Tag: Curtis Hodges

The Commanders make some roster moves to conclude the 2023 season

The Commanders released a tight end who never made an impact and signed three players to reserve/futures contracts.

The Washington Commanders had a big news day on Monday. Washington fired head coach Ron Rivera after four seasons with the team. Also, the Commanders hired a pair of notable sports executives, Bob Myers (former Golden State Warriors president & GM) and Rick Spielman (former GM of the Minnesota Vikings).

Shortly after announcing those moves, the Commanders were in the news all day, requesting permission to speak to numerous coaches and executives around the league for their vacant coach and GM positions, respectively.

But at the end of every season, all 32 NFL teams sign players, mostly practice squad players, to reserve/future contracts.

What is a futures contract? Here’s the answer, courtesy of Broncos Wire.

Players who were not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign reserve/future contracts (every player on the practice squad is eligible, for example). These players will officially join the 90-man offseason roster when the NFL’s new league year begins on March 13.

Surprisingly, the Commanders released a player that garnered more attention than the three players they signed. Washington released tight end Curtis Hodhes, who it signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Hodges spent his rookie season on injured reserve. He made Washington’s 2023 roster but never appeared in a game and was placed on IR again back on Dec. 15.

The Commander’s lack of tight end depth kept Hodges around as they believed in his potential as a pass-catching option, but it never materialized for different reasons.

  • LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
  • WR Davion Davis
  • CB D’Angelo Mandell

Washington will likely sign more players to these deals once it names a new general manager.

Rivera on Commanders TE Curtis Hodges: ‘His physical traits are very difficult to find’

Can Curtis Hodges help the Commanders in 2023?

There weren’t any shockers when the Washington Commanders announced their initial 53-man roster Tuesday. Some were surprised the Commanders kept 11 defensive linemen and seven wide receivers. But it was an intelligent decision, considering Washington’s deep and talented defensive line.

As for the wide receiver position, Washington wasn’t about to let a promising rookie like Mitchell Tinsley end up on another NFL team’s roster.

If there was one surprise, at least a mild surprise, it was the inclusion of tight end Curtis Hodges. Hodges, a 6-foot-8, 257-pound tight end who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds at the 2022 NFL combine, signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent last offseason.

However, an injury kept Hodges on the sideline for his rookie season. This preseason, with the Commanders needing depth at tight end, Hodges didn’t exactly take advantage of his opportunities, dropping two catchable balls in the second preseason win over the Ravens.

For head coach Ron Rivera, he’s considering everything as it pertains to Hodges. One, he missed his rookie season and is still relatively new to the position, having begun his college career as a wide receiver.

“Well, he really didn’t practice last year,” Rivera said when asked about keeping Hodges on the initial 53-man roster. “That’s part of the problem. And so when you look at it, for us, that’s a rookie right there.”

There’s certainly a lot to like about Hodges, particularly if you’re a team with depth concerns at tight end.

Did the Commanders keep Hodges because they are more concerned about starter Logan Thomas and his calf injury than they are letting on? Or is Washington just that high on his potential?

“This is a young man that’s got a tremendous skill set,” Rivera said. “His physical traits are very difficult to find, and just getting an opportunity to practice this year completely was a good thing for him. And so, again, we feel that this is a young man that has an ability, and we’ll see how it grows and develops. But players like that are very difficult to find.”

That’s some high praise from the head coach.

As of now, Hodges would be Washington’s fourth tight end. They could bring Alex Armah back as a fullback/tight end. If that happens, what would it mean for Hodges?

For Hodges to reach his potential, he first needs to stay healthy.

Commanders tight end Curtis Hodges going on IR

The Commanders made a pair of moves after claiming two players on waivers Wednesday.

The Washington Commanders continue to make moves one day after finalizing their initial 53-man roster.

The Commanders added two cornerbacks from waivers earlier on Wednesday: Tariq Castro-Fields [49ers] and Rachad Wildgoose [Jets].

Of course, when you add players from waivers, you must make the appropriate number of corresponding moves. Therefore, Washington placed undrafted rookie tight end Curtis Hodges on injured reserve, with a designation to return, per John Keim of ESPN.

In the second move, the Commanders waived linebacker De’Jon “Scoota” Harris, per Sam Fortier of The Washington Post. As of now, Washington’s roster sits at 53 players. The Commanders currently have 11 defensive backs on the roster with six at cornerback and five at safety. Washington has only four linebackers after waiving Harris.

The Commanders could still look to add another player at linebacker over the next two weeks.