Washington Redskins Fill Need By Signing Defensive Tackle Terrell McClain

The Washington Redskins have reportedly agreed to terms with free agent nose tackle Terrell McClain. The former Cowboy will fill a major need on their defensive line.

There was no doubt that the main priority for the Washington Redskins this offseason was to sign some help for their defensive line. Their biggest weakness was at the nose tackle position, where the team started veteran Ziggy Hood for most of the season. Hood was playing out of position and is best served as a backup. There were rumors that the Redskins would be interested in adding Dontari Poe or Bennie Logan, but they ultimately decided to roll with a deal for Terrell McClain.

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Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post reported on Twitter that the Redskins have agreed to a four year, $21 million deal with McClain to bring him to the nation’s capital. McClain projects to be a better player than what the Redskins had, but there are still some questions.

The first major issue is that McClain is a bit of a one-year wonder. He was a former third round pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, but he was cut after just one disappointing season with them. He then bounced around to a couple of teams before landing with the Cowboys in 2014. McClain was solid in a reserve role, but only suited up twice in 2015 due to injury.

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Then, in 2016 McClain was handed the starting job at nose tackle for the Dallas defense. He had his best season to date, recording 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 15 starts, all of which were career highs. He was able to clog running lanes and really helped to keep the Dallas defense together.

However, the Cowboys run a 4-3 defense, and McClain often played alongside another defensive tackle. In Washington, McClain will operate in a 3-4 look where he will be forced to man the two middle gaps while working with the other ends to collapse the pocket. It seems doable for McClain, but given that he has only played in a 3-4 defense once in his career (Houston 2013), this could end up being a problem.

Still, McClain offers the skill set that most teams look for in a prototypical nose tackle. He will be 29 in July, so he still will be in his prime over the next few years. Also, paying $5.25 million per year for a starting nose tackle is a fine price. That will allow the Redskins to spend money on other position and continue to upgrade the roster. As an additional plus, the poached a talented player away from a divisional rival.

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Overall, this deal looks to be like a positive for the Redskins. Though McClain is a bit of a one-year wonder, they did not overpay for his services. They landed him on a roughly market value contract for a player of his caliber. That should allow the team a bit of wiggle room moving forward. This was a big move by the Redskins, and now they have to shift their focus elsewhere as they continue to upgrade their defense.

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