Redskins sign six players to reserve/future contracts following 2018 season

The offseason has begun for the Washington Redskins. And with it comes the beginning of the team’s expansion to a 90-man roster.

The 2018 season was certainly a disappointing one for the Redskins. After starting the year 6-3 and being in the thick of the playoff race, the team finished the year 1-6 and saw their team decimated by injuries for a second-straight season. And even worse, the team alienated their fan base on multiple occasions, and that has made it an even more tumultuous time for the franchise.

Moving forward, the team is going to have to make some changes to compete. They’re heading into a critical offseason, and it’s unclear what their direction is at the moment. That said, the team did make some moves on Black Monday, but they weren’t the ones that some fans were hoping to see.

The Redskins elected to get an early start on the offseason, and they signed six players to reserve/future contracts. Essentially, these pacts add the players to the team’s 90-man roster once the new league year begins. They aren’t always fruitful, but the team got Ziggy Hood on one of these deals a few years ago. So, they can occasionally produce key players.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, here are the six players that the ‘Skins signed.

If most of these names are familiar, it’s because they have been on the team’s practice squad during the season. Or, they were with the squad in the preseason (as is the case for Elijah Wellman). These moves all seem to be solid, as these players have upside.

Notably, Carlos Henderson and ArDarius Stewart have some serious upside at the wide receiver position. Both were third-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, but they were unable to stick with the respective organizations that drafted them. The Redskins are weak at receiver, so having a couple of highly-touted young receivers during the offseason is a smart move.

As for the rest of the players, Casey Dunn seems most likely to have a chance at making an impact. Dunn made Washington’s original 53-man roster for 2018 and remained there for almost half the season. He’s a great technician and if he can add the needed strength to compete at the NFL level, he could become a quality backup.

Meanwhile, Joseph, Wicker, and Wellman all have upside in their own rights, and Wellman looked particularly good as a fullback in limited preseason action. So, retaining them makes sense.

The ‘Skins will continue to make roster moves in the coming weeks, so they will continue to add potential-packed players to their 90-man unit. Hopefully, they are able to unearth a gem during the process.