Redskins Re-Sign CB Aaron Colvin
Aaron Colvin will be back in Washington for another season. The Redskins announced today that they’ve re-signed the cornerback.
The 28-year-old started the 2019 season with the Texans, but he was released after allowing a key catch to Ted Ginn Jr. during Houston’s Week 1 loss to the Saints. Colvin subsequently signed with the Redskins, and he proceeded to appear in six games (two starts) for his new team, compiling 10 tackles and two passes defended.
The 2014 fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jaguars, including a 2015 campaign where he started a career-high 15 games. Colvin signed a four-year, $34MM contract (including $18MM guaranteed) with the Texans prior to the 2018 campaign.
Washington’s secondary will look a whole lot different next season, as both Quinton Dunbar and Josh Norman are gone. The Redskins brought in Ronald Darby and Kendall Fuller to take their place, and they can also turn to Colvin and former third-rounder Fabian Moreau.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Smith, Cowboys, Prescott
With graphic details and graphic images, ESPN.com’s Elizabeth Smith and Stephania Bell bring us the story of Alex Smith‘s gruesome injury and his road to recovery.
“Our first priority is we’re going to save his life,” a hospital worker said to Alex’s wife, Elizabeth, just days after the injury. “And then we’re going to do our best to save his leg. And anything beyond that is a miracle.”
Smith said that he feels “very much lucky to be alive” after the horrific injury and ensuing sepsis infection. And, after celebrating his 36th birthday in May, the Redskins quarterback is working towards an NFL return. Mrs. Smith, meanwhile, is conflicted.
“When I think about Alex returning to football, there’s part of me that wants him to do whatever he has the inner drive to do. If that means stepping back on the football field and throwing on those pads, then I want him to prove that to himself. But obviously there’s part of me asking, “‘Is it worth ever doing that again? Do you know what we just went through?'”
Here’s more on the Redskins, the Redskins’ quarterback situation, and the rest of the NFC East:
- Talk of Tua Tagovailoa going to the Redskins didn’t bother starter Dwayne Haskins.“Throughout the whole process Ron [Rivera] was just telling me to trust him,” Haskins said (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports). “I did so it worked out.” The Redskins were long expected to take Chase Young with the No. 2 pick, but there were Tua rumblings on draft week. Ultimately, they took the Ohio State edge rusher and passed on the Alabama star.
- If the Cowboys can’t work out an extension with Dak Prescott by July 15th, they’ll have to wait until after the 2020 season to resume negotiations. That deadline puts some serious pressure on the team to get something done with their beloved QB, but COO Stephen Jones says he won’t break the budget. “There’s all sorts of analytics out there that show if your quarterback takes up too big a percentage of your salary cap, it decreases your chances to win,” Jones said (via PFT). “We’re just trying to figure out the right fit. No one wants to sign Dak to a longer term deal more than Jerry and myself. We’re on the record time and time again on what we think of him as a leader. He has the ‘it’ factor. He’s a fierce competitor. He wants to win as well, and it’s just gotta be right for him and right for us.”
- The Cowboys are feeling really, really good about their Day 2 and Day 3 haul in the draft, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Before the draft, they had a “high-second-round” grade on cornerback Trevon Diggs – they landed him at No. 51 overall. They assigned a second-round grade to defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, and snagged him in the third. In the fourth round, they see yet another steal – the scouting department gave center Tyler Biadasz a high-third-round score and snagged him with the last pick of the fourth round. Time will tell, but the Cowboys are doing cartwheels over their 2020 middle-round choices.
- Carlos Hyde, who racked up 1,000+ yards rushing in Houston last year, is still available. The Eagles are interested, but they only want him at the right price.
- Recently, the Giants reworked Cooper Rush‘s contract to dial down his base pay but also give him a chunk of guaranteed money. That may bode well for his odds of making the roster, but he’s got lots of competition.
Latest On Redskins' Trent Williams Trade
- Lynch called Ron Rivera before the draft, hoping to finalize a Trent Williams trade before the virtual event began, Breer adds. The Redskins HC informed the 49ers GM “too much interest” was coming Washington’s way for the long-disgruntled tackle to have a trade done before the draft. While the 49ers rated Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs rated “incredibly high,” they preferred Kinlaw in an effort to keep their defensive line as one of the NFL’s deepest position groups. Allowing the Buccaneers to draft Wirfs at No. 13, via one-slot trade-down, preceded the 49ers winning the Williams sweepstakes. Rivera called Lynch Saturday morning to inform that San Francisco’s Friday offer of third- and fifth-round picks was enough to close a deal, according to the 49ers GM.
