Orleans Darkwa Rejected Redskins Offer
Running back Orleans Darkwa is still without a job, but he had at least one opportunity to sign with a team before the start of the season. The Redskins tried to sign the ex-Giants running back in August, but rejected their offer of a one-year deal for the minimum salary, Peter King of NBC Sports hears. 
The one-year, ~$1MM offer wasn’t good enough for Darkwa, but it was enough to get Adrian Peterson to sign. And, as it turns out, the chain of events worked out just fine for the Redskins. The 33-year-old Peterson is averaging 4.4 yards per carry through eight games, helping propel the Redskins to a 5-3 mark at the midway point.
“If we sign Darkwa, we wouldn’t have signed Adrian,”senior VP of player personnel Doug Williams said.
Darkwa’s last known audition came on Oct. 2 when he worked out for the Jaguars. He ranks as one of the best available running backs left on the market, but at this point, he may have to accept a minimum salary contract if he wants to play.
Redskins Sign G Jonathan Cooper
The Redskins’ offensive line depth chart looks incredibly different a day after the group was ravaged during a Week 9 loss to the Falcons. Multiple starters are now on IR and new faces will have to acclimate quickly.
Another newcomer will be Jonathan Cooper. The former top-10 pick-turned-journeyman signed with the Redskins on Monday. Cooper has not played this season. The 49ers signed him to a near-$5MM deal this offseason but cut him after the preseason’s conclusion.
Washington lost starting guards Brandon Scherff and Shaun Lauvao, who have since been placed on IR. Trent Williams is also dealing with an injury. Veteran Austin Howard is now on the team. So is Luke Bowanko, who joined Cooper and Howard in agreeing to terms Monday.
The Redskins also worked out offensive linemen Chris Scott, Zac Kerin and Matt McCants. Instead, they opted for some higher-profile blockers in Howard, Cooper and Bowanko. Washington remains in first place in the NFC East, sitting at 5-3, but the blowout loss to Atlanta suddenly has this somewhat surprising run in jeopardy of fizzling. The Eagles are one game back.
Cooper worked out for the Ravens in September. This latest mid-Atlantic trek is the only other known audition in which the former Cardinals first-rounder is known to have participated. Although he’s bounced around, the North Carolina alum started 13 games as the Cowboys’ left guard last season. That landed him a one-year, $4.95MM 49ers contract. But that stay was brief. San Francisco opted to go with Mike Person over Cooper as a starter.
Bowanko spent time with the Patriots this offseason but didn’t make their 53-man roster out of camp. He worked out for the Browns and Bears earlier this season.
Redskins To Sign OT Austin Howard
Redskins have agreed to sign veteran tackle Austin Howard, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Howard will help replenish an offensive line that has been rocked by injuries. 
[RELATED: Redskins Lose Scherff, Lauvao, Richardson For Season]
On Monday, the Redskins announced that guards Brandon Scherff and Shawn Lauvao are done for the year with season-ending injuries. On top of that, the Redskins could be without star tackle Trent Williams for up to a month thanks to a thumb malady. Howard is the first significant addition to the Redskins’ O-Line this week, but he surely won’t be the last.
Howard has bounced around lately but has given multiple teams quality right tackle work in recent years. After playing well in spots for the Raiders from 2014-16, Howard caught on with the Ravens and gave them 16 starts at right tackle. However, the 31-year-old blocker could not commandeer the Colts’ right-side job and was released before the regular season.
Howard already banked $1.3MM this year thanks to the guarantee in his Colts deal, and he’ll have an opportunity to make some more scratch with the Redskins. He’ll also have a chance to be a hero for the Redskins, who are fighting to keep their lead in the NFC East despite their rash of injuries.
Redskins Lose Scherff, Lauvao, Richardson
The Redskins suffered a major blow this week. In addition to losing 38-14 to the Falcons, the Redskins are also down three key players. Guard Brandon Scherff (torn pectoral), guard Shawn Lauvao (torn ACL), and WR Paul Richardson Jr. (AC joint) will all undergo surgery, ruling them out for the remainder of the season.
Losing Scherff and Lauvao is particularly tough as the club is already without tackle Trent Williams as he rehabs from a thumb injury. As they fight to keep their place atop the NFC East, the Redskins will have to move forward without 60% of their starting line.
Scherff, the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 draft, earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last two seasons. He’s continued his strong play into 2018 and is a big reason for Adrian Peterson‘s surprising resurgence in D.C. Behind the Redskins’ offensive line, Peterson has averaged 4.4 yards per game, topped 100 yards in two games, and flirted with the century mark a couple of other times. But, behind a depleted front five on Sunday, Peterson had just 17 yards off of nine carries.
At the midway point of the season, Scherff ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 ranked guard in the NFL. Lauvao, who mans the opposite side, is near the back of the Top 60.
The Redskins gave Richardson a five-year, $40MM deal in the offseason to defect from the Seahawks, but shoulder trouble has dogged him as of late. The 26-year-old receiver flashed early in the year, but has been held to just four catches over the past two games. His first year in D.C. will end with just 20 catches for 262 yards and two touchdowns in seven games.
Redskins’ Trent Williams To Miss Time
Redskins left tackle Trent Williams will miss “about a month” after undergoing thumb surgery, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter) hears. If Willams is sidelined for the next four games, it will mark the third-straight campaign in which he has missed at least a quarter of the regular season. 
