Redskins sign OL Tony Bergstrom, release DL A.J. Francis

The Redskins offensive line is hurting. To compensate for the vast allotment of injuries along the line, the team has signed OL Tony Bergstrom to the roster. In a coinciding move, they’ve also released DL A.J. Francis, just days after his return to the team.

The Redskins saw four of their five starting linemen go down with injuries on Monday night. In the coming weeks, they may opt to rest some of their better linemen, in order to keep them fresh for more important games down the road. With two backups, Ty Nsekhe and Tyler Catalina, hurt as well, the team added more depth on Wednesday, signing Tony Bergstrom to a deal.

Bergstrom, 31, was a third round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was drafted at the age of 26, as he skipped a few years of college to travel abroad on a church mission. When he returned to the University of Utah’s football team, he was elected team captain, and he stood out as a physical and imposing lineman in the trenches. He played in the Senior Bowl in 2012 as a tackle, though like Tyler Catalina, he entered the league with the designation of a guard.

Bergstrom, selected 95th overall that year, played as a reliable reserve guard on the Raiders for four years, before being released in the offseason of 2016. He spent the 2016 season with the Texans before being released in March, and the Arizona Cardinals subsequently picked him up.

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On cut day this year, Bergstrom was traded from the Cardinals to the Ravens for a seventh round draft pick, and just a few days ago, on October 25th, he was released from Baltimore for the final time. He didn’t stay on the market for long, however. The Redskins were more than happy to scoop him up.

Bergstrom’s arrival in D.C. could be crucial. This could prove to be his most busy stop yet. He’s played in 44 career games, but only started 4. With the Redskins’ Brandon Scherff suffering from an MCL sprain, Bergstrom’s experience and size, 6-foot-5, 322, could vault him into the primary backup position ahead of Tyler Catalina, who is suffering from concussion symptoms.

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If nothing else, Bergstrom will bolster the depth of this ailing unit. The hope is that the Redskins’ impact players can stay healthy enough to compete throughout the season. But if that isn’t the case, Bergstrom will be called on to step up to the plate. With any luck, his age and wisdom will prove to give him a better head start than most.