Commander Country

Washington Football Team Cuts Kicker, Signs New CB Corn Elder

Updated by the minute, our Washington Football Team 2021 NFL Offseason Tracker: News and views on the roster-building effort

Commander Country Staff

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Football Team info is updated by the minute, including our NFL 2021 NFL Free Agency Tracker to give you all the news coming out of FedEx Field ...

OCT 13 MOVES Veteran cornerback Corn Elder has been signed to the Washington Football team active roster off the Panthers practice squad. Also on Wednesday: Washington moved to the Reserve/Injured List cornerback Darryl Roberts, released from the practice squad kicker Chris Blewitt and signed to the practice squad safety Cole Luke.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 draft by Carolina, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Elder has at times played prominent roles in the nickel and on special teams.

OCT 5: BLEWITT?! Yes, that’s his name The Washington Football Team, as first noted by the Post, is signing kicker Chris Blewitt to the practice squad, per source. Blewitt played at Pitt and has spent time with the Bears.

The WFT of course continues to employ Dustin Hopkins as the varsity kicker

OCT 4 TRAINER TROUBLE The Washington Football Team is without the services of head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion, and NBC Sports Washington explains why: Federal law enforcement agents raided the team’s facility last week.

The team said in a statement that Vermillion has been placed on leave.

“Ryan Vermillion has been placed on administrative leave due to an ongoing criminal investigation that is unrelated to the team,” the team said.

Vermillion was reportedly not with the team during Sunday’s win at the Falcons. 

OCT 4: BOSTIC HURT? Washington Football Team linebacker Jon Bostic suffered a pec injury yesterday in Sunday’s Week 4 win at Atlanta, with NFL Network reporting he will undergo a Monday MRI amid concerns the injury “is a serious one.”

SEPT. 29: CURTIS & KELVIN Washington head coach Ron Rivera said receiver Curtis Samuel “looked good” and “moved around well” in Wednesday practice after being out with his groin problem.

The Football Team has a matchup with Atlanta on Sunday, as has Washington has officially designated Samuel for return from IR, it’s possible the prized free agent could start to make contributions.

At the same time, Washington also brought in reinforcements in the form of a familiar face, as Kelvin Harmon - the sixth-round pick from two years ago who was released in August - is back with the WFT.

SEPT 28: TUESDAY TRYOUTS Washington is giving tryouts to free agents, including three tight ends: Nate Becker, Nakia Griffin-Stewart and Matt Seybert.

Also working out with the club: defensive linemen Miles Brown, Tyler Clark and TY McGill and offensive linemen Tyler Gauthier and Nolan Laufenberg.

SEPT 14: The Washington Football Team officially put quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on the Reserve/Injured List with a hip injury and has signed linebacker Jared Norris to the active roster from the practice squad. Norris was previously elevated from the practice squad for Week 1, and has now made the decision to add him fully, before Week 2.

SEPT 13: On Monday the Washington Football Team announced they've signed quarterback Kyle Shurmur to their practice squad. Shurmur is the son of Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and previously spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and Cincinnati Bengals last season.

SEPT 11: The Washington Football Team on Saturday gave a tryout to linebacker Devonte Downs, a source tells Washington at SI.

Downs is a fourth-year player who’d recorded eight starts with the New York Giants. 

SEPT 11: On Saturday, the Washington Football Team announced they have elevated linebacker Jared Norris from the practice to the active roster ahead of Week 1. Team public relations tweeted the team would have five inactive players on Sunday, due to the move. Norris appeared in eleven games in 2020 for the WFT and played three seasons with the Carolina Panthers prior to joining Washington.

SEPT 10: The Washington Football Team will place wide receiver on the injured reserve Friday prior to its Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Samuel will now miss at least the first three weeks of the season. 

Samuel left Wednesday’s practice after just a few minutes with after was looked to be further trouble with the groin injury suffered this offseason. The slot receiver did not return to practice Thursday as well. 

