Washington Football Team doesn’t make any waiver claims after roster cuts

After NFL roster cuts, the Washington Football Team decided not to claim any available players off waivers.

The Washington Football Team was well-positioned to add some quality players to their team after roster cuts. Armed with the No. 2 spot in the waiver priority, the team could’ve tried to scoop up some of these players to add to their 53-man roster.

Instead, Washington elected to stand pat. They sat out the waiver process and let a few other teams be active and claim some of the available players.

Below is a full list of the players claimed, per NFL Network’s Albert Breer.

This move may be viewed by some as an odd one. There were several players available on waivers that some thought would upgrade the team. Notably, Sidney Jones, Robert Foster, and Hakeem Butler were available, but Washington passed on them.

That said, this move also does make sense to an extent. There was no preseason, so Washington didn’t get a great look at the talent throughout the league, and they were likely more focused on evaluating their own roster anyway. So, while they could’ve taken a chance on some of the players to hit waivers, they may not have felt comfortable trusting any of them over what they already had.

Also, it’s worth noting that there were still several players available that hit waivers and now can sign as free agents. This includes Jones, Foster, and Butler. This will give Washington a chance to work out those players if they’re interested in them and get a better look at them before deciding to cut a player in favor of one of them.

Additionally, the lack of waiver claims demonstrates confidence in the roster of players that Washington currently has. That cannot be overlooked, and perhaps some of the young guys on the team have made big strides over the offseason to make them more comparable to the bigger names available on the market.

Whatever the reasoning, Washington decided to sit out this waiver claim cycle, but they may not be done making tweaks to their roster. We’ll keep an eye on the 53-man unit in the week leading up to the team’s opener against the Philadelphia Eagles to see if there are any changes or if Rivera and Co. are, in fact, happy with what they have.