Tag: Keith Washington

These are 6 former Saints players that made USFL rosters

Six former New Orleans Saints made USFL rosters. These are the players and what their new teams are, via @DillySanders:

The USFL kicked off this past weekend as the newest spring pro football league, with eight teams playing 10 games before the playoffs (and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan signed on as an analyst for the inaugural season). New Orleans has its own team, the New Orleans Breakers, who won their first game against the Philadelphia Stars. The catch is that every game will be played in Birmingham, Ala. this season with hopes of playing in local markets in future years.

There are six former Saints players between the eight teams, finding new life in their football careers. Here are the players, and what teams they are on, if you’re looking for some people to root for:

Saints waive LB Quentin Poling with injury, re-sign DB Lawrence Woods

The New Orleans Saints waived LB Quentin Poling with an injury designation and re-signed DB Lawrence Woods, maintaining their 90-man roster:

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The New Orleans Saints filed several roster moves on Friday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire: the release of cornerback Keith Washington from injured reserve, the waiving of linebacker Quentin Poling, and the re-signing of defensive back Lawrence Woods. We already broke down Washington’s departure here, but here’s what you need to know about the other news.

Poling, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, was signed following minicamps back in May but struggled to stand out at a crowded position group in training camp. Between several high draft picks (Pete Werner and Zack Baun) and practice squad projects (Andrew Howell and Chase Hansen), the return of Kwon Alexander to join veterans Demario Davis and Kaden Elliss created a morass that Poling couldn’t escape. He should revert to injured reserve after clearing waivers, though he may receive an injury settlement like Washington (as could wide receiver Jalen McCleskey).

As for Woods: the rookie out of Truman State was waived after the first week of training camp, but Patrick Robinson’s surprise retirement opened a spot in the rotation, so he’s returned to New Orleans. He’s still a longshot to make the team but he’ll have opportunities to make an impact on special teams, where he’s impressed as a returner at the college level with multiple kicks returned for touchdowns. It’s a slim chance, but he does have a chance.

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Keith Washington agrees to Saints injury settlement; what it means

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to an injury settlement with second-year cornerback Keith Washington, allowing him to seek work elsewhere:

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Second-year New Orleans Saints cornerback Keith Washington II has worked out an injury settlement with the team, per his representatives with Icon Sports Consulting. This means that he will be released from the injured reserve list with a buyout equivalent to the estimated weeks he would have missed during the regular season, allowing him to try out for other NFL teams once he has recovered from this undisclosed injury (NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that wide receiver Jalen McCleskey will probably receive his own injury settlement).

It also means that, for now, his time in New Orleans is up. There is a waiting period until players who take injury settlements can re-sign with the same team (typically six weeks plus the agreed estimate). For example, if Washington’s agents and the Saints concurred that he would be out until Week 5, he wouldn’t be eligible to re-up with New Orleans until Week 11. In the meantime, other teams could court him.

In the past, this was used to keep teams from circumventing injured reserve rules. Now that players can return after just three weeks of inactivity, it works more as a tool to manage long-term but not season-ending injuries. If an injured player was just brought in for training camp and was considered a longshot to make the team, signing them to an injury settlement frees up the training staff to focus on other members of the team when they are sidelined by injury in-season.

The downside is that the player taking a settlement — Washington, in this case — must seek treatment on their own without the support of a team medical staff. And they could also end up taking a deal lower than what they’re worth; the team could argue his recovery timeline is only 6 weeks, for example, while a second opinion sought by his agent predicts a 10-week recovery, resulting in an 8-week settlement.

Each case is handled differently. And the long and short of it here for the Saints and Washington is that his time in New Orleans is likely over. He signed with the team as an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia last summer and spent the year on the practice squad. While the Saints may have liked his potential, they apparently don’t see him as critical piece to their 2021 plans. Maybe he returns in a few months, but he’ll probably find work elsewhere first.

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Saints sign Adonis Alexander, lose Keith Washington to injured reserve

The New Orleans Saints brought in cornerback Adonis Alexander to fill in for Keith Washington, who was lost to the injured reserve list:

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This is a bummer: the New Orleans Saints announced Wednesday that they played second-year cornerback Keith Washington on the injured reserve list, bringing in Adonis Alexander to replace him. Alexander, a 24-year old free agent, played at Virginia Tech in college before landing on the Washington Football Team in the 2018 NFL supplementary draft.

Washington later said on Twitter that he expects to be sidelined for several weeks, which suggests he could return early in the regular season. He exited Tuesday’s practice session after a hard fall on his wrist.

As for Alexander: he played predominately on special teams as a rookie in 2018, totaling 128 snaps (just 11 on defense) across nine games. Since then he’s bounced around the league and spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers practice squads.

He was also part of New Orleans’ recent group workout, which included Prince Amukamara and KeiVarae Russell. The Saints initially signed both of the other tryout players until Washington’s injury opened a vacancy for Alexander. Let’s see how it shakes out now that the Saints are regularly practicing in pads.

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Saints bring back rookie CB Keith Washington Jr. on reserve/future deal

The Saints are retaining CB Keith Washington Jr., an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia who spent the 2020 season on their practice squad

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Another member of the New Orleans Saints’ rookie class is returning for 2021. Cornerback Keith Washington Jr. agreed to a reserve/future contract with New Orleans, per his representatives at Icon Sports Consulting, meaning he’ll be added to the 90-man offseason roster with a chance to compete in training camp. 14 players, many of them former members of the Saints practice squad, also signed reserve/future contracts earlier this week.

Initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, Washington impressed last summer — so much so that NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill charted him with six interceptions in just three weeks of practices. But the great depth the Saints enjoyed at cornerback pushed him down to the practice squad, where he spent the entire 2020 season (except for a stint on the COVID-19 reserve list late in the year).

He should get his chance in 2021. Veteran backup Patrick Robinson is a possible salary cap casualty, as is No. 2 corner Janoris Jenkins (though he played well enough to justify bringing back, at the right price). Right now, the only Saints cornerbacks under contract for 2021 are Marshon Lattimore (in the final year of his contract), Jenkins, Robinson, Washington, and Grant Haley (another reserve/future signee). That’s a pretty strong group, but look for the Saints to add more competition as the offseason continues.

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Chargers had pre-draft meeting with West Virginia CB Keith Washington

The Chargers are looking to add more cornerback depth.

The Chargers have one of the most talented defensive backs corps in the NFL, but it appears that they are looking to add more ammo.

According to Draft Wire’s Justin Melo, Los Angeles had a pre-draft meeting with former West Virginia cornerback Keith Washington.

In two seasons for the Mountaineers, Washington amassed 63 tackles, 18 passes defensed, five interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Washington was an All-Big-12 performer both years. He also attended the annual East-West Shrine Bowl game.

Washington, the 6-foot-1 and 180 pound corner played a mixture of man and zone coverage. He is quick-footed with the ability to mirror types of receivers and he does a great job of reading the pocket and route from off coverage where he will then constantly make a play on the ball.

Washington currently projects as an undrafted free agent.