Redskins Cut Orlando Scandrick
The Redskins have released cornerback Orlando Scandrick, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Scandrick signed a free agent deal with the Redskins in March, so the move comes as a surprise. 
The Cowboys cut Scandrick after ten years with the club and the cornerback hooked on with the rival Redskins just days later. The deal was supposed to be worth $7MM with incentives that could boost the maximum value to $9 or $10MM. Instead, Scandrick is back out on the market and leaves after earning only his $1MM signing bonus.
A 2008 fifth-round pick, Scandrick played a key role on the past several Cowboys defenses. He started 11 games in 2017 and was signed with the hope that he might start opposite of Josh Norman in 2018. Now, it sounds like 2017 third-round pick Fabian Moreau or Quinton Dunbar will handle that job.
If the Redskins open up their cornerback search again, they could theoretically explore a reunion with Bashaud Breeland. The Redskins didn’t make much of an effort to re-sign him in March, but his asking price should be lower at this stage of the offseason. There’s also Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to consider. The Redskins explored signing DRC before they inked Scandrick, but he wanted too much money at the time.
Redskins Work Out WR Allenzae Staggers
- Former Southern Miss wide receiver Allenzae Staggers worked out for the Redskins today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Following a breakout 2016 campaign where he hauled in 63 receptions for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns, the wideout took a step back in 2017, finishing with 44 catches for 471 yards.
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Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived/Injured: LB Jeremy Cash
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Simeyon Robinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Shamarko Thomas, LB Alexander Johnson
- Released: LB Stansly Maponga
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR DeAndrew White
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: RB Ray Lawry
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: G Kaleb Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C Oni Omoile
- Waived/Injured: OL Parker Collins
Washington Redskins
- Signed: WR Dan Williams III
Redskins WR Robert Davis Has Broken Leg, Out For Season
It’s now official. Redskins wide receiver Robert Davis will miss the entire 2018 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It was reported earlier that the team was concerned Davis may have torn his ACL during their preseason opener. As it turns out, Davis broke his leg and tore his LCL, per Rapoport. Head coach Jay Gruden said that Davis will require major surgery and will be sidelined for nine to 12 months (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweeted that the “slight silver lining here is no ACL, as they’d feared, and no nerve damage,” adding it “could’ve been worse for him.” Davis, a 2017 sixth-round pick, had reportedly been turning heads at training camp and was pushing for a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.
Davis was extremely productive in college, having played a major role during his four years at Georgia State. In his senior season, he caught 67 passes for 968 yards and five touchdowns. He finished his collegiate career with 222 catches, 3,391 yards, and 17 touchdowns. Given how impressive he was looking before going down, Davis could be back next year to compete for a job with the Redskins.
The injury is a blow to the Redskins’ depth, but it shouldn’t be too devastating. The team will move forward with Jamison Crowder, Paul Richardson, and Josh Doctson as its top three receivers. It was, though, the second brutal injury from the preseason opener, as Derrius Guice was revealed to have torn his ACL.
On the plus side, Gruden had high praise for 2016 UDFA Maurice Harris, who has seen limited action in his first two years in the league but who could be in for an increased role in 2018. Gruden said, “Mo is a great all-around receiver for us. We’re confident he can line up anywhere” (Twitter link via Keim).
Redskins Concerned WR Tore ACL
Derrius Guice‘s injury delivers a considerable setback to the Redskins‘ running back corps, to the point they may have to consider adding a veteran to the mix. But Jay Gruden did not confirm the team will go in this direction, pointing to the second-round Guice selection being a best-player-available move rather than a need pick.
The primary Redskins starters the past two years, Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine, remain on the team and are now set to be the team’s early-down backs. Passing-down specialist Chris Thompson, though he’s not yet fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered midway through last season, will reprise his role in 2018. Neither Kelley nor Perine surpassed 3.5 yards per carry last season, but Washington’s offensive line became significantly limited by injuries as the season progressed. Kelley fared much better in 2016.
- A day after Guice’s injury severity became known, the Redskins are concerned about 2017 sixth-round pick Robert Davis. The team fears its second-year wide receiver suffered a torn ACL, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Davis will head in for an MRI later today, per Garafolo. The Georgia State alum was expected to play a bigger role in Year 2 after playing in just one game as a rookie.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/18
Here are Saturday’s minor moves.
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Ryan Neal
- Waived: T Kendall Calhoun
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers from Bengals: T Austin Fleer
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DL Lord Hyeamang
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Mike Jones
- Waived: DE Kristjan Sokoli
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR: TE Adam Zaruba
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Trey Caldwell, DB Kenneth Durden
- Waived: CB Jarell Carter, CB Joseph Este
Washington Redskins
- Placed on IR: RB Derrius Guice, TE Manasseh Garner
- Signed: TE J.P. Holtz, LB Jeff Knox, DL Jalen Wilkerson
- Waived/injured: FB Elijah Wellman
Rob Kelley Likely Redskins' RB Starter
- Nick Easton‘s season-ending injury now has the Vikings down three starters, with Pat Elflein still on the PUP list and Mike Remmers also sidelined. Tom Compton is the favorite to fill in for Easton at left guard, and ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes the Vikings were eyeing the former Redskins and Bears blocker in the past prior to signing him this offseason. Compton, though, has only made 16 starts in six seasons. The Vikings are likely to keep Compton at guard rather than have him also work at tackle, Mike Zimmer said. Second-year man Danny Isidora looks to the the top insurance option at the other guard spot in case Remmers, down with an ankle injury presently, doesn’t return soon, per Cronin. A fourth-year UDFA out of Portland State, Cornelius Edison is currently working as Minnesota’s first-team center in Elflein’s absence.
