Washington Football Team signs LB Donald Payne, OL Kevin Pamphile

The Washington Football Team has added a couple of veterans to the fold just ahead of training camp.

On Sunday, the Washington Football team made the decision to part ways with two players ahead of training camp. Veteran offensive lineman Jeremy Vujnovich and injured receiver Emanuel Hall were released by the team.

While the moves were initially viewed as part of Washington’s paring down of the roster — they need to get it to 80 by mid-August to comply with the league’s COVID-19 policies — it appears that the moves were actually made to open up roster spots for some other available players.

According to the team’s official Twitter account, they added former Jaguars linebacker Donald Payne and former Titans offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile to the roster.

Both of these signings were smart. They will help Washington to add depth to a couple of their unsettled positions in the form of experienced veterans.

Payne has been in the league for three years. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of Stetson and has been a strong special teams presence. In 2017, he ranked third in the NFL with 16 special teams stops. And last year in nine games for Jacksonville, Payne played in nine games (five starts) and logged 61 tackles and a sack.

Payne will challenge for a role in Washington’s crowded linebacker corps. He’s not guaranteed a spot. But given that he’s 26, has starting experience, and has the floor of a quality special teams player, he should at least add to the depth and competition that Ron Rivera has spoken about so often this offseason.

As for Pamphile, he was a fifth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 and has spent six seasons in the league. His best seasons came in 2016 and 2017 when he started at left guard for the Bucs. In recent seasons, he has struggled to stay healthy with the Tennessee Titans, but his overall experience (56 games, 35 starts) should add competition to Washington’s offensive line room.

Pamphile may push Wes Schweitzer and Wes Martin for the starting left guard spot. He also has the flexibility needed to play tackle, so he could become a valuable backup or fourth tackle option for the team if the guard position doesn’t work out.

At this point in the offseason, adding veterans is never a bad move. They’ll provide the team with depth at the very least and could emerge as contributors if all goes well. So, Rivera and Kyle Smith deserve kudos for bringing these two experienced players aboard.