The Washington Football Team finalized its 53-man roster on Tuesday, making a few surprise cuts along the way.
Headlining the roster cuts are second-year receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden, veteran running back Peyton Barber, and defensive backs Jeremy Reaves and Jimmy Moreland. Gandy-Golden ultimately lost his roster spot to rookie Dax Milne and journeyman receiver DeAndre Carter. Reaves and Moreland fell victim to Troy Apke, who claims a roster spot for the fourth straight season because of the value he adds on special teams. And Barber was the odd-man out in a re-tooled backfield that got younger with his subtraction.
Milne and tight end Sammis Reyes were probably the most surprising inclusions on the 53. At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Reyes' raw tools proved to be too tantalizing for Ron Rivera to pass up. He'll now have more time to learn and grow into the tight end position with the comfort of a roster spot.
Ultimately, Washington chose to keep 26 players on offense and 24 players on defense, while rounding out the roster with its special teams unit of punter Tress Way, kicker Dustin Hopkins and long snapper Camaron Cheeseman.
Below is a position by position breakdown of the Washington Football Team's final 53-man roster. Although, it's worth noting that even as these moves are final for now, it's common for some changes to arise in the coming weeks as players become available via waivers and outright free agency.
Offense | 26 players
Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen
Cuts: Steven Montez
No surprises here. Look for Steven Montez to be a leading practice squad candidate for his second straight season since going undrafted in 2020.
Running Backs: Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Jaret Patterson
Cuts: Jonathan Williams, Peyton Barber
Jaret Patterson continues to be one of the best local success stories in years. The Prince George's County native, who once rushed for 409 yards (school record) and eight touchdowns (NCAA record) in a single collegiate game at Buffalo, proved he belongs in the NFL despite his size (5-8, 195 lbs.) and going undrafted in 2021. Patterson rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown while averaging 3.9 yards per carry in three preseason games, enough to steal veteran Peyton Barber's roster spot.
Wide Receivers: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, Dyami Brown, Cam Sims, DeAndre Carter, Dax Milne
Cuts: Antonio Gandy-Golden, Tony Brown, Isaiah Wright
It's a huge feat for Dax Milne to make the final 53 as the second-to-last pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Zach Wilson's top target at BYU, Milne showed enough in preseason play to prove himself as a viable target for Ryan Fitzpatrick in Scott Turner's offense. Antonio Gandy-Golden, a big target at 6-foot-4, was never able to put enough on tape – between an extremely limited rookie season and this preseason — to warrant a roster spot in his second season since being selected as a fourth-round pick.
That Washington chose to keep seven receivers just shows the faith it has in Milne and DeAndre Carter, an undrafted free agent in 2015 who's now appearing on his fourth NFL roster in four years.
Tight Ends: Logan Thomas, John Bates, Sammis Reyes, Ricky Seals-Jones
Cuts: Caleb Wilson
Washington keeping a roster spot open for Sammis Reyes is clearly the headline-grabber of this group. The former Chilean basketball star turned NFL tight end will now have a little more time with the safety net of a roster spot to develop and continue to learn the position.
Offensive Line: Charles Leno Jr., Ereck Flowers, Chase Roullier, Brandon Scherff, Sam Cosmi, Saahdiq Charles, Wes Schweitzer, Cornelius Lucas, Tyler Larsen
Cuts: David Sharpe, David Steinmetz, Wes Martin, Beau Benzschawel, Jon Toth, Keith Ismael
It's now clear that Keith Ismael appearing third on the preseason depth chart was no mistake. The fifth-round pick out of San Diego State in 2020 clearly never developed into the center Washington had hoped to see. Saahdiq Charles making the final 53 can only be viewed as a positive development for the 2020 fourth-round pick, who had limited playing time to prove himself during his rookie season due to injuries.
Defense | 24 players
Defensive Tackles: Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Tim Settle, Matt Ioannidis
Cuts: Devaroe Lawrence, Daniel Wise, Gabe Wright
Washington could have gone either way with Daniel Wise, who should now emerge as a leading practice squad candidate if he clears waivers.
Note: Defensive tackle David Bada (Germany), who initially signed with Washington as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, has not been released but will not appear on the 53-man roster. Instead Washington has been granted an exemption for Bada by the league.
Defensive Ends: Chase Young, Montez Sweat, James Smith-Williams, Shaka Toney, Casey Toohill
Cuts: Bunmi Rotimi, William Bradley-King
With Washington floating the concept of five down linemen with the occasional 5-2 scheme, it's not all that surprising that Rivera elected to keep an extra rotational piece in Shaka Toney, who was widely regarded as a player on the bubble entering Tuesday. Also interesting is Rivera showing no favoritism toward current draft picks, in releasing William Bradley-King, a seventh-round pick in 2021.
Linebackers: Jamin Davis, Cole Holcomb, Jon Bostic, Khaleke Hudson
Cuts: Joe Walker, Jordan Kunaszyk, David Mayo, Jared Norris
Washington sticking with only four linebackers is worth keeping an eye on. It's hard to imagine that will be the final grouping by Week 1. Between waiver claims and free agent signings, this is a position that's likely not done adding.
Cornerbacks: Kendall Fuller, William Jackson III, Benjamin St-Juste, Darryl Roberts, Torry McTyer, Troy Apke
Cuts: Linden Stephens, Danny Johnson, Jimmy Moreland
The surprise here is Troy Apke getting the nod over Jimmy Moreland, as the former, who made the rare transition from safety to corner in camp, is very limited defensively. Apke should primarily be a special teams contributor, an area where he's clearly highly valued.
Safeties: Landon Collins, Bobby McCain, Kamren Curl, Darrick Forrest, Deshazor Everett
Cuts: Cole Luke, Jeremy Reaves
Again, Washington's decision to keep Apke over someone like Jeremy Reaves, who can contribute on defense as well as on special teams, is somewhat surprising. It should be comforting to see that fifth-round pick Darrick Forrest made it through to the final 53, especially considering that Rivera showed no favoritism towards current draft picks (Bradley-King).
Special Teams: Tress Way, Dustin Hopkins, Camaron Cheeseman
Cuts: None.
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