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Zion Bowens

Commanders Release 12, Place OL Braeden Daniels On IR

August 28th, 2023 at 5:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

With roster cuts in full swing, the Commanders are among the teams to unveil their latest list of players who will not be on their initial 53-man roster. The team announced the release of the following 12 players:

Kalu and Kemp have the most NFL experience amongst the group. The former has made 44 appearances since 2020, all with the Titans. After primarily playing on special teams, the 28-year-old saw a signficant jump in playing time last season with a 44% defensive snap share. Kalu signed with the Commanders earlier this month, but he will now have the chance to find another opportunity as a depth option in the secondary.

Kemp, meanwhile, is a veteran of the Chiefs over most of the past five years. He has been used sparingly on offense, but the defending champions relied on him early and often with respect to special teams contributions. The Commanders have a well-established pecking order amongst their pass-catchers on offense, but Kemp would have provided a known commodity in the third phase if retained. He still could do so, of course, if he winds up being retained via the practice squad.

Patterson has played in 20 games in Washington since joining the team as a UDFA. He saw more opportunities as a rookie in 2021 than he did last year, but the Buffalo alum still showcased an ability to contribute on offense and special teams. The 23-year-old operated briefly as a kicker returner in 2022, and with the top of the RB depth chart accounted for in Washington, that may represent a path to playing time moving forward if Patterson is to remain in the nation’s capital.

In addition to the above cuts, the Commanders placed fourth-round rookie Braeden Daniels on IR, meaning he will be sidelined for the entire campaign. Daniels suffered a torn rotator cuff in the team’s preseason finale, reports ESPN’s John Keim.

Commanders Add 12 UDFAs

May 3rd, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders reached agreements with 12 undrafted free agents. Here is the NFC East team’s post-draft class:

Ron Rivera‘s team hunted for wide receiver help during the post-draft signing period. In addition to the five receivers in this group, the Commanders offered Oklahoma Baptist wideout an $80K guarantee. But he ended up with the Falcons. Washington still authorized some decent UDFA guarantees to receivers.

Tinsley received a $120K guarantee to sign, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds Tremayne signed for $100K (Twitter links). Tremayne totaled eight touchdown receptions over the past two seasons and caught 38 passes for 490 yards during his senior year. While Tinsley joins Jahan Dotson as an ex-Nittany Lions wide receiver, he was not teammates with the Commanders’ 2022 first-rounder. Tinsley transferred from Western Kentucky in 2022. One of Bailey Zappe‘s targets during his monster Hilltoppers one-off, Tinsley totaled 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns in that pass-crazed system in 2021. In his Big Ten season, Tinsley amassed 577 yards and five scores.

A former Tinsley teammate at Western Kentucky, Brooks was a first-round USFL draft choice last month. He will put that potential option on hold. The 5-foot-9 Allen won the 100-meter dash in one of the toughest states to do so (California) and operated as the Bruins’ kick returner in multiple seasons. Henderson started 40 games for the Spartans, taking advantage of his extra year of eligibility.

The Jets extended DeMorat a rookie-camp invite, Pelissero adds (on Twitter), but he will join a few non-Division I-FBS UDFAs in Washington instead. DeMorat finished his final Fordham season as a Division I-FCS first-team All-American, lighting up scoreboards during a 56-touchdown pass senior season. DeMorat finished last season with 4,891 passing yards. He finished as a three-time first-team All-Patriot League selection and parlayed his record-setting career into a East-West Shrine Bowl invite.

At receiver, Washington has three defined starters — Dotson, Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel — and former third-round pick Dyami Brown remains rostered. But this UDFA batch will vie for backup jobs. Although Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett headline Washington’s QB room, the team also has ex-Georgia starter Jake Fromm on its offseason roster. The team did not draft a quarterback.