Redskins sign DB Jeremy Reaves, place Danny Johnson on IR

In an unexpected turn, the Redskins have more injury news to report.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

There was hope that last year’s injury debacle for the Washington Redskins was an anomaly. The team ended the 2017 season with the most players on injured reserve in the NFL. Key starters fell left and right, and by season’s end, the roster was a shell of what it once was. 2018, if nothing else, provided time to heal, and a clean slate.

Now, however, whatever progress was made following the offseason of 2018 has been lost, as the team has spiraled into another injury apocalypse. As of yesterday, 21 of the team’s players were on injured reserve, second only to the Indianapolis Colts, who had 22.

Today, Washington tied the Colts’ number, as the team’s official site account announced that undrafted rookie cornerback Danny Johnson had been placed on injured reserve.

It was known yesterday, when the Redskins placed Joshua Holsey on injured reserve, that more moves could be pending, as Johnson had suffered an apparent injury in the team’s 16-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Today, that move came, and Johnson’s season is now over. The rookie out of Southern University made the roster as cornerback depth with return ability. He produced primarily in the latter role before his first-year campaign was cut short.

In Johnson’s place will be another undrafted rookie: Jeremy Reaves, out of South Alabama. Reaves, 22, spent a good portion of the 2018 season on the Redskins’ practice squad. He now joins the team as the sixth active cornerback, behind Josh Norman, Fabian Moreau, Greg Stroman, Adonis Alexander, and the recently acquired Harlan Miller.

In Lance Zierlein’s draft profile for Reaves on NFL.com, Reaves is described as being a tenacious player with solid tackling ability. He lacks some physical traits, most notably length, but he’s an active player who has adequate ball skills, and a hard working mentality. In the season’s final two games, Reaves will have an opportunity to show how his traits translate to the NFL level. Perhaps, if he does enough, he can stick around.