The Redskins lost one of their big guys; so they replaced him with a short and shifty one. They signed running back Anthony Alridge off Houston’s practice squad. They placed right guard Randy Thomas on injured reserve.
Washington released Alridge in its final cuts earlier this month and the move is a curious one: it gives the Redskins five running backs — they weren’t sure if they’d even keep four. And with Thomas getting hurt, the natural move is to bring in another lineman. However, they still have nine linemen on the roster, which is not an unusual amount.
The Redskins did look at other linemen, including some that they had cut earlier this month. But they did not think any would be able to help them right away. Those they did look at likely would still be available next week should they want to make another change.
Alridge, though, at least gives them something they lack: a change-of-pace runner. His biggest issue is fumbling, quite a major one. He consistently fumbled in practice and dropped the ball a couple times in preseason games.
However, he is fast around the edge. On one run around left end this preseason the tight end on that side could not sustain his block, but Alridge turned the corner so quickly that it didn’t matter en route to a nine-yard gain. Those sorts of runs provide jolts of adrenaline — provided they’re not capped by a fumble.
It does make you wonder what this means for the other backs. If they decide Alridge can help them and he stays beyond this week, then — and this is pure speculation — Marcus Mason would be the most likely to be cut. Rock Cartwright is likely secure through this season because of his special teams prowess that goes beyond returning kickoffs.
