Redskins sign WR Jamari Staples, place Trent Murphy on Injured Reserve

The Washington Redskins made some roster moves after their first preseason game. They have moved Trent Murphy to season ending Injured Reserve and signed Jamari Staples.

The Washington Redskins were going to be making a roster move at some point in the near future. That much was clear. With Trent Murphy set to hit the season ending IR due to a torn ACL and MCL, the team was going to have an open spot to play with. On Saturday, they filled that spot by adding Jamari Staples to their team.

Staples is a wide receiver who played his college football at UAB and Louisville. Staples was one of the many defectors away from UAB, after the team announced that it would no longer have a football team. Staples played well at Lousiville, making 73 catches for 1,253 yards and 5 touchdowns over the course of two seasons. His average of 17.2 yards per catch is a solid one.

Staples was expected by some to be a potential late round pick. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein thought he would be a round 6 or 7 pick, and said the following of him in a draft profile:

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"Tall target with explosive speed and leaping ability. Staples’ career numbers are unimpressive with his top touchdown production topping out at four his freshman season. His routes are sloppy and his inconsistencies as a vertical threat certainly don’t help his cause. However, he should put together a big combine and will likely draw the attention of a team looking for a big-play lottery ticket they can try and develop as a third-day pick."

However, Staples did go undrafted, and now he has landed in Washington.

Essentially, Staples is a player with raw talent who might need a little time before he can be a quality weapon in the NFL. But he does fit what the Redskins appear to be looking for in their receivers. With his 6-foot-4 frame and 4.51 speed, he could have the potential to be a quality depth player. For now, he is probably destined for the practice squad at best, but he will get a chance to prove himself in the team’s next preseason game.

In addition to signing Staples and placing Murphy on IR, the Redskins released backup offensive tackle Kevin Bowen, designating him as injured. Bowen was a long shot to make the roster, and had spent the previous year on the IR. Now, the Redskins have an additional spot to play with, and they could use it to add a guy like Roberto Aguayo to challenge incumbent kicker Dustin Hopkins.

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At the end of the day, adding Staples looks like a high upside move while releasing Bowen was bound to happen at some point. It will be interesting to see if Staples flashes talent in preseason action.