The six-time Pro Bowler is in the midst of a solid season as he ranks among Pro Football Focus’ Top 15 tackles in the NFL. He’s a beat behind his usual marks with a so-so score for pass blocking that puts him 17th among all qualifying outside linemen, but the 5-2 Redskins will miss his presence as they fight for the divisional crown.
The Redskins’ next four games come against the Falcons, Buccaneers, Texans, and Cowboys. The Bucs, Texans, and Cowboys all boast Top 10 defensive lines, according to Football Outsiders, so it’s not an ideal time for the club to lean on backups such as Ty Nsekhe and third-rounder Geron Christian.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Kyle Allen
- Released: S Dezmen Southward
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Reggie Davis
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Jerome Cunningham
- Placed on injured list: LB Garret Dooley
Green Bay Packers
- Released: FB Joe Kerridge
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: T Antonio Garcia
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Victor Bolden, DB Greg Mabin
- Released: WR Aaron Burbridge
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Jason Thompson
Scot McCloughan Loses Grievance
An NFL arbitrator has ruled for the Redskins in a grievance dispute between the team and former general manager Scot McCloughan, as Liz Clarke and Mark Maske of The Washington Post write. McCloughan was seeking to collect on approximately $2.8MM, the amount left on his four-year deal at the time of his firing in 2017. There is no avenue of appeal under the NFL’s system, so it appears that the case is closed. 
[RELATED: Redskins RB Byron Marshall Designated For Return]
The Redskins enjoyed back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 19 years on McCloughan’s watch, though the Redskins asserted that he was fired “for cause.” After he was let go, the Redskins’ team-owned radio station speculated that he was fired for alcohol abuse. An anonymous team official later told a local paper that McCloughan was canned because he came into the office drunk.
McCloughan, who is well-regarded by many in the league, now runs a private scouting service from his home in Colorado. The Browns enlisted his help in the 2018 draft and it’s likely that other teams have also leaned on his advice.
Redskins Designate RB Byron Marshall As IR/Return
The Redskins have designated running back Byron Marshall to return from injured reserve, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer.
Marshall was placed on injured reserve in September after initially being carried through to the Redskins’ initial 53-man roster. NFL rules stipulate that any player who returns from IR must have been on his club’s original 53-man roster, and also mandates a minimum eight-week absence. As such, Marshall can now be activated at any point over the next three weeks; if he’s not, Marshall must stay on IR for the remainder of the season.
At one point, Washington’s running back depth chart looked extremely dire after Derrius Guice, Rob Kelley, and Marshall were all placed on injured reserve. Of course, Adrian Peterson has turned back the clock since then and established himself as the club’s clear top running back. But that doesn’t mean Marshall can’t find a role behind Peterson, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, and Kapri Bibbs (although one of the latter two would likely be cut if Marshall is brought back off IR).
Marshall joined the Redskins last November after Washington signed him away from the Eagles’ practice squad. An undrafted free agent in 2016, Marshall managed nine carries for 32 yards in four games with the Redskins in 2017, and also chipped in on 34 special teams plays. However, a hamstring injury ended his campaign in early December.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OG Colby Gossett (off Vikings practice squad), TE John Phillips
- Released: OL Blaine Clausell, TE Gabe Holmes
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DL Michael Bennett
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: DE Albert McClellan
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: CB Dontae Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: MLB Hayes Pullard
- Waived: K Mike Badgley
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: OG Jamon Brown
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Mike Jordan
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DE/OLB James Cowser
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: WR Victor Bolden, CB Greg Mabin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Javien Elliott
- Released: LB Kevin Minter
Washington Redskins
- Waived: LB Cassanova McKinzy
Packers Trade Ha Ha Clinton-Dix To Redskins
Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has been traded to the Redskins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). In return, Green Bay will receive a 2019 fourth-round pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The deal represents the latest blockbuster move on deadline day and the Packers’ second trade of the afternoon. 
Before the Clinton-Dix deal, the Packers traded running back Ty Montgomery to the Ravens for a future 2020 seventh-round pick. The Montgomery trade was likely tied to discord between the player and the coaching staff, but the Clinton-Dix trade has more to do with finances. The young safety is in his contract year and he recently acknowledged that he is unlikely to re-sign with the team after shopping the open market.
“Right now, I’m playing each and every game like it’s my last. I don’t think I’m going to be here next year,” Clinton-Dix said earlier this month. “That’s how I look at it. I just (have to) be honest with myself. You’ve got to play it game-by-game. Whether we’re losing by 60 points, you’ve got to go out there and perform. This is my biggest interview of my career. So I’ve got to perform, regardless of what the record says.”
The 25-year-old (26 in December) was retained for 2018 via the fifth-year option which is paying him $5.957MM. He stayed away from voluntary OTAs in hopes of getting a long-term deal from the Packers, but that never came together.
In seven games this year (all starts), Clinton-Dix has three interceptions, one forced fumble, and a sack to his credit. On an individual level, the free safety is in the midst of a career year.
Clinton-Dix will join a safety group presently headlined by D.J. Swearinger and Montae Nicholson. Rookie Troy Apke could have been on track for a larger role at some point this year, but he was recently placed on IR with a hamstring issue.
The Packers did not want to lose Clinton-Dix while only gaining some credit in the compensatory pick formula, but the deal unquestionably will cost them in the short term. At 3-3-1 in a closely contested division, it’s somewhat surprising to see the Packers in selling mode.