The Redskins have signed veteran wide receiver Reche Caldwell, the team announced on Tuesday. Caldwell was at Redskins Park on Tuesday working out for coaches.
As expected, the Redskins placed right tackle Jon Jansen on injured reserve, creating roster room for Caldwell.
Caldwell, a five-year NFL veteran, played for the New England Patriots last season. He recorded a career-high 61 receptions for 760 yards and four touchdowns with the Patriots.
For his career, Caldwell has caught 137 passes for 1,710 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In the Patriots' upset win over the San Diego Chargers in AFC playoffs last year, Caldwell had seven receptions for 80 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Tom Brady.
Caldwell, 28, was released by New England after preseason, despite being the club's most productive receiver in 2006. He was let go in part because the Patriots had added Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker to their wide receiver corps last offseason.
Caldwell entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers. He played his first four seasons with the Chargers, catching 76 passes and seven touchdowns.
With the addition of Caldwell, the Redskins now have six wide receivers on the roster. He joins Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Brandon Lloyd, James Thrash and Shaun Bodiford.
Caldwell grew up in Tampa and was a star receiver at the University of Florida under Steve Spurrier from 1998-2001.
-- MORE ON SHAWN SPRINGS
Head coach Joe Gibbs clarified Shawn Springs' situation on Tuesday during the "Joe Gibbs Show" on Redskins Radio with Larry Michael and Bram Weinstein.
Gibbs said that Springs had his hamstring wrapped early last week, which generated some concern among coaches and athletic trainers that he was hurt.
Coaches wanted to make sure Springs was fully healthy for the entire season, so they opted to use him as a third cornerback for Sunday's game against Miami.
Said Gibbs: "We watch him very closely. Last week, early in the week, he had his hamstring wrapped. So right away the trainers come to me and they come to Jerry Gray and say, 'Hey look, he's got his hamstring and we're kind of concerned here.'
"So right off the bat, we started watching him. He went through some extra stretching on one of the other days.
"So our feeling is this: we do not want him missing a bunch of games. If there is anything that shows up there, we want to be careful with it to look out for him and the team."
Gibbs first addressed Springs' role during his Monday press conference at Redskins Park, but he declined to specify Springs' injury.
-- MASON RELEASED
The Redskins released rookie running back Marcus Mason on Tuesday. Should Mason clear waivers, it's possible that the club could re-sign him to the practice squad.
Mason was among the feel-good stories of the preseason after he turned in an impressive training camp . He is a local product, having attended Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Md.
In preseason, the 5-9, 218-pound running back had 95 yards on 25 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run in the first preseason game against Tennessee.
With the departure of Mason, the Redskins now have an available roster spot. The team will likely sign a player on Wednesday, prior to Thursday's first practice of the week.
-- PRACTICE SQUAD MANEUVERS
The Redskins signed offensive lineman Justin Geisinger to the practice squad on Tuesday and released wide receiver Burl Toler from the practice squad.
Geisinger is a 6-3, 322-pound lineman who has primarily played guard in his career. He has had brief NFL stints with the Buffalo Bills and Tennesee Titans.
Geisinger, who hails from Pittsburgh, played his college ball at Vanderbilt.
