Dwayne Washington RB

Washington has signed with the Saints' practice squad, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

Washington was the odd-man-out of a crowded backfield in Detroit even after racking up 110 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 26 touches in Thursday's preseason finale. He'll now join the Saints' practice squad where he'll compete to join the active roster.

The Lions waived Washington on Saturday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

After missing a good portion of the preseason slate, Washington racked up 110 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 26 touches, but the outing wasn't enough to secure a spot on the 53-man roster. The 2016 seventh-rounder will now look for employment elsewhere, whether it's via the waiver system or on a practice squad.

Washington gained 67 yards and one touchdown over 20 carries during Thursday's preseason finale against the Browns. He also secured six of seven targets for 43 receiving yards.

Washington dominated touches out of the backfield once Zach Zenner (back) exited the game, and the young running back wound up being one of the few bright spots for a Detroit team that was thoroughly outplayed by Cleveland all night. However, it may have been too late for Washington to make a case for a roster spot anyway as the Lions seem highly unlikely to carry five tailbacks on the active roster during the regular season. With that said, Thursday's performance is good tape for teams to have on the 24-year-old, as he may have shown enough to potentially land a new contract elsewhere sooner than later.

Washington is expected to compete with Ameer Abdullah and Zach Zenner for the Lions' No. 4 running back job during training camp, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official website reports.

With LeGarrette Blount, Kerryon Johnson and Theo Riddick all considered to be locks, the Lions seem to have three running backs fighting for one roster spot. Abdullah has the advantage in terms of draft status and backfield experience, but Washington has the best size and speed combination and Zenner is most likely to contribute on special teams coverage units. A 2016 seventh-round pick, Washington has gained just 309 yards on 110 career carries (2.8 average) and 76 yards on 12 receptions.

Washington appeared in five games during the 2017 season and rushed 20 times for 44 yards while securing both of his targets for 14 yards. He also logged 31 yards on two kickoff returns.

Washington supplanted Zach Zenner in training camp as the Lions' No. 3 running back behind Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick, but he injured his quadriceps in Week 2 and everything went downhill from there. In fact, he appeared in just three more games thereafter, then missed time with a hip injury, and finished the season as a healthy scratch in each of the Lions' final five games. Washington, who remains under contract with Detroit in 2018, enters the offseason buried on the depth chart and will likely need to show progress as a kick returner in order to keep his hold on a roster spot.