Late getting to this news, but on Wed. the team signed Omar Stoutmire and released running back Marcus Mason. Mason takes the place of Anthony Trucks on the practice squad; Trucks had a strong name but little else, apparently. The news is devastating for Ben, who had grown attached to Marcus Mason and convinced me to believe. Ben also addresses the roster rules should someone try and steal Mason off the PS:
Marcus Mason cleared waivers and signed with the team's practice squad which is good for the team though as the season wears on I will not be surprised if the Redskins are not forced to promote him to the roster. Practice squad rules state that other teams may sign any practice squad player to the regular roster and the player's team has right of first refusal but must promote the player to the regular roster if the team wishes to keep the player. Once promoted to the regular roster a player may be on the active or inactive list on gameday.
In other words, if a team decides they need some depth at tailback and like Marcus Mason they can offer him a contract but the Redskins have the right to keep him by promoting him to the roster. If they do not he signs with the other team.
Although I think Clinton Portis is just fine, should we lose our starting RB to a reaggrivation of injury, it's good to have a Marcus Mason around -- as opposed to not having a 3rd and 4th round draft pick that we trade away for someone we won't use.
As the official site notes, we had a good reason for this move:
With backup safeties Pierson Prioleau and Vernon Fox sustaining injuries last Sunday, coaches decided they needed to fortify depth in the defensive backfield.
Prioleau has a hamstring injury while Fox has a groin injury.
That would be called lesson-learning. What the team found out last year is that, although Clinton Portis is an outstanding running back, perhaps that position was more fungible than they had previously determined. Ladell Betts (I believe) set a franchise record over a five or six game period in rushing yards and appeared to be a reliable starter. There wasn't ever a need to trade for TJ Duckett. Different story in the secondary, where injuries destroyed us. Pierson Priloeau out meant Archuleta was in. Shawn Springs out meant Kenny Wright and Mike Rumph were in. Cornerbacks and safeties are apparently not nearly as fungible as running backs and we paid a heavy price for it. Whether or not Omar Stoutmire is the safety we needed last year will hopefully not be determined (because we're going to remain healthy, ok?) but at least the coaching staff apparently recognized prior error.
Best of luck to Marcus Mason. Hopefully one day he'll get a better shot at the roster.
