Washington Redskins Re-Sign Veteran DL Cullen Jenkins
Cullen Jenkins is officially back with the Redskins. After just over a week off the roster, the veteran will return to the team ahead of Week 2 of the 2016 NFL season.
The Washington Redskins did not waste much time making a roster move following Monday night’s defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ben Standig of Breaking Burgundy was first to report that the Redskins had brought defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins back. The 12 year veteran had played with the team at the end of the preseason before being amongst their final cuts.
I'm told the Redskins plan to re-sign DL Cullen Jenkins today, per source. Released him during final cuts. More on @breakburgundy.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) September 13, 2016
Though it is unclear who will be involved in the corresponding roster move to add Jenkins, one thing is certain. The Redskins will be glad to have Jenkins back for the season.
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Against the Steelers, the Redskins were absolutely gashed by their opponent’s offense. The team allowed DeAngelo Williams to go off, rushing for 143 yards on 26 carries and totaling two touchdowns during the game. They struggled to stuff the run, and Jenkins should help them improve in that area.
However, the area where Jenkins will be of most help will be in the pass rush department. Against Pittsburgh, the team struggled to get much pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. Ryan Kerrigan did notch a strip sack at one point, but the team will need more than just him and Preston Smith to be an effective unit. Jenkins will be able to collapse the pocket from the interior. That is something that the other Redskins down linemen have not been able to do yet.
After his performance in the final preseason game, it seemed inevitable that the Redskins would add Jenkins at some point during the season. In fact, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reported that some members of the organization never wanted to get rid of Jenkins in the first place.
Was told a lot of coaches and some officials wanted to keep Jenkins all along, but that some in the building were more loyal to holdovers.
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) September 13, 2016
Loyalty has apparently been thrown out the window following the last game, and rightfully so. The Redskins need a veteran player like Jenkins to help lead the defense. This move will likely be a strong one.
If I had to guess who the team released to make this move, my money would be on Duke Ihenacho. The team already has five safeties on the roster, so getting rid of one would be sensible. Ihenacho is the least versatile of the group and was inactive for Week 1. It should not surprise anyone if he is no longer a member of the 53-man roster when the move becomes official.
UPDATE: According to ESPN’s John Keim, the Redskins have elected to cut center Austin Reiter to make room for Jenkins. Ihenacho’s roster spot is safe. Reiter, a seventh round pick, is likely a practice squad candidate for the Redskins.