Washington Redskins Make Roster Moves Following Preseason Opener

The Washington Redskins have released safety Stuart Schweigert and linebacker Danny Verdun-Wheeler. Schweigert registered zero tackles and was responsible for at least one of the Indianapolis Colts' touchdowns. Wheeler registered two solo tackles in the game.

The Redskins signed safety Patrick Ghee and re-signed fullback Pete Schmitt, again. Poor Schmitt must feel like a bit of a yo-yo at this point in his career, having been signed and released by the Redskins more times than he has touched a football.

Presumably, the release of Schweigert bodes very well for rookie Chris Horton, who had one of the most notable performances in the game against the Colts. He registered five tackles (four solo) and two sacks.

He simply seemed to be everywhere the ball was. The kid showed he can play, and apparently, the Redskins plan to reward him with a roster spot.

Wheeler had received praise from coaches at Redskins Park through training camp, and I expect he's a victim of the numbers game and roster juggling necessary to deal with so many minor injuries, as he was cut purely for performance.

These moves come on the heels of the news that rookie wide receiver Malcolm Kelly underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to remove loose particles in his knee.

I had reported earlier that Kelly was sitting out of practice for knee swelling and stiffness, rather than the reported hamstring injury. It turns out to be the case.

He expects to miss two weeks, and Dr. James Andrews expects a full recovery. This opens the door even wider for other young wide receivers to break the opening-day roster.

The player helped most by this might actually be another injured wide receiver, Anthony Mix. He was sidelined recently with his own hamstring injury. He is being pushed by fifth-year player Billy McMullen for a roster spot.

But with Kelly and fellow rookie Devin Thomas on the sideline, both McMullen and Mix should get extra reps.

Original post blogged on b2evolution By Craig Garrison Sr (the BluCollar Redskin).