Ryan Grant was in a car on the way to have a physical after he worked out with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday when the Redskins called with an offer to sign to him. He asked his driver to turn around and take him to the airport. He would decline Chicago’s offer and head to Washington.
Grant signed with the Redskins to take the roster spot of Roy Helu Jr., who was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list with a sprained big toe on his left foot.
“I was just looking for the right situation, and it worked out,” he said.
Grant, 29, averaged 4.3 yards in five career seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He missed all but one game during Green Bay’s Super Bowl season in 2010 because of a torn right ankle ligament, but he played 15 games last season and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.
He chose Washington over Chicago for several reasons, including the opportunity to play, and the chance to work with coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback Robert Griffin III.
“RG3, No. 1, is super talented,” Grant said. “I think he opens things up for an offense. He makes things exciting. With Coach Shanahan, his track record speaks for itself. I like what they do offensively, and what they’re trying to do. I think this team has a lot of promise.”
Grant is familiar with the type of zone running scheme Shanahan traditionally employs because Green Bay ran a similar scheme when he first got there. He had two 1,000-yard seasons during his first three years with the Packers, partly because he was featured more in their offense.
“I understand the zone scheme,” he said. “It’s one cut and downhill.”