Agreeing to terms on a three-year, $36.5 million deal this offseason, Samuel missed most of the preseason due to a groin injury suffered in OTAs and minicamp. He did not play in a single outing and recently returned to practice at full capacity. 

Washington will now turn to rookies Dyami Brown and Dax Milne, along with veteran slot receiver Adam Humphries to make up for his productions. The corresponding move to the 53-man roster has not be set as of this time. 

SEPT 3: The Raiders are signing Peyton Barber off of Washington’s practice squad, per a report from Ben Standig. It’s bigger and better for Barber as the running back will join the 53-player roster in Las Vegas.

Following speculation earlier in the week, Washington announced Friday afternoon they have added free-agent kicker Eddy Pineiro to the practice squad. His last regular season action came with the Chicago Bears in 2019. Pineiro was 23 of 28 on field goals that year with his longest made kick coming from 53-yards out.

SEPT 2: NEW NUMBERS The roster chances, and rule changes, mean new jersey numbers. So, on Thursday:

Punt returner DeAndre Martin will wear the No. 1.

Rookie running back Jaret Patterson will now wear No. 32.

Cam Sims is No. 11 - a reminder of retired quarterback Alex Smith.

Newcomer vet Adam Humphries switches to No. 13.

Rookie Dax Milne is now wearing the No. 15 jersey.

Defensive back Bobby McCain is now No. 20.

And maybe more changes to come ...

SEPT. 1: PRACTICE SQUAD BEING BUILT Writes Matthew Paras on Twitter: "Spots are flying fast for Washington's practice squad. 11 names to join, only five spots left: Peyton Barber Daniel Wise Gabriel Wright Antonio Gandy-Golden Wes Martin William Bradley-King Gabe Wright Jared Norris David Steinmetz Jordan Kunasyzk Keith Ismael.''

Also, the Washington Post reports center Jon Toth is coming to the p-squad.

AUG 31: MORELAND CUT Washington on Tuesday morning is beginning cutdown day with seven moves, per a pair of reports, including a surprise cut of cornerback Jimmy Moreland. Also on the reported list: Jeremy Reaves, David Steinmetz, William Bradley-King, Danny Johnson, Jordan Kunaszyk and David Sharpe.

AUG 30: TWO WRs AMONG LATEST CUTS REPORTED Tony Brown and Isaiah Wright were among the cuts reported as Monday neared night for the Washington Football Team. Joining them and quarterback Steven Montez was center Jon Toth, running back Jonathan Williams, tight end Caleb Wilson, cornerbacks Linden Stephens and Cole Luke, linebacker Joe Walker, and defensive lineman Devaroe Lawrence. The reports coming from a wide array of media sources including Ben Standig and Nicki Jhabvala.

AUG 30: QB GONE The Washington Football Team already knew who the No. 1 QB around here is (It’s Fitz). And we also already knew who No. 4 was. And now that’s official, too, as the WFT is waiving quarterback Steven Montez , per NFL Network.

AUG 26: 2 MORE MOVES —Washington on Thursday has released tight end Temarrick Hemingway and has brought back to the roster center Jon Toth.

AUG 25: OT RICK LEONARD REVERTED TO INJURY RESERVE After being waived due to injury yesterday, Leonard was picked back up by Washington and put on the injury reserve.

AUG 25: SIMS TO BILLS Steven Sims Jr., released this week by the WFT, has found a new home, the Buffalo Bills announcing on Wednesday morning that they''ve signed the receiver who found himself crowded out of the room in Washington. Buffalo might find itself a bit short-handed at the position with Cole Beasley in the longer-term COVID protocol.

AUG 24: C JON TOTH CUT The Washington Football Team has made its final cut to make the 80-player roster limit deadline. The team cut center Jon Toth.

