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Redskins sign TE Jerome Cunningham to their 53-man roster

By Jacob Camenker

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 20: Jerome Cunningham #86 of the New York Giants prepares to take the field prior to their game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on December 20, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 20: Jerome Cunningham #86 of the New York Giants prepares to take the field prior to their game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on December 20, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Jerome Cunningham is being signed to the Redskins roster to give the team more tight end depth.

The Washington Redskins were deep at tight end in the preseason. And now, they’re thin at the position.

The team lost Jordan Reed to a concussion in the third preseason game and it’s possible that he may never play again. The team did have a third tight end on the squad for Week 1, J.P. Holtz, but they waived him after the first contest. Holtz was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears and is serving as a fullback/H-back for them now.

With their depth depleted, the team needed to sign a new player to serve as the third tight end behind Vernon Davis and Jeremy Sprinkle. They had players like Donald Parham and Drew Belcher on the practice squad in recent weeks, but they elected to dip into the free agent pool to sign Jerome Cunningham to serve as tight end depth for their team.

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Not to be confused with Jermaine Cunningham, a 2010 second-round pick by the New England Patriots, Jerome Cunningham is a 6-foot-4, 254-pound tight end who has been in the league since 2014.

Cunningham hasn’t spent much time on the active roster of the teams he has been with, but the 28-year-old from Southern Connecticut State has had staying power in the league. He has played for the New York Giants, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and Detroit Lions but has just eight catches for 59 yards during his career, all of which came in 2015.

For the Redskins, Cunningham provides experienced depth, but that’s about it. They shouldn’t expect much out of him as a receiver and should look for him to be a special teams contributor at the most. He’s certainly a downgrade from Holtz, and the decision to release the former Pittsburgh Panther is looking more and more curious as the truth about Jordan Reed continues to get clearer.

Next. How the Redskins can improve their team. dark

The Redskins had an open roster spot following the release of defensive lineman T.Y. McGill, so that is the corresponding move to adding Cunningham.

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