Alfred Morris’ strong first seven weeks as a professional have put at least a temporary end to the carousel that has been the running back position during Mike Shanahan’s tenure as the team’s head coach.
That doesn’t mean that the team can’t shuffle the rest of their backfield deck, though. Chick Hernandez of CSNWashington.com reports that the team has done just that on Tuesday. They’ve released Ryan Grant and signed Keiland Williams, who started his NFL career by making the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2010.
Grant was signed about a month ago after spending the whole offseason looking for a job after leaving the Packers. Shanahan’s reputation for switching backs and injuries to Roy Helu and Evan Royster seemed to make Washington a good place for Grant, but Morris’ play left little chances for Grant to play and he leaves Washington with just one carry for five yards to show for his time in D.C.
Williams started three games for the Redskins in 2010 and ran for 261 yards on 65 carries that season. He was cut before last season, landing with the Lions for whom he ran 60 times for 198 yards over 20 games in 2011 and 2012. The Lions cut him last week to make room for cornerback Alphonso Smith, opening the door for his return to Washington.