The Redskins have released wide receiver Antonio Brown and defensive lineman Aki Jones, the team announced on Friday.
The release of Brown did not come as a surprise. The Redskins had signed former Pittsburgh Steelers standout Antwaan Randle El in free agency. Randle El is expected to take over returning punts and possibly serve as a kickoff return specialist as well.
Brown spent parts of the last two seasons with the Redskins. Last year, he was the team's primary kick return specialist coming out of preseason, but he fumbled a kickoff in the season opener and was released.
Brown returned to the team in late November. In a Week 13 game at Arizona, he returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, blowing kisses on his way to the end zone. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Brown was allocated by the Redskins to NFL Europe this spring, but he has not played overseas.
Jones played in four games for the Redskins last season and logged three tackles.
As an undrafted rookie out of Fordham, he earned a roster spot with the Redskins last September.
Jones was also allocated by the Redskins to NFL Europe this spring, but he sustained an injury during training camp in February and returned to the Washington, D.C., area.
-- O-LINE INJURY UPDATE
Right tackle Jon Jansen underwent surgery on his right thumb this week. He will be in a splint for about six weeks but will still be able to participate in some workout sessions, team officials said.
The surgery stems from early in the 2005 season, when Jansen fractured both of his thumbs, one during a practice and one during a game. Jansen did not miss any game action, however.
Center Casey Rabach, who sustained a gash in his right ankle after an accident at his home earlier this offseason, told Redskins.com that the injury is "close to 100 percent." He is walking without crutches and participating in the team's voluntary off-season workout program.
Rabach said he may not participate in Organized Training Activity sessions, however, as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. OTAs begin in mid-May.
Right guard Randy Thomas continues to rehabilitate his right leg. He suffered a fractured right fibula in December 2006 in a game against the Cowboys, an injury that ended Thomas's season.
Thomas is increasing his running and is also testing the leg by pushing blocking sleds on the practice fields at Redskins Park.
-- KICKING SITUATION
Will the Redskins consider drafting a kicker or punter in this weekend's NFL Draft?
The question has arisen because John Hall has had injuries that forced him to miss parts of the last two seasons. Meantime, Derrick Frost is a young, promising punter, but has also been somewhat inconsistent.
Joe Gibbs said: "We think we are good there with John [Hall]. Whether we have him kick off or just kick field goals is the question. He had some leg problems there. Part of that process is that we feel we have a good solid guy that we can count on to win ball games. That is big for us.
"We feel like Derrick has the potential to do good things there for us. But you do have to look [at kickers and punters] and see. Are there some people in the draft down there? Yeah, there are people in the draft down there that could do both."
-- COMING SOON: DETAILS ON SCRIMMAGE
Head coach Joe Gibbs told Redskins.com TV's Larry Michael that the team will play a scrimmage against the Baltimore Ravens at FedExField this summer.
Gibbs said that, since the team is not hosting a Draft Day Party at FedExField this year, the event will include some fan-friendly events to go along with the scrimmage.
Dates and times of the scrimmage will be announced at a later time.
The Redskins and Ravens played a scrimmage in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium last year.
