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Redskins place Montae Nicholson on IR, add Fish Smithson to the active roster

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Wide receiver Michael Crabtree #15 of the Oakland Raiders tries to make a catch against strong safety Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins in the four quarter at FedExField on September 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Wide receiver Michael Crabtree #15 of the Oakland Raiders tries to make a catch against strong safety Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins in the four quarter at FedExField on September 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Montae Nicholson is going to miss the final two games of the Washington Redskins season. That will end his rookie season that was derailed by a concussion.

The Washington Redskins season is officially over, so there’s no point in keeping injured players on the active roster. On Tuesday afternoon, the team elected to end the season of one of their rookies. Montae Nicholson, who had missed the previous four games due to a concussion, was placed on Injured Reserve to end his season. This was a smart move by the Redskins, as there was no need to risk the long term health of Nicholson.

At the same time, the Redskins definitely needed some safety depth to finish out the season. With Nicholson on the shelf, the team has been rolling with just three safeties for the past month. By deactivating Nicholson, the team opened up a roster spot that allowed them to add a new safety to the team. That is undrafted rookie Fish Smithson.

Smithson, a former Kansas Jayhawk, signed with the Redskins following the 2017 NFL Draft and he had an impressive preseason. At the time, it was expected that he could challenge for the fourth safety spot on the team. He fared very well in the preseason, but ultimately the team decided to go with Stefan McClure as the fourth guy. When McClure was placed on IR earlier in the year, some thought that Smithson could get called up then, but DeAngelo Hall got the nod. Now, Smithson will get a chance to impress.

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In the final two games of the season, Smithson will likely be the primary backup to Deshazor Everett and D.J. Swearinger. While Hall is still on the roster, he hasn’t played well for most of the season. As a veteran, the team will likely limit his action in the final weeks to get a longer look at the younger players.

In the event that Smithson finds some success, he could help the Redskins to further solidify their safety position. Swearinger and Nicholson look like a solid starting duo, but having another cover guy off the bench would be huge. Granted, Su’a Cravens may return, but the team may not be willing to take him back after he left the team early in the season. Smithson could turn out to be extra leverage if he ends up playing well.

To replace Smithson on the practice squad, Washington added Tavaris Barnes Sr. The former Clemson product played for the New Orleans Saints in 2015, but he never did much. Still, he has solid 6-foot-4 size, so stashing him on the practice squad isn’t a bad move.

Next: Redskins Free Agents - Which pass catchers stay?

Overall, these two moves have upside for the Redskins. If Smithson pans out, they will want to keep him. If not, they can safely part ways with him and look for another candidate to play the position.

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