The Washington Commanders waived sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen, likely to make room for veteran Jeremy McNichols' return. That move drew backlash from some fans, with the blame once again placed squarely on general manager Adam Peters.
And Peters came out swinging in defense of his decision.
While the Commanders plan to bring Allen back onto the practice squad, he is now exposed to the waiver wire. He may have had some fans around the league before the draft, and teams may be willing to move things around quickly to get him on board.
Adam Peters still believes in Kaytron Allen despite hasty Commanders release
That was a risk Peters was willing to take. But taking this gamble doesn't mean the Commanders don't believe in Allen.
At least according to Peters.
During his weekly radio interview with The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan, the front-office leader said these are just sacrifices that happen during the season, and more are on the way.
Peters also said Allen hasn't done anything especially wrong and they are not down on him, but it was a numbers-game situation that eventually led to his departure.
“We’re not down on Kaytron at all. We really like Kaytron. You never want to release a guy at any point in time, but certainly not someone you like and who has shown promise.
"For this week and moving forward, we have a lot of moves to make in the next few days to get up and play this weekend, and so that was the case of that. With Kaytron, he has shown a lot of promise and done a nice job. We expose him (to) waivers, and if he doesn’t get claimed, we’d like him back on the practice squad.”
This is a lot of general manager speak, to be honest. If the Commanders had faith in Allen, someone else would have made way, or McNichols wouldn't be coming back onto the squad at all.
Commanders are trying to manage a difficult situation, and Kaytron Allen was sacrificed
The words are empty, and Allen will feel aggrieved after being disposed of six months after joining the club as a Day 3 draft pick.
And if he clears waivers, the Penn State product might think long and hard about returning to the Commanders if another team shows interest in securing his services.
Things should become clearer in the coming hours. But the Commanders releasing a draft pick so quickly, no matter how high they were drafted, speaks to panic and a failure to let players develop.
Peters is doing what he believes is right for the franchise. Not everyone likes every decision, but that's all part of leading an NFL operation.
The Commanders have Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Austin Ekeler, and McNichols in the backfield. Keeping Allen would mean five running backs, which is too many. They decided the first-year pro should make way for an experienced presence who can contribute more on special teams.
That doesn't help Allen right now, and if he'd earned a little more trust, this wouldn't have been an issue.
But if he does come back, he's starting from the bottom.
The Commanders are working tirelessly to turn things around. Peters is trying to manage the roster carefully amid so many injury problems. Allen was a sacrificial lamb, and he gave his reasons.
Whether they sufficed to those criticizing the move is another matter.
That seems to be the end of it, although Allen's fans in Washington will be hoping he's back sooner rather than later.
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