Former Washington Redskins running back Chris Thompson found success during his time with Jay Gruden in Washington, which is why it was no surprise when he ended up signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the upcoming season. Doug Marrone tabbed Gruden as his new offensive coordinator earlier this offseason, and is hoping he can get the most out of the weapons they possess. 

When the Redskins fell to 0-5 last year after a loss to the New England Patriots, Thompson knew his head coach was on the way out, and even got emotional in the locker room when talking about the possibility of Gruden being fired. Thompson credits Gruden for what he's been able to accomplish during his NFL career, and says he's one of the few people who had always believed in him.

"He is one of the biggest reasons I was able to have the success that I had in Washington and to be able to stick around there," Thompson said, via John Reid of Jacksonville.com. "Throughout this whole process and all my time there in Washington, he believed in me. He gave me every single opportunity that he possibly could. Me coming here to Jacksonville, being familiar with his offense, it is good for me."

Thompson was drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was initially tabbed as a return specialist, but found himself on the bench after he struggled. Thompson was cut at the beginning of his second season and signed to the practice squad. That was Gruden's first year as the Redskins' coach, and he maintained that the young running back had promise, even though he wasn't able to suit up on most Sundays.  

The following season, it appeared that Thompson had secured his roster spot. He caught 35 passes and recorded 35 rushes as the Redskins went 9-7 and earned a playoff bid. Over the past few years, Gruden has given Thompson a versatile role in his offense, as he has worked primarily as a receiving back. In 66 career games, he has recorded 212 receptions for 1,772 yards and 10 touchdowns.

While Leonard Fournette is the unquestioned No. 1 back, Thompson has a chance to open up the offense as a receiving back. He has already been speaking with quarterback Gardner Minshew about the offense and what Gruden is specifically looking for.

"It's players-only meetings, so Gardner asked me a couple of questions here and there about what Jay is looking for or with a certain play call, how is he going to play it or what he expects the routes to look like, things like that that I'm able to help out with," Thompson said. "I think, overall, he's grasping it well. I think it's going to be no problem for him to catch on to it, as well as the playmakers."

The 6-10 Jaguars averaged 341.8 yards per game in 2019, which ranked No. 20 in the league, and just 18.8 points per game, which ranked No. 26 in the league. With playmakers like Fournette and Thompson at running back and wideouts like D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr., Gruden hopes he can get this offense to make a big jump in 2020.