Redskins Release Orlando Franklin
Following his departure from San Diego, Orlando Franklin has not been able to re-establish his career. The Redskins made the decision to release the veteran guard on Thursday.
A former six-year starter with the Broncos and Chargers, Franklin played in one regular-season game with the Redskins last season. Washington signed Franklin in late October of last year but waived him shortly after. However, the Redskins reacquired him in mid-January via reserve/futures contract.
He’ll now return to free agency. Franklin took multiple visits last year and signed with the Saints as well, but New Orleans cut him before the season began. Aside from selecting Louisville tackle Geron Christian in the third round, the Redskins did not make other moves to bolster their offensive front. Although, Franklin was added during a season that featured rampant injury trouble to Washington’s existing starters — players expected to be healthy by training camp.
The former second-round pick turned 30 in December. He’s started 89 of the 90 career regular-season games in which he’s played. He’s also the most recent Bronco to open back-to-back seasons at right tackle. Denver’s addition of Jared Veldheer figures to extend its streak of Week 1 right tackle starters to five since Franklin was moved to guard prior to the 2014 season.
Redskins Sign 14 Undrafted Free Agents
The Redskins are the latest team to ink a crop of undrafted free agents, as they’ve agreed to sign the following 14 players:
- Quin Blanding, S (Virginia)
- Martez Carter, RB (Grambling State)
- Simmie Cobbs Jr., WR (Indiana)
- Jerod Fernandez, LB (North Carolina State)
- Shay Fields, WR (Colorado)
- Matt Flanagan, TE (Pittsburgh)
- Mikah Holder, WR (San Diego State)
- Danny Johnson, CB (Southern)
- Timon Parris, T (Stony Brook)
- De’Mornay Pierson-El, WR (Nebraska)
- Cam Sims, WR (Alabama)
- Ranthony Texada, CB (TCU)
- Elijah Wellman, FB (West Virginia)
- Sean Welsh, C (Iowa)
Cobbs may be the most notable name on Washington’s list of undrafted free agents, as he was originally viewed as a possible Day 2 pick when he declared for the draft earlier this year. The 6’4″ Cobbs initially broke out for the Hoosiers during the 2015 campaign, when he posted 60 receptions and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. An ankle injury forced Cobb to take a medical redshirt in 2016, but he posted 841 yards and eight touchdowns during his most recent season while earning first-team All-Big Ten honors.
Blanding, meanwhile, led all draft-eligible safeties with 29 run stops, according to Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus, who listed Blanding among the UDFAs with the best chance to make an impact during their rookie campaigns. The ex-Cavalier managed at least 60 tackles in each of his four collegiate seasons, and put up four interceptions during his senior year.
Redskins’ Bruce Allen Won’t Join Raiders
There’s a belief in league circles that Redskins president Bruce Allen hopes to eventually return to the Raiders, Mike Florio of PFT reports. However, Allen tells SiriusXM (audio link) that he’s not leaving for Oakland. 
“Well, first of all, I do like the Silver and Black, and I think Mark Davis, [GM] Reggie [McKenzie] and Jon [Gruden] are going to do great. And I’m so excited for them to go to Vegas,” Allen said. “But I’m not going there. And I’m not going to play shortstop for the Nationals either tonight…I have a job to do, and we’re really looking forward to this season, and what we’re going to be doing off the field here, and future stadiums in Washington.”
Allen worked with Gruden while with the Raiders and Buccaneers, so the rumblings are only logical. If the Redskins struggle badly this year and Allen finds himself out of a job, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Last year, the Redskins finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for a second straight year. This year, they’ll try to right the ship with Alex Smith replacing Kirk Cousins under center.
Colts Waive RB Matt Jones
The Colts announced that they have waived running back Matt Jones. Linebackers Darnell Sankey and Jermaine Grace, wide receiver Justice Liggins, nose tackle Joey Mbu, and defensive end Arthur Miley were also waived while defensive tackle Johnathan Calvin was waived-injured. 
