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Terrance Knighton entered free agency expecting to cash in after two great seasons for the Denver Broncos anchoring the defensive line. Viewing himself as a premier player at his position, Knighton drove a hard bargain, and many teams, including the Oakland Raiders, coached by his mentor Jack Del Rio, refused to pony up as much cash as it would take to sign him. Enter the Washington Redskins, not expected to be a destination for Knighton, who inked “Pot Roast” to a low-risk one-year deal (worth $ 4 million) with hints that a long-term investment would come if he produced for Washington like he has in Denver.
Aiding in the sales pitch for the Redskins was Knighton’s high school teammate and best friend, Chris Baker. Ironically, it is Baker who will see his playing time reduced more than any other player with Knighton’s arrival. Knighton’s former teammate, DeMarcus Ware, tweeted that “Pot Roast” was the best nose tackle in the NFL. His strengths include stopping the run, taking on double-teams and tying up offensive linemen to free up linebackers.
Knighton joins a defensive front infused with new talent, as the Redskins also brought in Stephen Paea, formerly of the Chicago Bears, and Ricky-Jean Francois, who spent last year with the Indianapolis Colts. They likely will join Jason Hatcher, who signed with the Redskins in 2013, and Baker as the primary rotation.
Washington may have stumbled into the free agency acquisition of the 2015 offseason. Knighton is a 330-pound behemoth of a man who led a Broncos run defense that allowed only 79.8 rushing yards in 2014. He also made stops on 11 percent of all run plays last season against the Broncos, good for eighth in the NFL for players at his position. Considering Knighton often took on double teams, freeing up his teammates to make tackles, that figure becomes even more impressive.
Rumors suggest that Knighton was unable to command what he deemed to be his market value because he has ballooned quickly since the end of the season. Before images of Albert Haynesworth and Dan Wilkinson begin popping into Redskins fans’ heads, remember that Washington only signed Knighton to a one-year deal in the prime of his career, as he is only 28 years old.
An angry, under-appreciated player whose teammates love him now has something to prove. As he enters training camp, the Redskins must hope that the slight felt by Knighton this offseason translates to a monster year. If so, the Redskins will happily provide him with a long-term contract he thought he warranted this year.
Jake Miller is a Washington Redskins beat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JakeMillerNFL.
