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Redskins make surprising move by waiving Anthony Lanier

By Jacob Camenker

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Anthony Lanier II #72 of the Washington Redskins and Josh Harvey-Clemons #40 of the Washington Redskins combine to sack Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Anthony Lanier II #72 of the Washington Redskins and Josh Harvey-Clemons #40 of the Washington Redskins combine to sack Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins added a new defensive lineman to their roster in Caleb Brantley, but in doing so, they waived solid backup Anthony Lanier. It was a surprising move to say the least.

After the Redskins were quiet on waiver day, it was assumed that the team would target some extra offensive line help on the free agent market in the coming days. Or maybe they would add a backup safety or even a backup edge rusher. What wasn’t expected is that they would add extra help to the defensive line.

According to the Redskins official website, the Redskins elected to sign former Browns defensive lineman Caleb Brantley to a deal. Brantley, a former sixth-round pick, had been waived by the Browns on Saturday but didn’t stay out of work long.

Brantley was a solid interior rusher for the Browns last season, totaling two sacks and 18 total tackles. He has upside and could have been an early-round pick had it not been for some off the field concerns. Adding Brantley adds some talent to an already solid defensive line unit and he could carve out a role with the team.

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However, in a corresponding move, the Redskins elected to waive Anthony Lanier with an injury designation. It’s unclear exactly when or how Lanier got hurt, so they could be trying to stash him on IR. If this is indeed what they are trying to do, this would be a mistake.

Lanier has shown growth in the past couple of seasons, and he tallied five sacks in limited playing time last year. He figured to be a solid backup for the team and function as a pass rushing specialist. He wasn’t great against the run, but that wasn’t the role he was suited for. He was always going to be the guy to come in for pass rushing situations to help Matt Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Ryan Kerrigan, and others to get a lot of pressure.

Perhaps the Redskins feel that Brantley can be a better all-around backup than Lanier. But still, why wouldn’t the team try to keep Lanier in the fold? I understand not wanting to get rid of Ziggy Hood because of his leadership skills, but why wouldn’t the team cut another player who wouldn’t be likely to make the squad? They are soon going to have another roster spot open provided that they stick with their plans to move Byron Marshall to the IR. So, why wouldn’t they just wait a day to sign Brantley and keep maximum talent on the roster? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

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Perhaps Lanier is hurt worse than we know. But unless that’s the case, this seems like a lateral move at best. And if Lanier only has a minor injury, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting, he a team could claim him on waivers anyway. Brantley may have more upside, but there are concerns about his attitude and work ethic, so he will need to change that perception to stick around in the Redskins defensive line room.

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