Redskins claim former Eagles RB Wendell Smallwood off of waivers

The Redskins have made their first acquisition of the post-cut day waiver period.

On cut day, the Washington Redskins trimmed their 90-man roster to 53, making a number of tough decisions in the process. They ultimately had some flexibility at the conclusion of the trim down, however, as both rookie edge rusher Jordan Brailford and second-year running back Shaun Wilson were slated to start the season on injured reserve, with designations to return.

Therefore, in actuality, the Redskins had only 51 roster slots filled, and it was expected that they would use today’s waiver wire period to fill those two spots. Just minutes ago, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Redskins had made their first successful waiver claim, snagging running back Wendell Smallwood from their NFC East division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Smallwood, 25, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Eagles, out of the University of West Virginia. Over three years with the Eagles, Smallwood has seen his usage steadily increase. In 2018, Smallwood carried the rock 87 times, notching 364 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 4.2 yards per carry. He also caught 28 passes for 230 yards and two scores. The Eagles released Smallwood in final cuts on Saturday.

Smallwood offers intriguing athletic potential for the Redskins. At the NFL Combine in 2016, he logged a 4.47 40-yard dash, a broad jump of ten feet, and a vertical jump of 33.5 inches, and he measures in at around 5-foot-10, 208 pounds.

Smallwood has potential as a versatile back in Washington’s offense, and he also has some experience as a kick returner, but at this point, it’s unclear where a spot for him would be. The Redskins kept both Byron Marshall and Shaun Wilson for those same reasons, behind three other running backs, and while Wilson figures to go on injured reserve, that still leaves Marshall as the No. 4 running back. Perhaps the Redskins kept Marshall as a placeholder until they could get who they wanted on the waiver wire. If that were to be the case, then Marshall could be let go in the near future.

Whatever the case, the Redskins have added another offensive weapon, and they don’t appear to be done finalizing their roster just yet. Be sure to stick with us here at Riggo’s Rag, as we’ll keep you updated with all the latest moves and acquisitions.

Update: In a corresponding move to the signing of Smallwood, the Redskins released Byron Marshall from the active roster, per ESPN’s John Keim.