The Washington Redskins have long coveted a big body to put in the middle of its defense to chew up blockers and stuff runs. Now that the legal tampering period in which teams can talk to pending free agents is open, the Skins have the chance to snag one.
Washington is reportedly showing "serious interest" in Denver Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, according to ESPN's Josinna Anderson. And apparently, Knighton is hoping to make his decision sooner rather than later.
"I want the process to happen pretty quickly," he said. "Once the market opens I'm going to decide which one I have the strongest interest in, and move strategically with potential visits from there and not waste my time."
The other teams Knighton is referring to are the Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, who have all also expressed interest in the 28-year-old free agent. But after the Redskins released Barry Cofield, and never really successfully filled its nose tackle position over the last few seasons, it has to be making a strong push to land Knighton.
One problem the team may face is familiarity, or the lack of it. Knighton just played under head coach John Fox in and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio in Denver, who is now the head honcho in Oakland while Fox has taken over in Chicago. Still, never underestimate the combination of need and cap space.
Chris Baker, Washington's current nose tackle, weighs in at 325 pounds. It's no secret that new Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan wants to beef up the team's lines on both sides of the ball. Adding Knighton, who may be shortchanged at 335 pounds, would do just that. Plus, the Redskins have nearly $25 million in salary cap space. Money is not an issue.
Thus far, the Redskins have been unusually quiet in free agency, a stark departure from the team's early headlines grabbing moves in years past. However, this approach should be viewed as a positive by Redskins fans. Making the splashy moves has not worked out for the team at all. But dipping their toes into the free agent pool carefully and strategically might just pan out.