Redskins place second-round tender on offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe

Ty Nsekhe was set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. The Washington Redskins elected to put a second-round tender on him to keep him in the nation’s capital.

Over the course of the past couple of seasons, Ty Nsekhe has been a critical member of the Washington Redskins offense. Nsekhe, a former Texas State product, went undrafted in 2009 signed with the Redskins after spending several years in the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League. He had a brief, three-game stint with the then St. Louis Rams in 2012, but didn’t return to the NFL until the Redskins signed him in 2015. Nsekhe inked a deal with the Redskins when he was 29, and he has become a key part of the team’s offense.

In each of the past two seasons, Nsekhe has served as the primary backup at tackle. He has started in place of Trent Williams when the tackle was suspended in 2016, and he has also relieved Morgan Moses when Moses had to leave the field due to injuries. Nsekhe is a solid, 6-foot-8 blocker who would be a starter on most NFL teams.

However, because he got into the league late, Nsekhe was only set to be a restricted free agent this offseason despite turning 32. Because of this, the Redskins were in control regarding his contract, and they exercised that control on Monday afternoon.

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According to the Redskins official Twitter, the team has placed a second-round tender on Nsekhe. This means that while Nsekhe can still negotiate a contract with other teams, the Redskins would have the right to match any offer given to Nsekhe and if they didn’t, the team would receiver a second round pick in exchange for his services. Given Nsekhe’s talent level, a second-round tender makes the most sense, as the first-round tender would have been more expensive while the original-round tender wouldn’t have accomplished anything, as he was undrafted.

The fact that Nsekhe can still negotiate could come into play this offseason. Offensive line play is more important than even in the modern NFL, so some team may elect to try and sign him to hold down a starting role for a few years. At the same time, it’s highly unlikely any team would surrender a second rounder for the 32-year-old Nsekhe, even if they need a tackle. There are many quality tackle options in the second round of the NFL Draft, so it seems that Nsekhe will stay put in Washington.

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This was a good, low-cost move by the Redskins. They are obtaining a starting caliber player at a backup price because of the rules regarding restricted free agency. This will ensure that Nsekhe sticks around for at least another year, which is important considering that Williams will be coming off surgery to start the 2018 campaign. Having an insurance policy is a good move, and Nsekhe was probably the best one out there.

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