Redskins Free Agency Week 1: McCloughan Shores Up Defense

Ashburn, Va. — Washington Redskins’ general manager Scot McCloughan has proven that he clearly understands just how much help the team’s defense needed by making several moves this week to shore up the unit. In the last 15 days, Washington has signed or re-signed six defensive players (three of which are likely starters) to the squad.

In late February, the Redskins brought defensive end Ricky Jean Francois in from the Indianapolis Colts. The following week, safety Duke Ihenacho was re-signed after spending the end of the 2014 season on injured reserve. Then, in a flurry of activity this past week, safety Trenton Robinson and cornerback Justin Rogers were re-signed and three unrestricted free agents — defensive linemen Stephen Paea and Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton; and cornerback Chris Culliver — were signed to the team.

Knighton, 6’3” and 331 lbs., graduated from Temple University and spent his first four NFL seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent in March 2013. He started all 32 regular season games and four postseason games for the Broncos during the 2013-14 seasons, including Super Bowl XLVIII.

In college (2005-08), Knighton recorded 184 tackles (105 solo), seven sacks, three forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and four blocked kicks in 46 career games with 34 starts.

The former Owl could be one of the most productive of the linemen to join Washington. He feels he is the best nose tackle in the league and this is great for the Redskins who are in serious need of an impact player at that position. He will be important in a rotation that could include his best friend, Chris Baker, at whose wedding he will be best man tonight.

“I’m not coming here to make this a process or anything,” he said on an The Sports Fix yesterday. “They [brought] me in to make an impact right away, and that’s what I plan on doing… doing my part in bringing that excitement back to the city about the Redskins.”

Knighton is entering his seventh NFL season after being originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. Nicknamed “Pot Roast” by former Jaguars teammate, Clint Ingram, he has appeared in 93 career regular season games with 81 starts. He has logged 201 tackles (131 solo), 12.5 sacks, 11 passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered and two interceptions.

Knighton agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal. He was born on July 4, 1986.

Culliver, 6’0” and 199 lbs. played for the University of South Carolina from 2007-10. While there he recorded 156 career tackles (106 solo), four sacks and three interceptions while seeing time at cornerback, safety and receiver. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as a junior in 2009.

The former Gamecock was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round (80th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has logged 121 tackles, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 46 career games with 20 starts for the 49ers and appeared in Super Bowl XLVII.

In 2014, the cornerback established career highs in starts (14), tackles (45), interceptions (four) and passes defended (14).

Cornerback — any secondary position really — is of the utmost need on the Redskins defense. If current cornerback David Amerson, who regressed a bit last season, doesn’t improve during OTAs, mini camps and training camp, it would be easy to see Culliver playing opposite second-year man, Bashaud Breeland, who impressed last year and earned himself the starting job. There’s a question as to how healthy veteran DeAngelo Hall will be so McCloughan is right on the money by bringing in bodies to the defensive backs squad.

With the talk of “character” being so important to the Redskins front office, the Culliver signing came as a bit of a surprise to some. This is not a guy that fits the mold of a “character guy”, having had some off-field problems in recent years. For instance, there are some unresolved legal issues out there that are related to a hit-and-run episode that involved a bicyclist. In the incident, Culliver allegedly threatened a witness with brass knuckles. However, there are reports that he actually did not threaten anyone with anything and, in fact, turned himself into police immediately after the incident.

Regarding what some considered anti-gay statements made while being interviewed during this past Super Bowl XLIX week, Culliver expressed extreme regret and publicly apologized saying he had learned from the experience.

This young apparently had a fairly rough childhood. There are reports of Culliver’s stepfather and a cousin being shot to death and his mother (who also graduated from Temple) being wounded in a bar fight in Philadelphia. I would bet he is a good person and perhaps misunderstood. While I’m not comparing the two as athletes, recall how the late, great Sean Taylor grew up during his time in the NFL.

Apparently, Redskins’ new defensive backs coach, Perry Fewell is not worried about character issues with Culliver. In a phone interview team president Bruce Allen said the team wasn’t concerned.

“We got to know him very well, talking to him and his people, Allen said, “Perry Fewell really fell in love with him last night. We think he hits into what we want to do on defense. He has demonstrated he’s one of the top-flight corners in the NFL.”

Culliver was born on Aug. 17, 1988. His deal with Washington is worth up to $32 million over four years.

Paea, 6’1” and 300 lbs., was the first player Washington signed after the official beginning of the league free agency period this past Monday. With the handprint that new defensive coordinator Joe Barry is going to be putting on this Redskins defense, word is that Paea will be a great fit. What will be interesting to watch is the fact that Barry’s father-in-law, Rod Marinelli, is now the defensive coordinator for the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys and Marinelli coached Paea in Chicago.

Paea played ball at Oregon State University from 2008 to 2010 after beginning his college career at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah from 2006 to 2007. He was a two-time winner of the Morris Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top defensive lineman in the Pac-12.

The former Beaver has been in the league for four seasons after being originally selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 55 career games with 40 starts, all with Chicago, recording 94 tackles (56 solo), 12.0 sacks, six passes defended and two forced fumbles.

Last season, Paea established career highs in games played (16), starts (16), total tackles (33), solo tackles (24), tackles for loss (eight), sacks (6.0) and forced fumbles (two).

Paea was born on May 11, 1988 in Auckland, New Zealand, and was raised on the islands of Vavaʻu in his native Tonga.

Hail.