Redskins Place TE Jordan Reed On IR
The Redskins placed tight end Jordan Reed on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. Running back Byron Marshall and linebacker Chris Carter are also headed to IR. 
[RELATED: Redskins’ Su’a Cravens To Return]
Reed has long been considered one of the league’s top talents at the tight end position. Unfortunately, he has been plagued by nagging injuries and concussion issues. Since entering the league in 2013, Reed has appeared in only 52 regular season games out of a possible 80.
Reed’s true break out season came in 2015 when he had 87 catches for 952 yards and 11 scores (all career highs) in 14 games. In the following offseason, the Redskins rewarded him with a five-year extension worth $46.5MM. In order for Reed to make that deal worthwhile for Washington, he’ll have to find a way to stay on the field. He’s slated to return in 2018 with a cap number of $10.3MM. In theory, the Redskins can save $4.9MM by releasing him, but that would be a surprising move on their part.
As we learned over the weekend, Carter will undergo surgery to repair a broken fibula in his right leg. Marshall, meanwhile, has been dealing with a hamstring issue.
In related moves, the Redskins promoted linebackers Otha Peters and Pete Robertson as well as running back Kapri Bibbs from the practice squad. To replenish the taxi squad, they signed running back Dare Ogunbowale, linebacker Alex McCalister, and safety Orion Stewart.
Redskins’ Su’a Cravens To Return
Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is coming back. On Tuesday morning, the safety’s agent released a statement announcing that Cravens will return to football in 2018. 
“My client suffered from Post Concussion Syndrome and, under the care of Dr. Michael Collins as the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Su’a has undergone targeted treatment and rehabilitation. He is now asymptomatic and cleared to return back to all things football. Su’a is excited and looking forward to the 2018 NFL season and the many years to follow,” agent Fadde Mikhail wrote.
Noticeably absent from Mikhail’s statement is any mention of the Redskins. Right now, it’s unclear whether the Redskins want Cravens back. The team had high hopes for Cravens this year, but he decided to retire days before the season opener. He later reversed that decision, but the Redskins held him out for the entire season by placing him on the reserve/left squad list.
Cravens, a second round pick in the 2016 draft, played as something of a hybrid linebacker in 2016. He wound up playing on 36.5% of Washington’s defensive snaps while playing primarily in coverage. Through ten games (three starts), Cravens recorded 22 tackles, one sack, one interception, and five passes defensed, all while grading as the league’s No. 27 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus. This year, he was set to focus more on the secondary.
Chris Carter Will Need Surgery For Broken Fibula
- Redskins linebacker Chris Carter will need surgery to repair a broken fibula in his right leg, ESPN’s John Keim reports (Twitter link). Just a few weeks after a broken fibula left running back Chris Thompson on IR, the injury comes back to bite Washington with one of its top special teams performers.
Redskins/McCloughan Hearing Begins Dec. 18
- Former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan‘s arbitration hearing against the team will begin next week, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who adds owner Daniel Snyder, team president Bruce Allen, and head coach Jay Gruden could be required to testify. Washington will reportedly attempt to use McCloughan’s history of alcohol abuse as a fireable offense, while McCloughan will argue that he rarely drank while employed with the Redskins.
Pollard Alliance Releases HC, GM Candidates
The Fritz Pollard Alliance met with the NFL this week and submitted names of suggested GM and head coaching candidates. The list, which is distributed to teams each year, recommends minority candidates for openings around the league. 
This year’s candidates for GM jobs are Joey Clinkscales (Raiders), Alonzo Highsmith (Packers), Ray Farmer (Rams consultant), Will McClay (Cowboys), and Doug Williams (Redskins), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The head coaching candidates are Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Vikings DC George Edwards, Panthers DC Steve Wilks, and Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Farmer has ten years of front office experience under his belt, including two as the Browns’ GM. The team went 10-22 under his watch, so wouldn’t necessarily be an exciting choice for a team this offseason. The other four suggested candidates would be first-time GMs, if hired.
Austin has been considered a bonafide head coaching candidate for some time, but he has been left in a holding pattern. In the 2016 offseason, Austin opined that two of his four interviews were done solely to satisfy the Rooney Rule. This past year, he interviewed with the Rams and Chargers.
Absent from the list is former Bills GM Doug Whaley, who received a potentially bogus interview with the Browns this week.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/2017
Today’s practice squad updates:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Jeremy Liggins
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Cameron Lynch
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB David Rivers, DE Jonathan Woodard
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Derrick Mathews
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: WR Tevaun Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Cody Riggs
- Waived: RB Dare Ogunbowale
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Cameron Jefferson
NFL Workout Updates: 12/5/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Buffalo Bills
- RB Roy Finch; S Duke Ihenacho (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM); DB William Likely (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Denver Broncos
- QB Mitch Leidner (link via Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN); G Tre’ Jackson (link via Caplan); P Brock Miller (link)
Detroit Lions
- TE Ryan O’Malley (link via Caplan)
Green Bay Packers
- DT Stefan Charles; LB Max Valles (link via Caplan)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Jevoni Robinson; CBs Randall Evans, Demontre Hurst, Dexter McDougle, David Rivers (Twitter links)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Matt Hazel; CBs Dexter McDougle, Cody Riggs (Twitter links)
New Orleans Saints
- LB Davis Tull (link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate)
Washington Redskins
- QB Stephen Morris; WRs Josh Huff, Daniel Williams; TEs Chris Bazile, Kent Taylor; Ts Josh James, Jeremiah Poutasi; DL Montori Hughes; LBs Carl Bradford, Cassanova McKinzy; CBs Senquez Golson, Jarnor Jones; S Rickey Jefferson, Jadar Johnson, Dean Marlowe; LSs Andrew East, Jeff Overbaugh (all Twitter links)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Terrence Magee
- Waived: DB Jeremy Boykins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: P Cory Carter, S Dean Marlowe
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Richie Brown
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Will Pericak, TE Colin Thompson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Justin Currie
- Waived: WR Rannell Hall
Detroit Lions
- Signed: C Leo Koloamatangi
- Waived: S Stefan McClure
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Robert Tonyan
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Devin Lucien, CB Josh Thornton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: T Andreas Knappe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Sammy Seamster
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Braedon Bowman
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Jason King
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Isaiah Battle, WR Cyril Grayson, DT Garrison Smith
- Waived: TE Steve Donatell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Pete Robertson
- Waived: S Orion Stewart
Team Not Simply Resting Injured Starters
- While the Redskins are out of the NFC playoff race after losing to the Cowboys last Thursday, that doesn’t mean that team will start resting their players, states John Keim of ESPN.com. He passes along that Head coach Jay Gruden said that he wouldn’t rest some of their injured starters just because the games don’t have postseason implications for the team. “They’re all trying to get back in the lineup,” Gruden said. “They’re going to play hard because they want to win and want to do well. That’s the reason they’re all here. We try to target guys that love football, are passionate about the game and are going to play hard no matter what. For the most part, we’ve got that here. So whether you are on one year left or five years left, doesn’t really matter.” Starters like left tackle Trent Williams, right tackle Morgan Moses and tight end Jordan Reed have all dealt with nagging injuries this season, but it appears that the Redskins won’t just solely be resting key players hoping that could lead to a better draft pick.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/17
Here are today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Leon McFadden
- Waived: RB Terrence Magee
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Houston Texans
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Brennan Scarlett
Oakland Raiders
-
Waived: DL Darius Latham
Washington Redskins
- Claimed: G Kyle Kalis
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Robert Davis
- Waived: DL Caraun Reid, LB Pete Robertson