Josh Drayden

Commanders Move Down To 53, Keep RB Brian Robinson On Active Roster

Teams have until 3pm CT to trim their rosters to the regular-season 53-man limit. The Commanders have done so but did it without moving Brian Robinson off the roster.

Shot twice in the lower body Sunday, Robinson underwent surgery. Ron Rivera also expressed optimism the third-round rookie could play this season. Washington is following through on these hopes, keeping the rookie running back on its active roster. Here are the moves the Commanders made to reach the 53-man max Tuesday:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

By keeping Robinson on their active roster, the Commanders opened the door to him not only playing in 2022. The team needed to carry the Alabama product through to its 53-man roster today in order to place him on short-term IR. An IR placement today would have ended Robinson’s season.

One of the gunshot wounds Robinson sustained hit his knee, but the bullet did not seriously damage ligaments, tendons or bone, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (video link). It is not a lock Robinson returns this season, per Garafolo, but the team is keeping its options open.

Robinson playing as a rookie would be obviously be a remarkable development. Prior to being shot, the Day 2 draftee had made a serious charge at the Commanders’ starting running back role. The team’s primary starter over the past two seasons, Antonio Gibson, remains on the roster, as do J.D. McKissic and Jonathan Williams. Robinson being moved to IR later this week will sideline him for at least four games — likely much longer, in this case — but allow him to return later this season, should he be cleared to do so.

The Chiefs, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), also submitted a claim for Blanton recently, when the Rams waived him. It will be interesting to see if the young tight end generates any interest this week. Martin has generated consistent interest on the wire. The Commanders, who drafted the guard during the Bruce Allen regime, have made two waiver attempts to land him. The second one, earlier this month after the Jaguars cut Martin, was successful. It would not surprise if Martin is brought back via the practice squad — as several of Tuesday’s cuts will be — but he could also bring more interest on the wire.

Commanders Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents

The Commanders added eight rookies in the draft, and they added another 13 first-year players today. Washington announced the signing of 13 undrafted free agents:

Arizona State tight end Curtis Hodges got a chunk of money to join Washington, earning a $25K signing bonus and a guaranteed $100K base salary, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The 6-7 prospect showed some ability in the receiving game during the 2021 season, hauling in 20 receptions for 374 yards and two touchdowns.

Considering his position, Cole Kelley is another notable UDFA joining the Commanders. While he’s a long shot, Kelley will be one of several QBs (along with fellow rookie Sam Howell) competing for Washington’s starting nod. Kelley finished this past season having completed 73.55 percent of his passes for 5,124 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.