Terrance Knighton will visit his old employer the Washington Redskins this week. The Redskins let him hit the free agent market likely to drive down his price, and he's received some interest from the New England Patriots along with a few other franchises, but has yet to sign with a team.
The Redskins could be in the running as they need to find a nose tackle/defensive tackle effective enough to stop the run and generate consistent pressure. The team was seemingly content to let Knighton go, but it seems as if they could not find a suitable replacement, and with the 2016 NFL Draft coming up, they would likely want to remove any pivotal needs this franchise has so they can draft the best player available.
Knighton has had a very tumultuous career as he has gotten older, and this could be the fourth time he will switch teams in the NFL. He was a third round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars and has seven years of experience. At 29 years old, Knighton is a solid defensive tackle who put up a disappointing season for the Washington Redskins during the 2015 regular season.
This led to their hesitation in not signing him as free agency began. Knighton has proven to be a capable run stuffer as the years have gone on, and the Redskins need to keep their defensive line intact. Knighton recorded 15 starts, 29 combined tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Throughout his career, Knighton has become a force, racking up more than 230 combined tackles, 14 sacks, 10 pass defenses, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. Knighton spent 2009 to 2012 with the Jacksonville Jaguars before moving to the Denver Broncos.
He would remain on the Broncos and have one of his most productive seasons of all time. Knighton stayed with the Broncos until the end of the 2014 season when he left in free agency and became a Washington Redskin. The Redskins should have an easy time evaluating whether or not Knighton should remain in Washington or continue to look for a new home.
They have already seen what he can do up close and in game situations, plus considering he played for the Redskins last season, it may be the most beneficial place for him to land. Washington needs a center, several defensive linemen, a wide receiver and a productive cornerback in the NFL Draft. Acquiring all of those players would be awfully difficult to achieve and having the 21st overall pick just complicates matters even further.