- Derrius Guice‘s ACL tear deprives the Redskins of a potential impact player being part of their 2018 offense, and they will likely turn to former starter Rob Kelley in his place, Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington writes. He expects Samaje Perine, who was in danger of not making the roster prior to Guice’s injury, to work in off the bench on early downs. Tandler adds the Redskins could go after a veteran back, and while many are available, it’s not certain the team will move in that direction just yet. Kelley rushed for 704 yards (4.2 per carry) in 2016, a season that featured him start down the stretch, but gained just 194 last year (3.1 per tote) in seven games as Washington’s starter.
Poll: Which UFA RB Should Redskins Target?
Washington’s backfield corps absorbed a major blow Friday when news of Derrius Guice‘s ACL tear surfaced. The second-round pick had impressed during camp and was set to be a key part of the Redskins’ 2018 backfield.
Now, the Redskins are vulnerable here. Chris Thompson admitted he’s not fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered last season, leaving Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine as the team’s top two healthy running backs. Under the circumstances, it would seemingly behoove the Redskins to examine free agent options. Should they?
Washington holds $13MM-plus in cap space, so funding won’t be an issue here given the timing of this injury and the host of proven backs on the market. Of the players available, Orleans Darkwa has generated the most interest this offseason. The Giants’ 2017 rushing leader met with the Patriots in April, before undergoing surgery, and since recovering has met with the Bills, Jets and Colts. Each team passed, but Darkwa has just 276 carries on his NFL odometer. And he averaged 4.4 yards per tote despite running behind an injury-ravaged Giants offensive front.
Alfred Morris led the Redskins in rushing for four straight seasons, and he averaged 4.8 yards per handoff last season as the Cowboys’ primary starter during Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension. The former sixth-round Washington find is 29 and hasn’t generated much interest since his Cowboys contract expired, although he did visit the Jets recently.
Eddie Lacy‘s also fairly young, at 28, but he’s coming off a brutal Seahawks season. After providing per-carry averages north of 4.0 in each of his four Packers seasons, Lacy averaged just 2.6 yards per run for the Seahawks. Branden Oliver has not been as successful on a per-rush basis, holding a career average of 3.4, but he totaled 853 yards from scrimmage as a seven-game starter as a rookie in 2014. Oliver also drew interest from the Bills this summer.
What about the market’s old guard? Adrian Peterson is obviously the first name that comes to mind, and the future Hall of Famer maintains he would like to play a 12th season. Peterson said he’s now healthy and has recovered from the neck injury that ended his 2017 season. While the three-time rushing champion’s best days are behind him, he amassed two 130-plus-yard games with the Cardinals, doing so despite being a midseason acquisition.
Jamaal Charles, 31, made it through last season healthy after extensive knee trouble plagued him in 2015 and 2016, but the Broncos took him out of their rotation. Nevertheless, the two-time All-Pro led Denver backs by averaging 4.3 yards per carry (albeit on just 69 handoffs). DeMarco Murray retired, but he made it clear shortly before that announcement he was interested in playing this season. Could this situation lure the 2014 offensive player of the year out of retirement?
However, the Redskins also have former Broncos backup Kapri Bibbs and third-year UDFA Byron Marshall. Should they bypass the market and go with a cast fronted by Kelley and Perine?
Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this situation in the comments section!
Which free agent running back should the Redskins sign?
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DeMarco Murray 25% (379)
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Adrian Peterson 21% (318)
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Alfred Morris 21% (311)
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Orleans Darkwa 15% (224)
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Jamaal Charles 9% (142)
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Eddie Lacy 5% (81)
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Other (specify in comments) 2% (30)
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Branden Oliver 1% (20)
Total votes: 1,505
Redskins RB Derrius Guice Tears ACL
Redskins rookie running back Derrius Guice tore his ACL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). An ACL tear is an automatic season-ender, so the Redskins will be placing Guice on injured reserve in the coming days. Same goes for tight end Manasseh Garner, who also suffered an ACL tear in Thursday night’s exhibition game against the Patriots. 
It was initially believed that Guice had suffered an MCL sprain, but further tests revealed a much more serious issue. It’s a crushing injury for Guice, who was in line to be the club’s top rusher this year. Considered by some the second-best back in this year’s draft, the LSU product fell largely because of character concerns. However, Guice averaged 7.6 yards per carry in 2016 on nearly 200 attempts and the Redskins were thrilled to land him late in the second round.
The good news here – if there is any – is that the Redskins boast a deep group at running back. Pass-catching specialist Chris Thompson figures to be an integral part of the offense, and the Redskins can draw from a group of more traditional runners including Rob Kelley, Byron Marshall, Kapri Bibbs, and Samaje Perine. Perine was believed to be a trade candidate, but the Oklahoma product may have better odds of making the roster in the wake of Guice’s injury.
If the Redskins feel the need to look for outside help, they could turn to a free agent market that still includes the likes of Orleans Darkwa, Alfred Morris, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, Eddie Lacy, Branden Oliver, and Andre Ellington. DeMarco Murray may also be an option, if the Redskins can lure him out of his recent retirement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/18
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
- Waived: DT Ashaad Mabry
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Akeem Judd
- Placed on injured reserve: LB C.J. Johnson
- Waived: G Ethan Cooper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Claimed off waivers: G Ethan Cooper
- Waived with left squad designation: C Jack Allen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: T Jarron Jones
- Waived: K Trevor Moore
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb, TE Jerome Cunningham
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Nate Palmer
- Waived: TE Phillip Supernaw
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Cassanova McKinzy, DL Dante Sawyer
- Waived/injured: DL Tavaris Barnes, LB Alex McCalister