The Washington Redskins announced they have signed nine players to their practice squad, including wide receiver Cam Sims.
- CB Adonis Alexander
- DE Ryan Bee
- WR Jehu Chesson
- TE JP Holtz
- T Timon Paris
- S Jeremy Reaves
- RB Craig Reynolds
- WR Cam Sims
- LB Darrell Williams
All nine players were part of the Redskins’ 90-man roster this summer. Here’s a few names to watch out for:
Cam Sims, WR
Cam Sims made the Redskins’ 53-man roster last season as an undrafted rookie. However, his season was cut short when an ankle injury in Week 1 landed him on injured reserve. This summer, the Redskins retooled their wide receiver with their long-term future in mind.
Drafting Terry McLaurin in the third round and Kelvin Harmon in the sixth round reshuffled the Redskins at wide receiver. Then, undrafted rookie Steven Sims Jr. developed into a huge surprise as a backup slot receiver and a special teams returner. Additionally, Robert Davis returned from a devastating leg injury in 2018 and emerged just as good as he was before the injury.
Cam Sims struggled with catching the football, laminated with three dropped passes in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Ravens. When the coaching staff mapped out its best receivers, Sims was left on the outside looking in. But, his potential is worth investing into from the practice squad.
Adonis Alexander, CB
Alexander, who made the Redskins’ 53-man roster last season as a rookie, fell behind on the depth chart at cornerback. Seventh-round pick Jimmy Moreland emerged as a huge steal for the Redskins. They also signed veteran Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, upgrading the talent at cornerback.
The Redskins used a sixth-round pick in the supplemental draft in 2018 on Alexander.
Jeremy Reaves, S
Jeremy Reaves, the 2017 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year out of South Alabama, outplayed 2018 fourth-round pick Troy Apke from a safety standpoint. However, Apke got the nod over Reaves largely because of special teams.
Reaves has great range, but needs to improve his tackling. Signing back on the practice squad in the same system that he went through in 2018 as a practice squad player, allows Reaves to develop.
DeShazor Everett and Apke are tabbed as the backups to starters Landon Collins and Montae Nicholson, however, any issues to Washington’s depth, Reaves could comfortably fill in.
Two More to Watch out For
Two other names to watch out for are defensive end Ryan Bee, who flashed throughout training camp and preseason, and tight end JP Holtz. The defensive line is arguably the Redskins’ strongest unit, but Bee could be used later on if there were any injuries.
For Holtz, he flashed at tight end ahead of Donald Parham in training camp and preseason. And with Matt Flanagan being waived injured, Holtz becomes the defacto fourth tight end for Washington. Considering Jordan Reed’s troubled injury history, having a fourth tight end inside Redskins Park is imperative.
