The Washington Redskins made a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers late Wednesday as the team needed to make a move to further strengthen the center position. Redskins starting center Spencer Long is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and will likely be out of practice until at least week one after being injured in Washington's second preseason game.

The team felt the need to make a move with only rookie Chase Roullier and another first-year guy in Ronald Patrick as the current centers on the roster. Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said Roullier did well with the ones in practice on Wednesday, but that the team more than likely would make a move to get another center depending on Long's injury status.

“He took reps with the ones today and did a good job," said Gruden. "Ronald Patrick’s getting more work also, so we have two centers. Probably would like to get another one eventually depending on how long Spencer Long is going to be out, but we’re hopeful that he’ll return Week 1. But, we’ll see.”

Redskins get Lucas Crowley for Dashaun Phillips

The Redskins sent cornerback Dashaun Phillips, who spent the last two seasons in Washington, starting two games last season, to the Steelers in exchange for undrafted free-agent rookie Lucas Crowley from the University of North Carolina.

Crowley, 6-foot-3, 269-pounds, originally signed with the Cardinals on May 5 as an undrafted free agent and then was released by the Cardinals on July 22. The Steelers picked him up via free agency on August 8.

Phillips was viewed as a long shot to make the Redskins roster with Kendall Fuller taking over at starting nickel/slot cornerback and seventh-round pick Joshua Hosley stepping up in a backup role to him.

While Phillips may have been viewed as a valuable special teamer last season, he wasn't shaping up to fit the Redskins wants in terms of the defensive side of the ball and would have likely been cut.

The move will allow the Redskins to have multiple players at the center position for the rest of preseason. It also gives them another prospect at the position as the team sorts out what they want to do in the future.

Long was viewed as a guard by most NFL draft experts when he came out of the University of Nebraska, prior to the 2014 season. Many question his strength and overall ability to be able to hold down an NFL line at the center spot. When the team selected Roullier in the draft this year, it was almost a silent acknowledgment that they were not completely sold on Long. With left guard Shaun Lauvao's contract running out after this season the team may shift Long over, meaning the need for a center could arise in 2018.

Crowley's NFL.com draft card says, "he is an undersized center-only prospect who does admirable work when uncovered and working on angles.

It also says Crowley has adequate hand strength for sustained block engagement, good body control and plays a technical game."

Redskins taking their time with Junior Galette

Redskins linebacker Junior Galette has still yet to make his Redskins debut, and likely won't do so this preseason. The team is taking it extra slow with Galette as they hope the talented edge-rusher can return to his old ways that he had on the field in New Orleans before the injury bug took hold of him over the last two seasons. The team is currently in need of someone to step up at the linebacker spot opposite of Ryan Kerrigan with Trent Murphy out for the season with a torn ACL/MCL in his left knee.
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