Redskins To Sign Mike Liedtke
The Redskins have agreed to sign offensive lineman Mike Liedtke, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The 28-year-old was non-tendered by the Bucs earlier this year, making him a free agent.
[RELATED: Redskins Decline Reuben Foster’s Option]
The deal marks Liedtke’s sixth NFL stop, though it’s his first in the NFC East. The 28-year-old spent 2016-2019 with the Bucs, bouncing between the active roster and practice squad. In 2018, he suited up for a career-high nine. He missed the entire 2019 campaign thanks to shoulder surgery, but he was reportedly near 100% health at the time of the non-tender in March.
Liedtke went undrafted out of Illinois State in 2015 but went on to spend time with the Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets, Browns, and Bucs. With the Redskins, he’ll try to find a spot behind Brandon Scherff, Morgan Moses, Wes Schweitzer, and the rest of the O-Linemen in D.C.
Without Trent Williams on the field last year, the Redskins’ front five surrendered the fifth-highest sack total in the NFL. Now, after trading Williams in San Francisco, they’ll have to find ways to protect the pocket and create running lanes with what they’ve got. Fourth-round tackle Saahdiq Charles may help on the outside, though he’ll have to work on his overall strength before making a dent at the pro level.
Redskins Sign 4 UDFAs
The Redskins have signed four undrafted rookie free agents, according to a team press release:
- Johnathon Johnson, WR (Missouri)
- Steven Montez, QB (Colorado)
- Thaddeus Moss, TE (LSU)
- Isaiah Wright, WR (Temple)
Montez could face long odds of making the Redskins’ roster with Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen already under contract (not to mention Alex Smith), but he’s still a prospect to keep an eye on. At 6’5″, he has the size that pro scouts drool over for quarterbacks. He was also a three-sport standout coming out of high school; his athleticism is a major plus, even though he didn’t do quite enough for the Buffaloes to earn a spot in the seven-round draft. He did, however, break 31 program records during his run. Montez’s deal includes $35K guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle), a solid sum for a UDFA.
The biggest name on the list, however, is Moss – the son of Hall of Famer Randy Moss. At LSU, the tight end showed promise in spurts, so the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. If not for a fracture in his right foot, Moss likely would have been drafted somewhere during Day 3.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Newton, Williams, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants
Things weren’t great down the stretch for the Redskins and Trent Williams, but the new 49ers tackle says he’s not harboring any ill will towards his former team.
“I’m thankful this is over,” Williams told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). “Thanks to Dan [Snyder] and the organization for all they’ve done for me. Still a lot of love for the fans and that locker room. Now I’m focusing on being the best player I can possibly be for the 49ers.”
Now that his saga with the Redskins is in the rear view mirror, Williams is focused on hashing out a new deal with the defending NFC champs. Right now, Williams is set to play out the 2020 season on a $12.5MM base salary, but the veteran says there’s mutual interest in a fresh pact. Given Williams’ medical history and age, it remains to be seen whether the 49ers would be willing to commit substantial guaranteed cash to him. Then again, he’s a seven-time Pro Bowler at a premium position and the Niners, ideally, want to keep him happy.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Were the Redskins ever serious about selecting Tua Tagovailoa instead of stud edge rusher Chase Young? “No, not really,” head coach Ron Rivera said this week (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports). “We just feel about the things we saw from Dwayne Haskins,” Rivera continued. “I feel good enough about him that I’m willing to take that chance, that opportunity.”
- Meanwhile, the longtime Panthers head coach isn’t ruling out a reunion with former MVP Cam Newton (via NFL.com). “You know, the thing about Cam really is the situation,” said Rivera. “We’re in a situation where we’ve got two really young quarterbacks, one that’s been with us, been in the system, understands how we want things done and the other one is a guy who was taken last year in the first round and shows some promise.” For now, Newton is holding out for an opportunity to start.
- The Cowboys coughed up a 2021 fifth-round pick to the Eagles to take Wisconsin lineman Tyler Biadsz last week. The intra-divisional trade wasn’t an easy call, but they were able to stomach it thanks to a wealth of mid-round selections coming their way, The Athletic’s Jon Machota writes. Jerry Jones & Co. will recoup comp picks after losing four starters in free agency: cornerback Byron Jones, edge rusher Robert Quinn, wide receiver Randall Cobb, and defensive tackle Maliek Collins.
