New Redskins RB Wendell Smallwood was most popular player on waiver wire

The Washington Redskins were able to land former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood on the waiver wire. He was one of the most popular players available after final cuts.

The Redskins officially filled out their 53-man roster over the course of the long weekend and while they still may be tweaking the unit before the Week 1 opener, they at least have a tentative roster set. The team was able to land a couple of players off waivers to complete their unit and potentially balance their offense.

Most recently, the team claimed veteran linebacker Tanner Vallejo. The former Boise State product will be joining his fourth team in three seasons and will have a chance to carve out a role as a core special teams player.

Before that, the team made a switch at the running back position. They claimed former Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood off waivers after the NFL’s final roster cuts. Smallwood was the only player that the Redskins were awarded, and they cut Byron Marshall after landing Smallwood.

While some were confused as to why the team wanted to add Smallwood to the mix, it was clear that he was a coveted player on the waiver wire. In fact, ESPN’s Field Yates has reported that Smallwood was claimed by more teams than any other player during the waiver process, but he happened to land with the Redskins.

This certainly is an encouraging development. And, it makes sense. Smallwood profiles as a solid pass-catching back and could provide depth to many backfields across the NFL. While he seems more likely to be inactive in his early days in Washington, Smallwood could have a chance to see some time if any of the top backs on the team deal with nagging injuries. And at the very least, he will provide insurance behind Chris Thompson as the primary passing back.

It’s notable that the Colts, Jaguars, and Bengals all could have used some depth in their running back rooms. And with those squads, Smallwood could’ve been the third-string back, if not, better, especially with the Jaguars. So, it seems that the Redskins did well to land a potential contributor to further deepen their already strong running back rotation.

Smallwood, 25, totaled a career-high 364 yards and three touchdowns with a 4.2 yards per carry average in Philly last season. He also caught 28 passes for 230 yards and two scores. He is solid depth for the Redskins, and it will be interesting to see if he can earn playing time as the season goes along.