Washington Releasing RB Jonathan Williams From PS, Signing RB Wendell Smallwood

Ben Standig reports the Washington Football Team is releasing RB Jonathan Williams from its practice squad to make room for RB Wendell Smallwood.

Washington’s practice squad now includes:

1. DT Daniel Wise
2. DL William Bradley-King
3. DE Bunmi Rotimi
4. OT David Steinmetz
5. C Keith Ismael
6. S Jeremy Reaves
7. OL Bean Benzschawel
8. QB Kyle Shurmur
9. WR Marken Michel
10. G Nolan Laufenberg
11. WR Damion Willis
12. LB De’Jon Harris
13. WR Kelvin Harmon
14. LB Anthony Hines
15. DT David Bada
16. RB Wendell Smallwood

Smallwood, 27, is a former fifth-round pick by the Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft out of West Virginia. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $2,584,578 rookie contract and set to earn a base salary of $720,000 last year when the Eagles waived him coming out of the preseason. 

Smallwood was claimed off waivers by Washington and spent the rest of the year with the team. He signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in 2020 and spent the season on the team’s practice squad.

The Jaguars added Smallwood to their practice squad last week only to cut him loose soon after. 

In 2020, Smallwood appeared in one game for the Steelers, failing to record a statistic. 

Williams, 27, was a fifth-round pick of the Bills back in 2016, but Buffalo waived him in his second year in the league. 

Williams had brief stints with the Broncos and Saints before signing on to the Colts’ practice squad in 2019. The Lions signed him to a contract last August but he was among their final roster cuts and later added to their practice squad. 

Williams bounced around between Detroit and Washington’s practice squad, but he ultimately settled with Washington in December. Williams had spent camp with the team but was among Washington’s final cuts. However, he caught on to Washington’s practice squad early in September, which is where he spent the first half of the season.

In 2020, Williams appeared in five games for the Lions and rushed once for five yards and caught four passes for 21 yards.