SS Cravens ineligible for remainder of season

Sep 19, 2017 - 2:03 AM HERNDON, Va. -- The Washington Redskins placed starting strong safety Su'a Cravens on the reserved/left squad list on Monday, which ends his 2017 season.

The decision came 15 days after Cravens left the team suddenly while contemplating retirement from the NFL at age 22. The Redskins' second-round draft pick in 2016, No. 53 overall, Cravens was originally placed on the exempt/left squad list.

Washington had four weeks to decide what to do with Cravens. It could trade him, waive him, activate him to the 53-man roster or place him on the reserve/left squad list, which would end his season and toll his contract without pay.

Cravens was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this weekend, but it wasn't for the Redskins' game on Sunday against the Rams. He was there the night before when Southern California, his alma mater, hosted Texas.

Washington general manager Doug Williams also was on the sidelines for that game, but it remains unclear if the two men spoke. Redskins head coach Jay Gruden insisted on a Monday conference call that he had not spoken to Cravens at all since he left the team.

"No, I haven't heard anything from Su'a or about Su'a," Gruden said.

That quote came two hours before Washington officially put Cravens on the exempt/left squad list.

That move contradicted an NFL Network report on Sunday that Cravens would be returning to the team on Tuesday. Instead, his season is finished.

It leaves the Redskins in a difficult position at safety.

Already down Cravens and with veteran DeAngelo Hall on the physically unable to perform list, rookie Montae Nicholson -- a 2017 fourth-round draft pick -- has an AC joint sprain and safety Deshazor Everett has an MCL sprain.

The only other healthy safeties on the roster are starting free safety D.J. Swearinger and Stefan McClure. Nicholson and Everett were listed as day-to-day after the Rams game. But, for the foreseeable future, Cravens is the biggest question mark.

"In accordance with the NFL Constitution and Bylaws, Su'a will not be permitted to return to the club for the remainder of the 2017 NFL season, including the postseason," the Redskins said in a statement. "We sincerely hope that Su'a uses this time away from the club to reflect upon whether or not he'd like to resume his career in the National Football League in 2018."

--The Redskins needed balance, but their performance against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday was not exactly what head coach Jay Gruden had in mind.

The Redskins ran the ball for 229 yards on 39 carries in a 27-20 win and Kirk Cousins only threw the ball 27 times.

It's been a while since Washington got away from its usual pass-happy offense. Last Oct. 16 -- also in a 27-20 win -- the Redskins had 33 carries for 230 rushing yards.

But sustaining that level has been difficult. The first two games of 2015, Washington carried the ball 37 times in each game for a total of 348 rushing yards.

What looked like a run-first outfit never came close to that production the rest of the season.

Building on the Los Angeles win will be difficult given that running back Rob Kelley sustained a rib cartilage injury and his status for Sunday's game vs. Oakland is uncertain.

"We just have to identify the right people, get on the right people, finish blocks, stay away from the holding calls and the missed assignments and just let our backs hit the hole and finish runs," Gruden said.

--Redskins running back Chris Thompson shouldn't be blamed if he's looking for an expanded role entering Week 3. After all, starter Rob Kelley is hurt and Thompson has been electrifying early this season. He took a short pass 29 yards for a touchdown against Philadelphia, bouncing off Eagles defenders like a bowling ball, and then had a 61-yard touchdown run against the Rams. Thompson has 162 yards of total offense through two games -- but at 5-foot-8, 191 pounds and with a checkered injury history, coach Jay Gruden is still cautious.

"Chris has got such a defined role for this offense and it could be expanded, but he's so important to us on third down we just have to be careful," Gruden said. "He's not the biggest guy in the world. We don't want him to get 20, 25 carries a game and get a lot of pounding on that body. He's definitely needed in pass protection and the routes and all that stuff on third down and red zone. So we'll try to expand his role a little bit, but we don't want to go too crazy with him."

NOTES: WR Jamison Crowder muffed a punt in Sunday's loss to Philadelphia, but is in no danger of losing his job, according to head coach Jay Gruden. Crowder fumbled two punts as a rookie, but none last season. ... -RT Morgan Moses (ankle sprain/shoulder sprain) played hurt for the second week in a row when he was injured during Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams. Moses had an ankle injury entering the game, but missed just one snap. He is listed as day-to-day. ... ILB Mason Foster made the game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Rams while playing through a dislocated shoulder that trainers popped back into place. He didn't miss a snap. He is listed as day-to-day. ... CB Josh Norman (AC joint sprain) missed three snaps in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams and is listed as day-to-day entering Wednesday's practice. ... OLB Preston Smith already has two sacks this season after notching one Sunday in a win over the Los Angeles Rams. Smith had just one sack in the first seven games of 2016 as he dropped from eight sacks as a rookie to 4.5. ... TE Jordan Reed (chest sternum contusion) is listed as day-to-day after sustaining an injury in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams.