Washington Redskins waive reserve quarterback Stephen Morris

The Washington Redskins have retooled their quarterback room this offseason.

Earlier in the year, the Washington Redskins made late-night waves by agreeing to a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for veteran signal caller Alex Smith. Earlier this week, they traded for another former Chiefs’ quarterback, acquiring Kevin Hogan from the Browns.

In light of these moves, however, the very first quarterback transaction of the offseason has been forgotten.

On January 2 of this year, the Washington Redskins signed former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris to a futures contract. Morris, 6-foot-2, 218, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014, after throwing for 7,896 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions in college. He spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts before coming to Washington.

Before the trade for Alex Smith, and the subsequent resolution of the Kirk Cousins saga, there was genuine uncertainty surrounding the Washington Redskins quarterback situation, and thus, Morris was viewed as a dark horse for the backup job, at the very least. But in the wake of the Washington Redskins’ trade for Cleveland’s Kevin Hogan, there was no place for Morris on the roster. Per Ian Rapoport, Morris has been waived by the Washington Redskins.

It’s unfortunate that Morris never got a chance to show his worth in D.C., but the move makes sense. Kevin Hogan is younger than Morris, and yet, he has in-game experience that could be valuable down the stretch. Morris, meanwhile, has spent most of his career on various practice squads.

With Morris officially out, the Redskins have a clear pecking order at quarterback. Alex Smith is the starter, and while Kevin Hogan could challenge Colt McCoy as the backup, McCoy’s experience will serve him well in that battle.

Nevertheless, the team will keep Hogan on the roster; they actively traded for him, and as a 25-year old with an NFL start under his belt, he offers a unique blend of youth and experience that is valuable in the Washington Redskins’ aging quarterback room. That experience was likely what separated him and Stephen Morris the most.

Next: Redskins seven-round offense-heavy mock draft

This will not be the last of the Washington Redskins’ transactions. There is still a lot of offseason left to play out, and later this month, the NFL Draft will take place in Dallas. For coverage on looming free agency and the upcoming draft, be sure to stay with us at Riggo’s Rag for all the latest updates!