- The Giants non-tendered center Jon Halapio earlier this year, but there’s a strong chance he’ll return to the team as he recovers from an Achilles injury, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. For now, the Giants have a few options on hand in guard Shane Lemieux – who has never lined up in the middle – Spencer Pulley, and G/T Nick Gates.
Redskins To Decline Reuben Foster’s Option
The Redskins will decline their 2021 fifth-year option on linebacker Reuben Foster, according to Les Carpenter of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
Washington’s decision isn’t much of a surprise, as there’s no clear indication that Foster will be able to play the 2020 season. Foster suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL in his first practice as a Redskin in May 2019, and while he’s seen recent improvements, he’s also dealt with nerve damage, so his health status is up in the air.
Foster’s 2021 option would have been guaranteed for injury, meaning the Redskins wouldn’t have been able to cut him after the 2020 season if he was dealing with medical question marks. Clearly, Washington didn’t to take that risk.
One of the NFL’s most talented linebackers, Foster was cut by the 49ers in November 2018 following multiple arrests and domestic violence accusations. The Redskins surprisingly claimed him off waivers, and while he was initially placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, Foster was soon reinstated.
NFC East Teams Sign Players Via International Player Pathway Program
As part of this year’s International Player Pathway program, each team in the NFC East will be allowed to carry an extra, international player on their practice squad. The four organizations quickly filled these spots (via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com):
- Dallas Cowboys: OT Isaac Alarcon (Mexico)
- New York Giants: RB Sandro Platzgummer (Austria)
- Philadelphia Eagles: DE Matt Leo (Australia)
- Washington Redskins: DE David Bada (Germany)
These players will remain on their teams’ roster through training camp. At that point, each organization can sign the player to their practice squad via the “international player practice squad exemption.” This means NFC East squads can hold 11 practice squad players throughout the 2020 campaign. However, under these circumstances, the international players can’t be activated to the active roster during the 2020 season.
The International Player Pathway program was first introduced in 2017. As Helman notes, three players from last year’s program – fullback Jakob Johnson (Patriots), defensive tackle Durval Queiroz Neto (Dolphins), and running back Christian Wade (Bills) – are still with their original teams.
Redskins Exercise Jonathan Allen’s Fifth-Year Option
It’s official. On Monday, the Redskins announced that they have exercised their fifth-year option on defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. 
[RELATED: Redskins Trade Trent Williams To 49ers]
NFL teams have until May 3rd to exercise, or decline, the 2021 option for first-round draft picks from the 2017 class. As shown in PFR’s tracker, several players are already ticketed for a fifth year. Some of them were easy calls, including Jets safety Jamal Adams and Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. Others – like Browns tight end David Njoku – required a little bit of extra thought.
Allen was one of the easier calls. After much of his rookie year, Allen has notched 14 sacks across the last two seasons for the Redskins. The Alabama product will have some additional help this year, thanks to the addition of Chase Young, who had 17 sacks in his final year at Ohio State.
Because Allen was drafted outside of the Top 10 (No. 17 overall), the salary figure on his 2021 season is not yet known. For those inside of the Top 10, those figures will correspond to the transition tag amount at their respective positions. In the case of Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (No. 1 overall), he’ll earn upwards of $16MM.
Fifth-year options for players are guaranteed for injury only, but that will change starting next year thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement.
Redskins Sign Thaddeus Moss As UDFA
One of the biggest-name players to go undrafted is off the market. The Redskins have signed former LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Moss, of course, is the son of Hall of Famer Randy Moss. The younger Moss declared early for the draft back in January, and for a while it looked like he had a chance to be a middle-round pick. He apparently was dealing with an unfortunate medical situation, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that a Jones fracture in his right foot was discovered at the combine.
That fracture required surgery, and since Moss wasn’t able to visit with teams due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there were lingering questions about his health that caused him to fall out of the draft. Assuming everything is alright with his foot, this could prove to be a nice no-risk flyer for the Redskins.
Moss has some physical tools and showed plenty of flashes in his one year with LSU, catching 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns. Washington hasn’t had anything consistent at the position since Jordan Reed was last healthy years ago, and their tight end depth chart is pretty thin. Jeremy Sprinkle, Logan Thomas, and Richard Rodgers aren’t the most inspiring options, so Moss should have the chance to compete for playing time right away if he makes the team.