Head coach Joe Gibbs said Monday that releasing veteran defensive end Regan Upshaw was "extremely tough."

"I talked to Regan myself and tried to explain to him what we thought," Gibbs said. "I hope that somebody picks him up and if not, he is the kind of guy we really like. We think he's a good person and our kind of guy. We'll see what happens."

The Redskins cut 22 players on Sunday, with Upshaw and third-year player Rashad Bauman among the more notable veterans released. Bauman has since signed with Cincinnati, where he will reunite with former coach Marvin Lewis.

"I think [cutting players] is the hardest thing you have to go through," Gibbs said. "You are trying to concentrate on your first game and you have to go through making some tough selections and cutting the team down to where we have to be."

The Redskins new 53-man roster--with the addition of eight practice squad members on Monday--practiced for the first time on Monday. As is customary during the regular season, Tuesday will be an off-day. The team begins preparation for Tampa Bay in earnest on Wednesday.

"Hopefully now in the next couple of days we can get squared away, then come back after being off tomorrow, and we can get down to some serious work," Gibbs said.

Jersey number changes

Mike Barrow will wear No. 55. Ray Brown will wear No. 67. Ryan Clark takes No. 25. Mark Wilson moves up to No. 63. Demetric Evans switches to No. 92. And practice squad pickup Nic Clemons will wear No. 90.

No word on which jersey number James Thrash will wear. He has worn No. 3 in practices and No. 17 in games. But he must wear a jersey number in the 80s when the regular season starts.