AUG 24: In preparation for the final cuts down to the NFL-required 53-man roster, the Washington Football Team has cut cornerback Jordan Brown, offensive tackle Rick Leonard, linebacker Justin Phillips, and defensive tackle Justus Reed. The WFT has one more cut or move to make today.

AUG 23: SIMS CUT The Washington Football Team on Monday morning activated David Sharpe from COVID-19 reserve list, and in a related move cut receiver Steven Sims Jr.

AUG 17: DOCTSON'S SHOT The Cardinals on Tuesday worked out former WFT receiver Josh Doctson, the former first-rounder out of TCU.

AUG 17: MORRIS CUT Veteran running back Alfred Morris has seen it all and almost done it all ... but now, despite last year putting up 257 total yards and two TDs in nine games, averaging 4.3 yards per carry, the New York Giants have cut him.

Morris, entering his 10th NFL season, also spend time in the NFC East with the Cowboys. But he remains best-known for his breakout rookie season with Washington, when the sixth-round pick set career highs with 335 carries for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns that season while sharing a backfield with a fellow rookie named Robert Griffin III.

AUG 17: DOWN TO 85 Washington has released veteran corner Greg Stroman along with tight end Nick Guggemos, so is down to 85 players in advance of the 4 p.m. cutdown deadline.

AUG 15: NEW TE The Washington Football Team has a first-team tight end, has unproved competitors behind him, and is now dealing with an injury in the tight end room as well. All of that explains why on Sunday the WFT claimed tight end Caleb Wilson on waivers after the Philadelphia Eagles released him.

AUG 10: MORE CENTER Another center has come aboard for the Washington Football Team training camp as Jon Toth has been added to their 90-man roster. The WFT seems pretty set here with Chase Roullier set to start, and two players already behind him.

Meanwhile, the Curtis Samuel saga churns on, as the COVID issue ends but the groin issue does not.

Oh, and Landon Collins has been elected the new union rep for the Washington Football Team.

AUG 8: O-LINEMAN SIGNED - THEN WAIVED Washington announced on Saturday that it had signed tackle Cole Boozer. Washington announced on Sunday that it has waived tackle Cole Boozer. 

It was an odd stint. The former Temple and XFL blocker was on the field for a minute on Sunday in warmups and was then led off. At one point, coach Ron Rivera said something about him to learn the playbook - something that of course was impossible to accomplish in 24 hours.

And now The Cole Boozer Era is over.

Meanwhile, the WFT is trying to get the Curtis Samuel Era untracked. He is likely to soon come off the COVID list but continues to deal with a groin issue, leaving Washington with a "no-timetable'' outlook.

JULY 29: WFT ADDS TWO: The Washington Football Team has signed a pair of prospects to their training camp roster as of Thursday morning

Justus Reed is a 6-3, 255-pound rookie defensive end who was an undrafted free agent from at Virginia Tech.

Washington also signed tight end Nick Guggemos. Guggemos is a 6-5, 231-pounder from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

JULY 27: CURTIS HIT THE PUP, WFT CUT TE: As first reported by NBC Sports’ JP Finlay, Washington has placed wide receiver Curtis Samuel on the active/PUP list Tuesday afternoon. Samuel, 24, also missed all of June's minicamp and OTA's with a lingering groin injury.

Curtis, who signed a three-year, $36 million deal this offseason, is expected to be a vital part of Scott Turner's offensive scheme. According to Finlay, the injury is not expected to be considered serious entering August. 

WFT head coach Ron Rivera did not disclose how much time Samuel would be missing. According to the NFL transaction wire, Washington also released veteran tight end Deon Yelder. 

Yelder, who spent the past two seasons as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason. On Tuesday, it was announced that Washington had agreed to a three-year extension with starting tight end Logan Thomas. 

Yelder has recorded 10 catches for 86 yards since going undrafted out of Western Kentucky in 2018. 

Published
Commander Country Staff
COMMANDER COUNTRY STAFF

Home/News