Meet Washington’s first signings to reserve/future contracts for 2022

With no playoffs to worry about, the Washington Football Team is full steam ahead into the offseason.

While the club already addressed the nitty gritty of the roster when it signed left tackle Charles Leno to a three-year extension, it’s already getting a head start in terms of which players they want around throughout the offseason.

On Tuesday, Washington announced the signing of eight players to reserve/future contracts. Essentially, these contracts are given out by teams to players who didn’t finish the regular season on the active roster.

With the offseason roster capacity expanding from 53 players in-season to a full 90-man squad once the new league year begins, these deals are a great way for younger players, who otherwise likely wouldn’t get this opportunity, to get a longer look at a roster spot.

While most of these players will end up cutting cut when rosters deadlines go into effect in August, it’s very possible a select few will defy the odds and make the 53-man roster. You see it every year around the league.

With that in mind, let’s say hello to the players Washington signed to reserve/future contracts by giving a little background info on each of them. You’ll notice some familiar names, but that’s not all that surprising.

Meet the players whom the Washington Football Team signed to reserve/future contracts this week.

FB Alex Armah

Armah was signed to the practice squad back in early December. Having played under Ron Rivera in Carolina, there was speculation he’d jump right into a big role as a blocker in the running game. Despite playing a larger-than-expected role on special teams, he didn’t see much action on offense.

RB Reggie Bonnafon

If there’s one position Washington is loaded up on, it’s running back. With the addition of Bonnafon, who ironically played the last three years in Carolina, the club has no shortage of depth behind Antonio Gibson.

G Zack Bailey

A former undrafted free agent in 2019, Bailey spent most of the 2021 season on Washington’s practice squad. He didn’t appear in a game and was victim of the COVID-19 outbreak that swept the locker room in the final month.

​C/G Beau Benzschawel

Washington claimed Benzschawel off waivers last April, marking his third team change in three seasons since he joined in the league in 2019. He as only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, but that didn’t stop him for playing for his home state Wisconsin Badgers and blocking for now-Colts superstar Jonathan Taylor.

​G Deion Calhoun

Calhoun has the most NFL experience of all the players we’ve listed thus far. After turning in a solid career at Mississippi State, Calhoun stepped in as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and started seven games for the Miami Dolphins.