Jones was once primed to be the Redskins’ primary running back, but he slipped down the team’s depth chart over time. The Redskins waived Jones after they were unable find a trade partner for him, leading him to the Colts. He cycled between the Colts’ active roster and practice squad throughout last year, but the team has decided against keeping him on the expanded roster now that the draft has concluded.
The Colts selected NC State’s Nyheim Hines in the fourth round and Mississippi’s Jordan Wilkins in the fifth round, so there was little hope for Jones to make the final cut. Marlon Mack and Robert Turbin project to be the Colts’ lead rushers while Christine Michael and Josh Ferguson will battle alongside the two rookies for a place on the roster.
Jones, a 6’2″, 239-pound athlete, has played in 25 career games with seven starts. All in all, he has averaged 3.9 yards per carry with six rushing touchdowns.
Sankey appeared in six games for the Colts last year and spent time on the team’s practice squad. He wrapped up the year on the Ravens’ taxi squad, but circled back to the Colts for a futures deal in January.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/18
Here are Monday’s minor moves.
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: LB Carl Bradford
- Waived: Connor Harris
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Dustin Stanton
Houston Texans
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
- Waived: CB Bryce Jones
- Waived: TE Ryan Malleck
- Waived: OLB Gimel President
Minnesota Vikings
- Suspended for four games (PEDs): WR Cayleb Jones
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived/Injured: CB Elie Bouka
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/Injured: LB Jimmie Gilbert
- Waived: LB Boseko Lokombo
- Waived/NFI: DB Dexter McCoil
- Waived/Injured: LB Donavin Newsom
- Waived: CB Channing Stribling
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DL Johnny Maxey
- Waived: RB Khalfani Muhammad
- Waived: QB Alex Tanney
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: OL Avery Young
Washington Redskins
- Released: DL Montori Hughes
- Waived: TE Chris Brazil
- Waived: DB James Sample
- Waived: LB Cassanova McKinzy
Redskins Release DL A.J. Francis
The Redskins are cleaning house on the defensive line. The team has informed defensive tackle/end A.J. Francis of his release, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Redskins Cut Terrell McClain]
News of Francis’ release came moments after it was learned that defensive lineman Terrell McClain has been cut. The Redskins’ new-look defensive tackle group will be headlined by first-round pick Da’Ron Payne and will likely include fifth-round choice Tim Settle.
Francis has bounced around the NFL since entering the league in 2014, including stints with the Dolphins and Seahawks. Last year, he appeared in six contests for the ‘Skins and totaled 18 tackles.
Redskins Release DL Terrell McClain
The Redskins have cut defensive lineman Terrell McClain, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McClain had three years left on his contract, but his base salary of $3.25MM for 2018 was not guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Redskins Cut A.J. Francis]
McClain is being pushed out after the Redskins drafted two defensive linemen in Da’Ron Payne (first round) and Tim Settle (fifth round). McClain appeared in 12 games with two starts for the Redskins last year, but he did not make a huge impact in his first season in D.C. McClain graded out as one of the three worst qualified defensive tackles in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus, though he did manage two sacks from the interior.
Payne projects to start at nose tackle in the Redskins’ 3-4 scheme with Settle, Ziggy Hood, Montori Hughes, and Ondre Pipkins among those vying for jobs in support. Hood is also coming off of a rough season with marks that were similar to McClain’s, so his spot on the team is not secure either. Releasing Hood would save the Redskins $150K with $1.6MM+ in cap savings.
Redskins Were Prepared To Draft Kerryon Johnson In Second Round
Given that the Packers could save nearly $5MM by releasing RT Bryan Bulaga, and given Bulaga’s recent injury history, there was some chatter that Green Bay could part ways with the ninth-year pro (especially since Bulaga is not even guaranteed to be ready for the start of the 2018 season after tearing his ACL on November 6). But we recently heard that Bulaga remains in the team’s 2018 plans, and head coach Mike McCarthy said Bulaga’s rehab is ahead of schedule (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Therefore, it certainly sounds as if Bulaga will be back for the fourth year of the five-year pact he signed prior to the 2015 season.
