Roster review: The final cuts

1.    The Redskins backup offensive line situation is very, very shaky. The team keeps saying how well Mike Williams played vs. Jacksonville, if Williams has to play any time soon, the Redskins are in trouble in pass protection. He is simply too inconsistent with his hands and has too much rust. The Redskins had better hope nothing happens to their starting line.

2.    Marko Mitchell and Edwin Williams came the furthest, without a doubt. Williams much more so than Mitchell. At least the latter was a draft pick. However, I liked Williams early in camp as a center to watch in a couple years. Still, the thought at that time was practice squad. I think the fact that he’s on the final roster speaks as much to the depth as it does to his play. He improved at guard, but he would best be served on a practice squad. Williams early on showed an ability to catch, but did not run many different routes. But he developed in that area. He still needs to get stronger as I worry that press coverage against tough corners will slow him. However, it became clear a few games ago that should he be cut, someone would pick up a 6-foot-4 receiver with good speed. He had to be kept. Will he develop? Don’t know. But he’s worth watching for sure. He might not play much as the No. 5 guy, but he could help next season.

3.    Jeremy Bridges earned his pink slip.

4.    The Redskins still have no change-of-pace runner. But that’s because Anthony Alridge and Dominique Dorsey did not impress enough. Alridge’s last fumble sealed his fate. It followed a training camp full of fumbles and he also missed two games with a foot injury. Dorsey did not do enough in the return game to warrant a spot and that’s where he needed to help. So that leaves Marcus Mason. Though he still has issues in protection, he’s a tough hard-nosed runner. Very patient, too. He does not offer something different from the other backs, but he did prove himself worthy of a spot.

5.    What is Colt Brennan’s future? It’s clear that the Redskins had some concern about his hips before this week; sounds like there were some issues after the Baltimore game. Now he can’t even practice this year, so he loses a season of development. He can’t be happy. And now he has issues with both hips. That could be his downfall. Could this be a Gibbsian type move? Maybe, though it’s harder to do what the Redskins used to do in the 1980s when they routinely stashed guys on IR.

6.    No surprises with Suisham over Rayner. This is a fluid situation with him. Suisham remains on notice.

7.    Chase Daniel could be signed to the practice squad. However, there’s still a belief that he would be best served going to the CFL. His size and arm are more suited to that league. He’s a smart kid, though. It’s hard to imagine just having two quarterbacks in practice; so Daniel, despite what I initially heard, could be placed on the practice squad if only to help in practice.

8.    They kept six corners, which is a surprise. However, rookie Kevin Barnes did not have a strong summer. He had the interception, but aside from that struggled. He was routinely beaten by double moves. As a third-round pick, Barnes has to make the roster. Justin Tryon had a bad rookie summer and was better in 2009. Westbrook had his issues in practice, but one thing I always liked about him was after he’d be beaten on a move, he’d always talk to the receiver about what he did, trying to figure out his mistake. Plus he developed on special teams.

9.    Word was, that one defensive player played himself off the roster in the preseason finale. Just a guess, but it would appear to be Cody Glenn. A couple weeks ago one Redskins source mentioned him as someone who was starting to flash and he appeared to be ahead of Robert Henson. But, though Henson made mistakes the other night, he also showed up on many, many plays. Makes a difference. Glenn and Darrel Young could be placed on the practice squad (announced Sunday).

10.    Eddie Williams also was not ready to be on an NFL roster, but he is worth developing. He’s still not 100 percent recovered from his knee injury at the end of last season and he needs to become a much stronger lead blocker. Rob Jackson can be placed on the practice squad and was in a battle with Renaldo Wynn. But Wynn showed more in the finale and gives them better insurance if something happens to Phillip Daniels.