know that as I continue to put my best foot forward, I’m going to try to make it undeniable.”
