The yearly Washington Football Team bubble players that need to go

Each offseason, the Washington Football Team roster swells considerably with many familiar players who will never make the roster of 53.

What’s the point?  Are we going to repeat recent history again?  Why make the same mistakes year after year?  Whenever the season ends for the Washington Football Team, the roster grows when available free agents and practice squad members are signed to futures contracts.  That’s to be expected and it is a yearly ritual for all teams in the NFL.

It’s a good policy, as teams do need to have extra players for practices at organized team activities (OTA), mini camps, training camp, and preseason games (2020 being the exception this year). But for whatever reason, the Washington Football Team will return many of these bubble players to the offseason roster — even when they will never progress to the final roster of 53.

True, some players have genuine potential and the organization will invest a few years to see if any of these prospects are viable options in the future.  That is a sound strategy.  However, the Washington Football Team has been known to bring back the same players over and over again while realizing they will never make it to the regular season.

Today, we are going to list several players who will likely be released soon and the ties should be cut forever.  There are many prospects out there and they deserve a chance, but this doesn’t need to be a charity event when winter rolls around every year.  So, let’s take a look at some of the players the Washington Football Team shouldn’t bring back in the future.

Washington bubble players that might be heading out the door

Cornerback Danny Johnson made a mild impression in his rookie season of 2018, but he has also spent plenty of time on the injured lists.  It’s time to move on from him.

Free safety Jeremy Reaves has played sparingly since his rookie season in 2018.  Injuries to other players forced the Washington Football Team to play him a bit in 2019, but Reaves is not long for this roster.  His days with the Washington Football Team should come to an end soon.

Offensive tackle Timon Parris looks the part.  He is tall, big, and not much else.  He is trying to earn a place with the Washington Football Team for the third year in a row, but it should end after two years, to be honest.

Wide receiver Darvin Kidsy has a grand total of one catch since 2018, including none last year.  It’s time for him to catch zero passes elsewhere.

Wide receiver Cam Sims is very tall.  He went to Alabama.  He has been with the Washington Football Team since 2018 and his overall production is a whopping two catches.  Some fans have suggested that Sims should gain some weight and play tight end.  How about, no?

Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley has contributed two tackles in two years for Washington.  He recently decided to opt out for 2020 and stay at home.  Next spring, the front office should make his stay-at-home choice a permanent option.

Wide receiver Jordan Veasy has never appeared in an NFL game.  He has been on the Buffalo Bills and Washington Football Team practice squads.  It’s understandable if the team wants to place him on the practice squad this season, but what comes after 2020?  It’s best just to move on at this juncture.

Cornerback Simeon Thomas has spent time with Cleveland, Seattle, and Washington since 2018.  He did contribute eight tackles last season, but then he was suspended for four games for a substance abuse violation.  It’s time to move away from this former Louisiana Rajin’ Cajun.

This list of players originally included free safety Troy Apke and offensive tackle Geron Christian.  Washington media has been reporting that both players are having an exceptional camp, so having them around for another year or longer seems like a plan.

Apke has been a pleasant surprise and has been making play after play each day at training camp.  For now, the former Penn State Nittany Lion could be the opening day starter.

Christian is having a solid training camp as well and his attitude in recent weeks is one of setting a very positive tone for himself.  The former Louisville standout could be the opening day starter at left tackle and at 6-foot-6, 315, Christian could do what Ereck Flowers did a year ago — prove the doubters wrong and have a very good 2020.

Over the years, players who have no realistic chance at a Washington Football Team roster spot seem to capture the imagination of many fans each offseason.  It’s a ritual that plays out and these fans are convinced that “fill in the blank” is the next best thing since the invention of the waffle iron.  And I love fresh waffles from the iron!

Players like Babe Laufenberg — he was the next great quarterback and was on the Washington roster three separate times in the 1980s.  Yes, once was enough!  Fans were convinced that Eric Yarber was the next Art Monk, but all he turned out to be was the next Eric Yarber.

According to some fans back in the late 1980s, Mike Oliphant from the University of Puget Sound (Huh?) was the next Walter Payton.  Washington actually drafted him in the third round of the 1988 draft.  It wasn’t long until he was traded for Cleveland’s Earnest Byner and the Browns seemed happy.  Poor Cleveland.  Oliphant quickly faded and Byner helped Washington to another Super Bowl victory.

Earlier in this young millennium, players like Darnerien McCants (Hey, spectacular catches in training camp!), Colt Brennan (Remember the “Cult of Colt”?), and Marko Mitchell (Hey, he was very tall!) graced the Washington roster, and all of them flamed out.  Fans were convinced these players were future superstars, but nothing could be further from the truth.

While we are using a bit of sarcasm with some of these players, it’s honestly time to cut the cord and move in a different direction.  It’s not easy when some of those players are fan favorites, but years from now it will make much more sense to everyone.  It’s time to move on from Johnson, Reaves, Parris, Kidsy, Sims, Brantley, Veasy, and Thomas.  After the 2020 season, eight new players (And more, as needed) should be brought in, but we wish them well.