- In a series of tweets, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com passes along more details on Nick Foles‘ reworked deal. Foles’ cap number is now $9.6MM, fourth-highest on the Eagles, but if the team were to trade him after June 1, it would save $7MM in cap space, more than it would have saved prior to the restructure. As such, the restructure looks like a win-win in that Foles gets more money and incentives and it’s easier for the Eagles to deal him if someone comes along with a great offer. Shorr-Parks, though, still does not expect Foles to be traded.
- The Cowboys selected Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White in the fifth round of this year’s draft, which marked just the sixth time Dallas has drafted a QB since Jerry Jones purchased the franchise in 1989. White is expected to compete with Cooper Rush for the backup job, though Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes that executive vice president Stephen Jones is open to carrying three signal-callers in 2018.
- Per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Saints head coach Sean Payton does not know if the team will bring in a fourth QB to compete with Tom Savage and Taysom Hill. Payton said the Saints considered drafting a signal-caller this weekend, but they are anxious to see what Savage and Hill can do.
- Brady Henderson of ESPN.com says the Seahawks see Shaquem Griffin, whom they selected in the fifth round of this weekend’s draft, as a weak-side LB at the next level, and he also reports that Seattle viewed fourth-round pick Will Dissly as the best blocking tight end in the class (Twitter links).
- The Lions apparently disappointed at least a couple of teams in this weekend’s draft. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Detroit selected Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson one pick before the Redskins were prepared to take him, and the Panthers were going to take UL-Lafayette CB Tracy Walker with the No. 85 overall pick, but the Lions nabbed him with their No. 82 pick.
Latest On Derrius Guice
Former LSU running back Derrius Guice, widely regarded as the second-best back in this year’s class behind Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, slipped to the bottom of the second round before the Redskins snapped him up with the No. 59 overall selection. The slide was not especially surprising in light of reports of personality concerns that emerged earlier this month, and yesterday we heard that his visits with NFL clubs did not go well.
There are now a few more details on that front. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, said that Guice’s meeting with the Eagles — who were certainly in the market for a running back in the draft, though they ultimately did not select one — ultimately devolved into a “shouting match.” One unnamed source called it the worst meeting Philadelphia ever had with a player.
Florio had the opportunity to speak with Guice prior to the draft, and when he asked Guice to comment on the conflicting stories he told as to certain questions he claimed NFL teams asked him, Guice chose to simply avoid the topic. He has been described as “immature” and “high-maintenance,” and one executive from a club that had several opportunities to draft him said that, unless he matures quickly, he will wear out his welcome in Washington in a couple of years.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman, though, has downplayed any talk of an altercation between his team and his new division rival. Per John Keim of ESPN.com, Roseman said, “There was no altercation. When you hear the word ‘altercation,’ it sounds like fisticuffs or something, or yelling or screaming. I don’t know I’ve ever been in a room where a player has yelled at anyone. Sometimes you can’t believe everything you read or hear.”
For his part, Guice is prepared to put his negative publicity behind him and move on. He said, “Everything that is behind me is behind me. This is a fresh, clean slate. I’m just ready to get to work.”
Not being picked in the first round will hurt Guice’s earnings on his rookie contract, but he is still expected to be the Redskins’ starting running back.
Redskins Get No. 197 Pick From Rams
Another Rams trade went down in this sixth round. Los Angeles sent the No. 197 overall choice to Washington, continuing the Rams’ spree of maneuvers over the past hour.
The Redskins used the selection to draft Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton. The Rams will get the No. 205 and No. 231 picks from the Redskins in exchange for Nos. 197 and 256, per John Keim of ESPN.com.
This is the second time the “Mr. Irrelevant” selection has changed hands. It recently went from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
Hamilton played a significant role for the past two Crimson Tide teams, helping Alabama win another national title in 2017. He registered 14.5 tackles for loss between the 2016 and ’17 campaigns. He made a career-high 64 tackles in 2016. Hamilton will join former Tide defensive mates Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson and Da’Ron Payne in Washington.