RICHMOND, Va. -- The play occurred in a walk-through so it’s not as if it revealed a whole lot. Yet it showed something. It showed that Chris Thompson knows what he must work on to get on the field.

First, go back to the Philadelphia Eagles game in Week 16 late last season when Thompson caught a screen pass in the flat. He grabbed the ball and immediately sped upfield. The problem: no blocks were set up. He needed to pause for a split second, allowing the lineman to set up a block that would have sprung him for a double-digit gain. Instead, he settled for two yards.

Last week, the Washington Redskins ran that same play in the walk-through.

“As soon as I caught the pass, I waited for the tackle to come out and block his guy,” Thompson said. “Me and [running backs coach Randy] Jordan were laughing about it. He was telling me, ‘You’re one year smarter.’ And I was like, ‘Yep.’ “

Thompson knows time is running out on his Redskins career. The former fifth-round pick in 2013 has the wiggle to his game the coaches like -- and want when running certain parts of their offense. But the front office also likes undrafted free agent Trey Williams, who has a similar game (but is still learning). They also have Silas Redd and rookie third-rounder Matt Jones behind starter Alfred Morris. But Thompson’s durability has always been an issue and when on the field he hasn’t produced enough.

Chris Thompson is using the preseason to build on his potential while also keeping his health in mind. The Washington Post via Getty Images

Thompson missed most of his rookie season after a suffering a torn labrum in his shoulder. He missed time in his last season at Florida State because of a torn ACL and missed his junior season because of a back injury. Last summer, he was sidelined with an ankle injury.

“The key to it all is just being able to go out and practice every day,” Thompson said.

Injuries happen. Some, though, can be prevented through various means as Thompson and other young players (such as tight end Jordan Reed) have learned. Like Reed, Thompson has started stretching much more than ever, saying he’s paid attention to the older players and mimicking their approach. They stretch; they’ve played a while; do the same. He’s also tried to eat better, making an occasional exception to satisfy a sweet tooth.

If he stays healthy, the next trick is producing. The Redskins have tweaked their run game under new offensive line coach Bill Callahan. To adapt, Thompson and the other backs have watched plenty of Dallas tape from last season when Callahan served in a similar role.

The Redskins will still use outside zones and inside zones (probably using the latter more than in the past). But the backs must hit it quicker.

“It’s making quicker decisions,” Thompson said. “I’m starting to make quicker decisions and not trying to beat everyone with speed, but getting vertical and getting those three-to-four yards and then maybe that 30 or 40 yarder will pop.”

Finally, in the pass game Thompson said quick decisions matter here, too. Especially when it comes to knowing when a blitzer will come. For a third-down back, this is crucial. If he spends too much time waiting for a blitz that never comes, he can’t get into his route sooner and therefore isn’t as big a help to the quarterback.

“That’s a huge deal for a running back and for a guy with the role I could possibly have,” Thompson said. “Just get on the routes a little quicker and not sit there thinking, ‘Is a blitzer gonna come?’ and he never comes.”

His last focal point involves protection, another key for a third-down back. It’s about leverage and not serving as a nuisance but rather an obstacle for a pass rusher.

“I’m having better leverage so guys at this point, I’m not really getting ran over,” Thompson said. “That’s one of the things I wanted to focus on this year.”

There’s a ways to go and the preseason games haven’t even started -- those begin Thursday in Cleveland. For Thompson, he must prove himself on the field and avoid the trainer’s room to last another season. The coaches have liked him for a while, but that only lasts so long.

Thus far, they’ve liked what they’ve seen, but there are always caveats.

“Chris Thompson is really starting to emerge as a third-down back, if we can obviously keep him healthy,” Gruden said. “He’s done an excellent both in the running game and the passing game and he’s done an excellent job in protection so far.”