Redskins sign EDGE Cassanova McKinzy to the practice squad, cut two

The Redskins have signed a familiar face back to the practice squad after removing him from the active roster.

Other developments in recent days have taken precedence to minor roster moves for the Washington Redskins, but even with the circus up top, there are still normal organizational functions that need to occur. One of those functions includes regular roster upkeep.

In recent weeks, the Redskins have done frequent shuffling, due to consistent injury issues on both offense and defense. Yesterday, to compensate for the unavailability of both Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, the Redskins were forced to release edge rusher Cassanova McKinzy and sign undrafted rookie tight end Hale Hentges.

Now, one day later, the Redskins have continued the shuffling; they’ve now signed McKinzy to the practice squad, after releasing two players, cornerback Deion Harris and linebacker Chris Odom, from the ten-man group. Despite being almost 27 years old, McKinzy still has practice squad eligibility, due to his lack of in-season experience. NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic’s J.P. Finlay first reported the news.

McKinzy cleared waivers after being released. Although it doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise, McKinzy would have provided decent edge depth to a team that needed him, if one happened to show interest. McKinzy’s strong 2019 preseason led to him locking down a spot on the active roster, and in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he logged the first and only sack of his career.

Due to needs elsewhere, the Redskins had to take the risk of releasing McKinzy to the waiver wire, but now that he’s back on the practice squad, they have him in the building in case they can eventually find room to bring him back. However, teams are permitted to sign McKinzy off of the Redskins practice squad, so there’s a chance a team experiencing injuries on the edge could covet a signing with McKinzy’s experience.

For now, however, McKinzy is back with the team, albeit in a limited capacity. The season is less than halfway completed, so in time, McKinzy could see his role change yet again.