Commanders' Brian Robinson: New backfield competition

Robinson is slated to compete for backfield work with veteran Austin Ekeler, whom the Commanders are set to sign to a two-year contract, Kris Rhim of ESPN reports.

Robinson will also lose one form of competition with Antonio Gibson set to sign with the Patriots, but it's seems clear that Washington felt the need to bring in an established pass catcher out of the backfield. Ekeler is coming off the worst season of his career in terms of efficiency, though he did deal with a high-ankle sprain and questionable blocking. Robinson, on the other hand, improved his YPC to 4.1 after managing only 3.9 as a rookie, finishing with 733 rushing yards and five scores across 15 games, in addition to a respectable 36-368-4 receiving line. New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury could envision Gibson as the preferred option for between-the-tackles work and Ekeler as the go-to-receiving back, but training camp could also go a long way in determining the eventual backfield split.