The Washington Redskins announced Oct. 14 that they have signed running back Shaun Alexander, safety Mike Green and punter Ryan Plackemeier. To make room on the 53-man roster, the team released safety Justin Hamilton, waived/injured punter Durant Brooks and placed safety Reed Doughty on injured reserve with a back injury.
The 31-year-old Alexander is a veteran of eight National Football League seasons, all with the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted him out of Alabama in the first round of the 2000 draft (No. 19 overall). For his career, the three-time Pro Bowler has played in 119 games, with 96 starts, and rushed for 9,429 yards and 100 touchdowns on 2,176 carries. In addition, he has caught 214 passes for 1,511 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Alexander, who will wear jersey No. 35, enjoyed his finest season in 2005, when he rushed for the ninth-best single-season rushing yardage total in league history. Alexander carried 370 times for 1,880 yards (5.1 yards per catch) and 27 touchdowns on his way to be named the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player. His 28 total touchdowns (one receiving) on the year set an NFL record.
Green enters his ninth NFL season, the first six of which (2000-05) were spent in Chicago, where he started 45 of the 81 games he played there. Current Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache held the same position for the Bears during Green's first four NFL seasons. Green was traded to Seattle during the 2006 offseason, but missed his first year with the Seahawks after being placed on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury. He played in 15 games for Seattle last year, including one start. A Ruston, La., native, Green attended Northwestern State. Green will wear No. 23.
Plackemeier served as Seattle's punter the past two seasons and also punted in the Seahawks' 2008 season opener against Buffalo. For his career, the 24-year-old Wake Forest product has played in 33 games with 181 punts for a 42.3-yard average, with 57 downed inside the 20. Plackemeier will wear No. 1.
Hamilton was re-signed as a free agent on Aug. 7, while Brooks was a sixth-round selection (168th overall) in the 2008 draft. Doughty played in four games with two starts this season.
