The Redskins trim their roster down to the final 53 today. All the buildup has led to this.
The Washington Redskins have completed training camp and preseason, and now, on Saturday, August 31, it’s time to formulate the final 53-man roster. Tough decisions will be made, and talented players will be forced to walk away. But that’s just part of the game, unfortunately.
Who should you watch on cut day? Well, in truth, all 90 players deserve some form of attention, but these five in particular are players who control other storylines as well, and their fates carry with them the fate of others. Take a look.
No. 5 – Redskins CB Adonis Alexander
The Redskins spent a sixth-round pick on Adonis Alexander in the NFL Supplemental Draft last year, and already, it looks like he’s on the outside looking in.
When Alexander came the Redskins, their secondary wasn’t as deep, and there was a spot for him safely secured at the end of the cornerback depth chart. He also had former Virginia Tech secondary coach Torrian Gray there to serve as a vote of confidence for his potential.
Now, Gray is gone, and it looks like Alexander could be on the way out as well. At best, he’s the seventh cornerback on the depth chart, behind Josh Norman, Quinton Dunbar, Fabian Moreau, Jimmy Moreland, Greg Stroman, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. And one could make a case for Deion Harris ahead of him as well, as Harris flashed his upside more frequently than Alexander in preseason.
This was a project with relatively high hopes coming in. It was thought that Alexander could be the versatile defensive back the Redskins needed to field a complete unit. But now, those hopes are dashed, and in all likelihood, Alexander’s stint on Washington’s active roster ends today. The team could place him on the practice squad, but that’s a competitive venture as well.
No. 4 – Redskins RB Samaje Perine
It’s been an interesting offseason for Samaje Perine, to say the least. He entered the summer as just one player in a crowded running back room, a room that now has seven players and must be cut down to either three or four.
Perine as first projected to be one of the three or four to stay, as Jay Gruden frequently name-dropped him as a standout in press conferences. But when the players put on the pads and the helmets, and played under the lights, Perine faltered. Over the course of the 2019 preseason session, Perine logged a measly 43 yards on 20 total carries, and while he occasionally flashed physicality and toughness, his lack of speed and vision was all too noticeable.
Perine’s role, in theory, is best served as a power back, but he doesn’t even have much utility there, given his lack of vision. At this point, it doesn’t seem like a roster spot can be reasonably used on him, but Gruden has been known to stick with “his guys”. It’ll be interesting to see just how far out of the dog house Perine is, or if he’s found a way back in.
No. 3 – Redskins OLB Cassanova McKinzy
This doesn’t have to do with Cassanova McKinzy‘s job security, so much as it has to do with his status. Health-wise, there is some uncertainty surrounding McKinzy after he suffered a concussion in the team’s preseason finale against the Ravens.
McKinzy is basically a roster lock, given how well he played in preseason, and how empty the Redskins are at that position behind him. But if McKinzy is internally expected to miss more than a week, the Redskins might have to do some late offseason scouting.
The cuts have already started in some areas, and today, they come in heavy. If McKinzy won’t be ready, the Redskins could scour the waiver wire to add a fifth OLB from another team. Shane Ray, who was cut by the Ravens yesterday, could be intriguing, but there are bound to be more options available later today.
If the Redskins do this, and if they weren’t planning on keeping five OLBs already, it’ll mean that a spot has to be trimmed down somewhere else. It’s unlikely they’d put McKinzy on injured reserve with a designation to return, so that spot won’t come from McKinzy himself. Ultimately, it means that, in search of depth and security, the Redskins might have to make another very tough decision.
No. 2 – Redskins WR Josh Doctson
Earlier this offseason, the feasibility and sensibility of keeping Josh Doctson on the 53-man roster was questioned on this very website. After all, Doctson has already said he doesn’t plan on being in D.C. next year, and there are talented young receivers making bids to stay behind him.
It’s not so much about the cap savings as it is about the prospect of future utility; in fact, if the Redskins cut Doctson, they’d take on his entire 2019 cap hit of $3,197,615 as dead cap. But saving a little bit of money shouldn’t be the motivation to pass on players who clearly have more potential within the organization. Terry McLaurin is set to start, and he’ll take reps from Doctson. Robert Davis has the physical upside. Darvin Kidsy has the physical upside. Steven Sims Jr. has excellent dynamic ability and returner skills. Kelvin Harmon was acquired using draft capital this year, and he at least has contested catch ability to mold.
At the end of the day, it’s not about Doctson. It’s about everyone else. There are other receivers with more potential on Washington’s roster, and it’s time to look past the money and make a decision based on that. That’s where the Redskins are at, and they know it. They’ve been trying to trade Doctson for a long time, and they’ll probably keep trying throughout cut day.
Their best chance at finding a trade partner might be at the end of the NFL waiver wire; since Doctson only has three years of experience, despite almost being 27 years old, he’ll go on the waiver wire if released, therefore giving the teams at the front of the order the best chance to scoop him up. That way, a wide receiver-thin team at the end of the waiver order (it’s based on the 2019 NFL Draft order) might feel inclined to shell out late-round picks to acquire Doctson, if they deem him to be a cut above the cut day class.
Still, even with those credentials, a trade is unlikely. Only a few teams come to mind as even remote candidates. At this point, there are two reasonably realistic scenarios for Doctson: He makes the roster, or he doesn’t. And what his fate entails will be of great interest, later today.
No. 1 – Redskins LT Trent Williams
Trent Williams isn’t going to come back today. DeAngelo Hall said as much earlier in the week when he reported on a podcast that there was “no chance” that Williams would return within seven days. Williams’ holdout is set to continue, and for the time being, there’s no end in sight.
Today represents, at the very least, a symbolic threshold; when Williams does not come back today, he will have remained on hold out past the formation of the Redskins active 53-man roster. Williams did not sign his current contract extension as an unrestricted free agent, so it’s unclear if the Redskins have the ability to recoup any more money from his contract. For now, the two sides are at a dense impasse. And it doesn’t look like either side will budge.
While Williams stays away, Bruce Allen exuded an unfounded confidence in a recent interview, stating that he expected Williams to be back. It’s all too clear, however, that Williams will not be back any time soon, if at all, and the reasonable thing to do would be to try and acquire assets for one of the best tackles in the game, via trade. But pride can be a dangerous motivator in a front office setting, and it’s quite possible that pride is what’s motivating Allen to cling so stubbornly to an empty set of pads.
There’s a remote possibility that a trade could occur today. Players are moving, and teams are finalizing their rosters, and a team with the desire to field their best roster from Week 1 could hit the Redskins with a tempting offer. After the Texans reportedly offered the Dolphins a first-round pick and Jadeveon Clowney for Laremy Tunsil, Williams’ value could skyrocket, if the Redskins went all-in on dealing him elsewhere.
As of now, however, there’s little movement on that front, and if cut day passes with no resolution, take it as a sign, that there will be many more days like this one in the future. Make sure you keep checking in on our live cuts tracker, as we’ll be updating it regularly throughout the day.