When veteran tight end Chris Cooley announced his release from the Redskins late last month, it was done with the understanding that Cooley could find a starting job elsewhere.
"That's what we're doing at this time: giving him an opportunity to see if there is a chance for him to be a starter on another team in the National Football League," head coach Mike Shanahan explained at the time. "I would give him every opportunity to seek that opportunity out."
This afternoon, on the eve of the 2012 season, general manager Bruce Allen reported that the team has remained in contact with Cooley for the last 10 days, and the two sides are open to a reunion.
"Yes, absolutely, that door is still open," Allen said. "We've been talking with him regularly, and we're going to set up a meeting for next week."
Allen did not elaborate on their discussions, and it's not clear in what capacity Cooley would return. The team currently has three tight ends, including the team's offensive player of the year last year Fred Davis.
Behind Davis, the team has two young options in Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen, with rookie Deangelo Peterson on the practice squad.
Following practice, head coach Mike Shanahan was asked to discuss the situation with Cooley, and confirmed that the two sides have an open line of communication.
"We've always left the door open for Chris," he said. "We gave him an opportunity to see if there's anything out there where he's got a chance to start.
"He'll probably weigh all his options, and then obviously we are going to look at our options as well."
In addition to the team's three tight ends, the Redskins are carrying only one fullback, a position where Cooley could lend depth.
"With one fullback, it's not very deep," Shanahan said. "We had three tight ends, so it's not like we're very deep at the position. There are a lot of possibilities.
"I can't tell you for sure what's going to happen at this time, but we'd like to have as many options as possible," Shanahan continued. "As you mentioned, we'll get a chance to talk next week."
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