Washington Commanders Roster Moves: WR Martavis Bryant signed; a kicker gets released

Kicker competition is down to one…for now

The Washington Commanders announced a pair of roster moves before the start of today’s practice. It was reported yesterday that the team would be hosting WR Martavis Bryant for a visit, his second of the offseason. Bryant was officially signed today, and kicker Ramiz Ahmed was released in the corresponding roster move. Dan Quinn talked about coaching against Bryant last season when he was on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He said he knows what the he’s capable of, and Bryant’s in great shape.

Bryant hasn’t played in the NFL since 2018 as he dealt with multiple suspensions for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being picked in the 4th round of the 2014 draft. He was suspended for the 2016, but was reinstated the following season. He spent another season in Pittsburgh, before getting traded to the Raiders. Bryant played in 8 games before going to injured reserve with a knee injury. Then more suspensions started. His post-NFL career included signing with the CFL(2021), Indoor Football League(2021), and Fan Controlled Football(2022). He played for the XFL’s Vegas Vipers last year, appearing in 8 games. Bryant finally returned to the NFL last season, signing with the Dallas Cowboys after he was reinstated. He wasn’t activated for any games, but apparently caught Dan Quinn’s eye in practice.

Quinn told reporters yesterday that the wide receivers are right in the middle of the competition. Jahan Dotson played the most WR snaps vs the Jets, and reporters wanted to know what that meant for the former 1st round picks status on the depth chart. Dyami Brown has been having a good camp, and caught Jayden Daniels’ highlight reel, 42-yard pass. Washington also drafted Luke McCaffrey and has a number of young receivers fighting for a roster spot. Bryant has been out of the league for a long time, and is a longshot to bust through the bottom of the depth chart.

The Washington Commanders have had four kickers under contract this year, and none of them will likely be with the team when the season starts. The new regime moved on from Joey Slye, replacing him with Brandon McManus. That plan fell apart when sexual assault lawsuit led to his release. Ramiz Ahmed was signed to have a kicker on the roster during offseason workouts, and he’s been on the roster until today. Riley Patterson was claimed off of waivers almost two weeks ago, and he has been competing with Ahmed in camp and during the preseason opener against the Jets.

Patterson doinked his only field goal attempt from 39 yards, while Ahmed made his 40-yard attempt. Both players didn’t look good in practice yesterday, but Patterson has won the competition. Washington is expected to still be looking for their next kicker, and there are several teams that have multiple kickers on their roster. Washington is #2 on the waiver wire, and should be able to claim their choice of released kickers before the season starts.