First Roster Cut-Downs

By Mark Solway | August 31st, 2011

And so it begins. All 32 NFL teams scrambled today, to get their 90-man rosters down to 80 players.

The Redskins announced the following cuts:

Dante Barnes, Defensive Back
Ben Chappell, Quarterback
Xavier Fulton, Offensive Lineman
Tyrone Grant, Defensive Back
Eric McBride, Linebacker
Malcolm Kelly, Wide Receiver
Corey O’Daniel, Offensive Lineman
Clint Stitser, Kicker
Joe Torchia, Tight End

If you’re adding them up and coming to nine, and thinking, “but they have to drop ten,” they also placed defensive end Javis Jenkins on the Injured Reserve list today.

Malcolm Kelly is obviously the most notable name on the list – notable, but not at all surprising. He finishes his Redskins career with a disappointing 21 career games, 28 receptions, and zero touchdowns – very underwhelming numbers for a second round pick in 2008. He reached an injury settlement, to end yet another bad chapter of the 2008 NFL Draft.

There are now just 4 players from the Redskins’ 2008 draft still with the club – tight end Fred Davis, linebacker Rob Jackson, and safeties Kareem Moore and Chris Horton. Horton is definitely on the bubble, and didn’t make my final 53-man roster. Moore will probably start the season on the PUP list, leaving just 2 of the 10 2008 draft selections in the line-up. Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen can’t do much about that, but they should point to it, should they achieve success and have anyone try to grant credit to the previous regime.

Kelly didn’t sound sure if he’d even continue playing football upon news of his release, which seems surprising given how good he looked at training camp just a few weeks ago. Injury definitely trumps talent, and the Redskins had no choice but to cut ties with Kelly when they still have so many tough decisions ahead at wide receiver. If a ‘sore foot’ is enough to make a player contemplate retirement, then it.s probably the right decision anyway, just not necessarily for the right reason.

Hail!