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Free Agent Running Back Tim Hightower Visiting Washington Redskins

By Jacob Camenker

Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower (34) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower (34) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Redskins are looking to add some playmakers at running back. Tim Hightower, a former member of the team, is coming in for a visit on Wednesday.

The Washington Redskins are bringing in a familiar face for a visit on Wednesday afternoon. Tim Hightower, a former running back for the team in 2011, is with the Redskins as he continues to meet with various teams. Hightower had previously visited with the San Francisco 49ers, and he could still return to the New Orleans Saints, where he has spent the last two years. The reports came in via ESPN’s Mike Triplett, who said the following of Hightower:

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"Free agent RB Tim Hightower is visiting the Redskins on Wednesday, per source – considering a possible reunion after he played there in 2011 before suffering a torn ACL. Hightower, 30, was out of the NFL for three-plus seasons after that because of an undiagnosed infection. But he has made a remarkable recovery with the Saints over the past two years, combining for 923 rushing yards, 329 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a backup to Mark Ingram."

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Hightower’s original stint with the Redskins was considered to be a good marriage at the time. He was coming off a great season with the Arizona Cardinals where he had averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a part of a committee. He was expected to take on a bigger role in Washington, but he was only decent before he suffered the ACL tear. After that, he spent a lot of time out of the league before he made his return.

As of right now, Hightower offers a lot of upside. While he is 30 years old, he has only racked up 752 carries over the course of his career. He has always been in a committee role, and he spent three full seasons out of the league. That means he will be able to stay fresh, provided that he can stay healthy.

Still, Hightower is not worth much more than a cheap, one-year deal. The 2017 NFL Draft class is loaded with excellent options at the running back position, so Hightower’s value is a bit low. If the Redskins sign him, he and Rob Kelley could split the work early and possibly share time with a rookie selected in the later rounds. Plus, the Redskins obviously like Hightower, considering that they signed him as a free agent in 2011, when Bruce Allen was still the general manager.

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No matter what, bringing in Hightower for a visit makes a lot of sense. He is a potentially solid player that could be brought in on a cheap deal. He could end up being a stopgap starter and at the very least would be a solid depth option. It will be interesting to see if the Redskins elect to sign him, or if this is more of an attempt to test the water in the running back market.

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