In the final roster cut-down, the Redskins released 22 players from their roster on Saturday.

The list included veteran offensive lineman Todd Wade, as well as wide receivers Billy McMullen and Anthony Mix and running back Marcus Mason.

Rookie Durant Brooks won the Redskins' punting competition, besting Derrick Frost.

And it's also noteworthy that all 10 of the Redskins' draft picks earned roster spots on the team.

"We appreciate all the effort and hard work that these players gave to us during the off-season program and the preseason," executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said. "These final cuts are always a very difficult decision because we had a lot of quality football players in our training camp.

"We are excited about the 53 guys we have on our roster and we are ready to move forward in preparation for our game this week against the New York Giants. We hope the opportunity presents itself to allow us to sign a number of these players to the practice squad."

Wade was the most notable name on the Redskins' list of roster cuts.

Wade is a 9-year NFL veteran who has started 96 games--including 11 with the Redskins--in his career. Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen and Stephon Heyer enter the season as the offensive tackles. Jason Fabini can play both guard and tackle, adding to the depth.

It was thought the Redskins would keep six wide receivers on the roster, with McMullen, Mix and Mann competing for the last spot.

McMullen had 20 catches for 227 yards in preseason and Mann grabbed 11 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. Mix was slowed by a series of injuries in training camp, but had impressed in off-season work.

It wasn't enough.

Mason led the Redskins in preseason rushing with 66 carries for 317 yards, a 4.8 yards-per-carry average. He also caught eight passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.

Mason faced a tough road to a roster spot with Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright at the top of the depth chart. He spent all of last season on the Redskins' practice squad.

Brooks, the Redskins' sixth-round draft pick, won the punting battle. He had 13 punts for a 42.8-yard average, while Frost had 15 punts for a 45.5-yard average.

Brooks was able to place five punts inside the 20, something that was thought to be a weakness in his game. His net punting average was two yards better than Frost.

One of the toughest cuts for defensive coordinator Greg Blache was the release of Boschetti.

Boschetti made the Redskins roster as an undrafted rookie in 2004. In four seasons, he rarely saw action on Sundays, but he made his mark as one of the hardest working, high energy players on the club.

On Friday afternoon, Redskins' team officials met for hours to discuss the fate of players and reduce the roster from 75 to 53.

"It's going to be very difficult," Zorn said. "I could get it pared down a little bit, but there are a handful of guys that we need to meet on. Each guy has his own unique situation in how he fits in with the team."

In his Friday press conference, Zorn cited Stephon Heyer, Billy McMullen, Alfred Fincher and Erasmus James as standouts in Thursday night's preseason finale, a 24-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"There were also some pretty good performances that looked good from a physical standpoint, but fell down from a mental standpoint," Zorn said.

It's the first time that Zorn has had to release players as a head coach.

He has maintained a positive approach to the process.

"The thing that makes it doable--I tell these guys it's not the end of your career, it's a change of direction for you," Zorn said. "For some guys, getting cut may help them get on to their next career.

"These guys have made a great effort and they have sacrificed. There might be guys who fit in with another team down the road."