Redskins Place RB Rob Kelley On IR
Rob Kelley‘s season is over. The Redskins announced that the running back has been placed on injured reserve. As previously reported, Byron Marshall has been signed off of the Eagles’ practice squad to replace him. 
Kelley, the Redskins’ top running back, is dealing with a high ankle sprain and a sprained MCL in his left knee. There was initially some hope that Kelley could return to the lineup later this season with some rest. Unfortunately, it sounds like he’ll need a little longer to recover and the Redskins are not willing to have him occupy a spot on the 53-man roster until he heals up.
Even before the latest injury, Kelley wasn’t all that sharp this year. In seven games (all starts), Kelley has ran for just 194 yards off of 62 carries, giving him an average of 3.18 yards per carry. He was previously dealing with a rib injury, so it’s possible that he has not been near full strength all year.
In 2016, Kelley’s rookie year, he had 704 yards off of 168 carries (4.2 yards per attempt) with six touchdowns. He also added 12 catches for 82 yards and one score.
Without Kelley, the Redskins will be relying on Chris Thompson, rookie Samaje Perine, and Marshall to hold down the running game. Of course, the trade deadline has come and gone, so the Redskins will be limited to the free agent market if they want to make any further upgrades to the group.
Redskins Sign RB Byron Marshall
The Redskins have bolstered their running backs group by plucking one from their rival. Washington is signing Byron Marshall off of the Eagles’ practice squad, a source tells Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post. 
Marshall comes to the Redskins at a time when they badly need depth at running back. Starter Robert Kelley is dealing with multiple injuries to his left knee and is expected to miss a few weeks, leaving rookie Samaje Perine and pass-catching specialist Chris Thompson as the team’s only healthy RBs. Marshall not only has a good chance to dress, but he could actually get some chances to carry the ball.
Marshall first came to the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon in 2016. He was on the Eagles’ active roster for the final few games of last season and ran for 64 yards off of 19 attempts and hauled in three catches for ten yards. The 23-year-old hasn’t seen a ton of time on the field, but coaches have spoken highly of him in Philly.
Before signing Marshall, the Redskins also considered Ronnie Hillman and Daryl Richardson. Both veterans will have to continue to look for work elsewhere.
Redskins Audition RB Ronnie Hillman
With Rob Kelley dealing with multiple injuries to his left knee, the Redskins auditioned several free agent running backs today. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the team worked out Ronnie Hillman and Daryl Richardson.
Coach Jay Gruden confirmed earlier today that Kelley suffered a high ankle sprain and an MCL sprain. The 25-year-old is set to miss several games, leaving the team with only a pair of healthy running backs in Samaje Perine and Chris Thompson. The three running backs have each had an opportunity to establish themselves atop the depth chart this season, with Thompson leading the way with 771 all-purpose yards.
Hillman signed with the Cowboys during the offseason, be he was ultimately released prior to the start of the regular season. He appeared in eight games (one start) with the Vikings and Chargers last season, compiling 131 rushing yards on 41 carries. It’s only been two seasons since Hillman broke out with 863 rushing yards, but the 26-year-old hasn’t been able to find a consistent gig since.
Richardson has only appeared in 11 games since 2013, spending time with the Jets, Texans, Browns, Steelers, Jaguars, and Colts. His best season came in 2012, when he ran for 475 yards and hauled in 24 receptions for 163 yards.
McCloughan Grievance Date Set
Case Keenum and the Vikings are now 7-2 after beating a tough Redskins squad today on the road. The third-string quarterback has been of the bigger surprise of stories of the season, especially with his play of late. Apart from leading his team to victory in their last five contests, the 29 year-old signal caller has thrown for 8 touchdowns during that stretch and collected his second 300 yard game of the season during today’s win.
- In off the field news, former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan is set to have his grievance hearing on December 18, according to Pro Football Talk. McCloughan has filed the lawsuit because he wants to be paid the remainder of the balance left on his contract. Washington argues that they should not pay their former G.M. because he was fired for alcohol abuse.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Jonathan Anderson
- Waived: WR Tanner Gentry
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: DT Daniel Ross
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Johnny Mundt
- Waived: OL Andrew Donnal
New York Giants
- Signed: FB Shane Smith
- Waived: TE Matt LaCosse
New York Jets
- Signed: WR JoJo Natson
- Waived/injured: DL Ed Stinson
Washington Redskins
- Waived: G Tyler Catalina
Browns Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor
The Browns made headlines last week for a trade they did not make, but it appears they had another deal in mind that did not come to fruition.
