The Washington Redskins had free-agent center Stefen Wisniewski in for a visit on Friday, ESPN's Adam Caplan reports. Washington is known to be on the lookout for offensive linemen after ranking 19th in adjusted line yards (which measures the run-blocking ability of a team), 27th in short-yardage rushing and 31st in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders.
What would an addition such as Wisniewski mean for the Redskins?
Well Washington currently has Kory Lichtensteiger (what is it with offensive linemen and difficult-to-spell last names?) manning the center spot. Lichtensteiger had a solid season at the position last year but is much lighter (6-foot-2, 296 pounds) than the linemen new general manager Scot McCloughan prefers. It is Lichtensteiger's quickness that enables him to succeed in Washington's zone-based running scheme.
However, the team is reportedly moving to a more power based running game and that would require a beef up in the middle. Fortunately, Lichtensteiger is versatile enough to play guard should the 6-foot-3, 315 pound Wisniewski be signed. On the other hand, Wisniewski also started 16 games at guard as a rookie in 2011 so who knows what the Redskins have in mind for him. The team could end up releasing either Lichtensteiger or guard Chris Chester depending on how they view Wisniewski.
The big concern with Wisniewski is injuries. He underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder that he could have damaged further by playing through in the second half of 2014. It could be a reason why the 26-year-old is still available.
Before the injury, ESPN scout Matt Williamson gave him a pretty good review last summer.
"He's a good, young, tough player [who] should be extended and should be a building block. He's not an elite center, but he's well above average."
However, if Washington's interest is real they may have some competition despite Wisniewski's availability. The young center has also met with the Seahawks, Titans and Buccaneers. The Patriots, Rams, Bears and Jaguars have also expressed interest to a certain extent.
Wisniewski was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the seoncd round of the 2011 draft.
