Redskins sign defensive lineman JoJo Wicker, waive Darius Hilary

The Redskins have made a small roster move in the wake of their 29-17 loss to the Denver Broncos.

The time for the Washington Redskins to trim down their 90-man roster won’t come for another week, but after three preseason games, they have some flexibility, in regards to decisions on the roster fringe.

Over the past few weeks, the team has peppered these kinds of moves here and there. At first glance, these transactions seem like insignificant occurrences. But contributors in the NFL can come from anywhere. From the first round to the waiver wire. No player is worth overlooking.

The Redskins gave another fringe player an opportunity earlier today, while ending another’s stint with the burgundy and gold. Per the team’s official Twitter page, the Redskins have waived cornerback Darius Hilary, and in a corresponding move, they signed undrafted rookie defensive lineman JoJo Wicker.

Wicker was a three-year starter at the University of Arizona State. In his time there, Wicker logged 102 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 32.0 tackles for loss. His consistent production wasn’t enough for him to get drafted, and he ended up falling out of Round 7, and into the undrafted pool, where he was scooped up by the Detroit Lions.

Wicker spent the offseason with the Lions, but was released two days ago when the Lions traded for 49ers linebacker Eli Harold, and subsequently needed to clear space for him on the roster. Wicker found a home quickly after his release, but it’s unclear how long he’ll be able to stick around.

At 6-foot-2, 292, Wicker possesses a stocky build for a defensive end. He’s gotten bigger since entering the offseason, and per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Wicker is durable, versatile, and explosive off the line. According to an AFC source listed in Zierlein’s article, Wicker is a “great kid. Smart. He’s a little quiet but he competes really hard and he’s got good upside. I think a coach is going to be very excited once they realize they’ve got some talent that they can work with.”

That said, Wicker only has one week with the Redskins before final cuts are made, and odds are, he won’t have nearly enough time to work up from the bottom of the depth chart. He could be an intriguing holdover on the practice squad, however. He won’t go away without a fight.