Rookie H-back Manuel White, Jr., was placed on the Injured Reserve on Friday, one day after he suffered a fractured fibula in the preseason finale against Baltimore. The designation means that White will be sidelined for the entire season.
The injury occurred in the first half of the game, just before the Redskins scored on a 28-yard field goal by John Hall. White was blocking on the play.
White, a 6-2, 244-pounder out of UCLA, was the Redskins' fourth-round draft choice (120th overall) in last April's NFL Draft.
Prior to the injury, White was having a quiet preseason, due in part to his position switch. He was a fullback in college, but Redskins coaches viewed him more as an H-back. He was third on the depth chart behind starter Chris Cooley and backup Mike Sellers.
White was viewed as a legitimate red zone threat coming out of college. At UCLA, he finished his career with 1,814 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. He also recorded 52 receptions for 518 yards and three touchdowns.
Prior to drafting him, the Redskins viewed White as a bigger ball-carrier who the team hoped could help punch the ball into the end zone in short yardage situations. He was also expected to contribute on special teams.
--GIBBS ON ANTONIO BROWN
It was a tough game for wide receiver Antonio Brown. The third-year player had multiple dropped passes in the first half of Thursday's 26-20 loss to the Ravens.
With a numbers crunch at wide receiver, could Brown have played himself out of a roster spot?
On Friday Gibbs praised Brown for his work all offseason and in training camp. Brown also serves as a kick and punt return specialist.
"I've been bragging about Antonio all summer," Gibbs said. "I know he got upset last night. We all did with his dropped passes. But I think he's been sure-handed on teams and we sure like him.
"That position [as kickoff and punt returner] is one that's very important to us. We'll just have to go through this on a numbers standpoint and see how it all shakes out."
ROYAL HOPES TO RAISE $$$
Tight end Robert Royal was able to speak with members of his family by telephone on Wednesday afternoon, so he decided not to travel to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast region to be with them. Royal played in the Redskins' preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.
"It was a relief to talk with my family and to know they were in good hands," he said.
Royal, who grew up in New Orleans, wants to establish a fund to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
"If you think about it, it could take years for New Orleans to get back to where it was," Royal said. "But I think we can make progress because I think everybody wants to work together to rebuild the city."
