Redskins add DB Ashton Lampkin to roster, waive LB DeMarquis Gates

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Ashton Lampkin #6 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys returns an interception against the Mississippi Rebels during the first quarter of the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Ashton Lampkin #6 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys returns an interception against the Mississippi Rebels during the first quarter of the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins have signed Ashton Lampkin to their roster. In a corresponding move, they waived linebacker DeMarquis Gates.

Throughout the offseason, the Redskins are going to cycle through a handful of camp bodies at a lot of positions as they look for quality depth to keep on their short list if injuries strike. And they made such a move on Tuesday.

According to the team’s official Twitter account, they added defensive back Ashton Lampkin to their 90-man roster. Lampkin, 25, played collegiately for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 2012-2016. He had 111 career tackles and five picks and sported a solid, 6-foot, 189-pound frame. He went undrafted in 2017 but did see some time on the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster after being signed as a free agent.

Lampkin never suited up in a game for the Chiefs, but he was an intriguing, upside-based candidate. Now, he will join the Redskins and provide depth in the secondary.

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Considering how deep Washington already is in that area, Lampkin is likely a long-shot to make the team. He is probably just going to be a camp body, as it seems that a handful of players are jockeying for positioning and places on the back-end of the depth chart (Greg Stroman, Jimmy Moreland, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Danny Johnson, and Adonis Alexander). Lampkin will probably be behind all of them, so his best chance of making the team would come via the practice squad.

To add Lampkin, the team chose to cut DeMarquis Gates from the team. Gates, a linebacker, was a great tackler in college and spent some time in the AAF before its demise. He signed with the Redskins shortly after the league folded.

Despite the 23-year-old’s strong tackling, he was always on the outside looking in to get a roster spot. He wasn’t ever great or fluid in coverage, so he was just being given a shot at camp. Now, the team will try out another camp body.

The bigger note about cutting Gates is that it leaves the team with six or seven linebackers (depending on how you want to classify Marquis Flowers and B.J. Blunt). The team is evidently comfortable with the options they have on their roster even in the wake of Reuben Foster’s injury.

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This move is likely inconsequential for Washington. It will just be a footnote this year, though it is intriguing that they’re bringing in more depth at the cornerback position, considering that they already have a ton of guys fighting for playing time there.