Commanders confirm conviction in Joey Slye with latest roster move

The conversation surrounding the Washington Commanders has centered on Terry McLaurin’s holdout and the Jack Del Rio controversy. Fans have been clamoring to discuss literally anything else, and this week’s three-day mandatory minicamp will hopefully serve as that needed distraction.

You know what else would do the trick? Roster moves! It’s been a few weeks since Washington made noise on the transaction front, but that changed both Monday and Tuesday as the team works to finalize its 90-man roster for the summer.

In preparation of minicamp, the Commanders waived kicker Brian Johnson and undrafted free-agent Will Adams. While the defensive back rotation figures to be fine in Adams’ wake, Johnson’s release gives the team just one kicker.

That’s right, folks. It’s the Joey Slye show in Ashburn.

The Commanders clearly have the utmost confidence in Joey Slye.

It’s clear the Commanders have full confidence in Slye to man the primary kicking duties. They should still add a backup in case of injury or a potential COVID-19 hiccup, but Slye being the lone kicker on the roster speaks volumes, especially considering how Johnson performed filling in for Slye last campaign.

Johnson appeared in four games with the Saints in 2021 before being waived in November. From there, he spent one week with the Bears before Washington claimed him from Chicago’s practice squad following Slye’s hamstring injury.

After going a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals with New Orleans, Johnson drilled both of his field-goal attempts and 4-of-5 extra points with Washington. The then-rookie actually became a folk hero after he nailed a 48-yard field goal in the final minute of regulation vs the Raiders in Week 13 to give the team a 17-15 win.

Adams, on the other hand, was signed by the Commanders out of Virginia State after De’Vante Cross got released and there was hope he’d remain with the team for the summer and potentially make the practice squad.

We wouldn’t rule out a potential reunion down the road, but Adams was invited to the Dolphins’ rookie minicamp before Washington pounced so it wouldn’t be overly surprising if the undrafted DB finds a new home in short order.

The real story here, though, is Slye. The V-Tech product signed a two-year contract with the Commanders this offseason. Following Johnson’s release, Slye will be given every chance to replicate his impressive 2021, when he finished a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts and 12-for-12 on extra points.