The team targeted a trade to bring back Terrelle Pryor prior to the deadline, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports, but the Redskins did not want to part with him. Pryor, of course, broke out as a 1,000-yard wide receiver for the Browns last season. He’s well off that pace in Washington.
Signed to a one-year deal, Pryor has not made the splash the Redskins hoped and has effectively been benched for Josh Doctson in Washington’s offense. But the Redskins either chose to hang onto Pryor in hopes he will turn it around down the stretch, or the Browns’ trade terms weren’t amenable.
Pryor’s Cleveland exit was complicated. The wideout may or may not have come back to the Browns with a chance for them to top the Redskins’ offer, which ended up being a one-year, $6MM deal. Jimmy Haslam said the team offered the then-UFA pass-catcher a long-term deal, but Pryor’s comments in September seemed to point to teams’ offers in March not being sufficient.
Cabot reports Pryor wanted between $10MM and $14MM per year and categorizes the Browns’ offer as being for around $8MM annually across four years. That’s the contract Kenny Britt ended up getting to come to northeast Ohio.
The Browns would have paid Pryor just $1.5MM in base salary had this trade gone through. The Britt investment appears to have been a major misfire. Whereas Pryor has 20 receptions for 240 yards, Britt has just 10 for 128 as he slogs through the first season of a four-year contract. He was essentially a healthy scratch for the Browns’ London game.
A Pryor reunion, as Cabot points out, would have put the Browns’ ideal version of their 2016 receiving corps — Pryor, Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman — together. Gordon looks to be on track to make a return after nearly three years away. Pryor, though, will have to show more than he has in order to command the kind of offers he covets in next year’s free agency.
Redskins Place Arthur Jones On IR
After joining the Redskins several weeks ago, Arthur Jones‘ season is over. According to ESPN.com’s John Keim (via Twitter), the team has placed the veteran defensive lineman on the injured reserve. The team has also promoted wideout Maurice Harris and defensive lineman Brandon Banks to the active roster.
Jones, 31, was released by the Colts earlier this year following several uninspiring seasons with the organization. Between 2014 and 2016, the former fifth-rounder ultimately saw the field for only 17 games (11 starts) with Indy, compiling 53 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Jones has previously battled nagging injuries (he underwent hernia surgery earlier this year), and he’s also been suspended for PED use. Pro Football Focus ultimately rated him as a bottom-10 interior defender in 2016, a far cry from his 4.5 sack campaign with the Ravens in 2012. After joining the Redskins in late October, Jones went on to make a single appearance with the team.
Banks, 23, will presumably inherit Jones’ spot on the depth chart behind Ziggy Hood and Terrell McClain. The 23-year-old joined the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Charlotte earlier this year. Harris, a 2016 undrafted free agent, has spent the past two seasons with the Redskins. He appeared in 10 games as a rookie, hauling in eight receptions for 66 yards. He also contributed on special teams, returning three kicks for 47 yards.
Multiple Lineman Listed As Questionable
- The Redskins have a few big names that are questionable to play for the team’s game this Sunday. Defensive lineman Matt Ionanidis has already been ruled out for the team’s affair vs. the Vikings, but offensive stalwarts Trent Williams and Jordan Reed are listed as questionable to play too, according to Jonah Keim of ESPN.com. Washington has 11 players listed as 50-50 for Sunday with other offensive lineman Morgan Moses (ankles), Brandon Scherff (knee), Spencer Long (knee/quad) and Ty Nsekhe (core muscle). It’s unlikely that the majority of the Washington offensive line will miss the game, but the team’s depth is something to keep an eye as we get closer to kickoff.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/9/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
New England Patriots
- LB Zach Vigil (link)
Los Angeles Rams
- LB Zach Vigil (Friday) (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
San Francisco 49ers
- WRs Cyril Grayson, Chris Harper, Francis Owusu, Jordan Payton, Domonique Young; CBs Trovon Reed, Damian Swann; S John Boyett (Twitter links)
Washington Redskins
- RBs Kapri Bibbs, Dare Ogunbowale, Denard Robinson, Jahad Thomas; WRs Keyarris Garrett, Francis Owusu; DL Stefan Charles, Caraun Reid, Will Sutton (Twitter links)
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Bengals‘ practice squad: S Derron Smith
- Waived/injured: S Ibraheim Campbell
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from injured reserve: OL Denzelle Good
- Promoted to active roster: WR Matt Hazel
New England Patriots
- Waived: DE Geneo Grissom
Washington Redskins
- Waived from injured reserve: S Stefan McClure