The Redskins hosted free agent defensive lineman Sylvester Williams on Tuesday, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link), while the club also has interest in fellow defensive tackle Bennie Logan but has yet to schedule a visit, per John Keim of ESPN.com.
Washington is clearly seeking to improve the interior of its defensive line after ranking 29th in rush defense DVOA and dead last in adjusted line yards in 2017. Williams and Logan join Johnathan Hankins as notable defensive tackles on the Redskins’ radar, as the former Colts defender met with the club on Sunday. Keim recently reported Washington isn’t interested in investing heavily in it defensive line, but Williams and Logan could each be available on one-year deals.
The Redskins are “working hard” to sign Hankins, tweets Finlay, so Williams and/or Logan might not be of interest to the club for much longer. On the other hand, neither of Washington’s 2017 defensive tackle additions — Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain — made much of an impact during their respective first seasons in the nation’s capital, so one or both could be released.
Indeed, Washington altered the contract of defensive tackle McClain in a way that will make him easier to release, as Keim writes. Previously, McClain’s $3.25MM base salary was scheduled to become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 league year, but Washington has since made that salary guaranteed for injury only. As such, the Redskins should be able to cut McClain at any point prior to the start of the regular season without being on the hook for his salary (provided he doesn’t get injured between now and then).
Williams, meanwhile, started 11 games and made 15 total appearances for the Titans in 2017, his first campaign outside of Denver since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2014. Last season, Williams played on roughly a third of Tennessee’s defensive snaps (third-most among the club’s defensive linemen) while posting 12 tackles. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 67 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, assigning much better marks against the run than the pass.
Logan, 28, has caught the Redskins’ eye in the past, as he took a meeting with the team last spring before ultimately landing a one-year, $8MM pact from the Chiefs. Washington should have a good idea of Logan’s capabilities, as he played against the Redskins twice per year as a member of the Eagles from 2013-16. Last season, Logan appeared in 15 games and played on 55% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps, acting as a serviceable run-stuffer during that time. Washington could have competition for Logan, as he met with Seattle earlier today.