Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson was a limited participant in practice Wednesday morning, and coach Jay Gruden said there is a “50-50” chance he plays Sunday against the New York Giants.
Jackson was held out of last week’s 24-0 loss to the St. Louis Rams because of bruises on his legs, injuries that he sustained in Indianapolis the previous week. He did not participate in any portion of practice last week.
Because Jackson’s speed is his greatest strength, Gruden has said he will not rush the wide receiver back to the field until he is able to run at full capacity. The 28-year-old jogged at practice Wednesday but still has a ways to go, Gruden said.
“It’s just a matter of him, he needs to air it out and hopefully tomorrow he will get some more plays in practice,” Gruden said. “Whether he is full speed or not, we just want to see him run. And then hopefully by Friday we can turn him up a little bit and see where he is, but he needs to be obviously full strength.”
Quarterback Colt McCoy (neck), defensive lineman Kedric Golston (back/foot) and Morgan Moses (foot) were also limited in practice Wednesday. Five Redskins did not participate, including Jason Hatcher (knee), Roy Helu (toe), Brandon Meriweather (toe), Keenan Robinson (knee) and Barry Cofield (illness).
Moses injured his ankle or foot during practice and was scheduled to have an MRI exam Wednesday afternoon, according to Gruden.
Roster shakeup continues
The Redskins filled the open spot on their 53-man roster Wednesday with 26-year-old cornerback Justin Rogers, who has not appeared in an NFL game in more than a year.
The 5-foot-11, 181-pound cornerback was selected in the seventh-round of the 2011 draft by the Buffalo Bills and has since had stints with the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. Rogers has not been on an NFL roster this season.
The addition of Rogers followed a flurry of moves over the past four days, including the release of three players Tuesday. In the past week, the Redskins have added or signed five new players to their 53-man roster.
“We’re trying to shuffle a few guys around and try and help us out on special teams a little bit — guys with some of that mentality,” Gruden said. “[Director of Player Personnel] Alex Santos felt strong about a couple of these guys. We worked one of them out. We’ll take a look at them and see how it goes. We’re just trying to add players to our roster here that can help us not only this year but in the future.”
NOTE: Fullback Darrel Young was named the Redskins’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which recognizes a player’s community service and volunteer efforts as well as his excellence on the field.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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