Washington Redskins: Updating the Johnathan Hankins situation

The Washington Redskins were the first of only two teams to host defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to a visit. That visit was nearly a week ago.

I know you all are itching for news on Johnathan Hankins. So am I. To put it simply, there isn’t any news right now. But there is much to take away from what’s happened so far.

Hankins officially visited the team’s facility on Monday. He left the area without a deal later that day. The Washington Redskins hosted edge rusher Pernell McPhee and defensive lineman Sylvester Williams later in the week, and Hankins went on one other visit, to the Detroit Lions’ facility. No deals materialized from any of those visits.

Johnathan Hankins remains on the free agent market. And according to ESPN’s John Keim, the Washington Redskins are still very interested in the 6-foot-3, 320 defensive tackle. They’ve remained in contact with Hankins throughout the week. A deal is certainly not out of the question.

The fact that a deal has not been struck yet is telling, however. The Washington Redskins have a good amount of cap space remaining, more than most other NFL teams not based in San Francisco or Cleveland, and they could restructure contracts to make more room for Hankins’ contract.

The fact that not just the Redskins, but all teams have been apprehensive to cave to Hankins’ demands shows that Hankins is asking for an unpopular amount of money. Last year, he signed a deal worth $9 million with the Colts. He could be looking for something around that range again.

Hankins’ agent, Kevin Poston, is notorious for demanding exorbitant sums for his clientele (and himself, by commission). Hankins’ asking price, by the way of demand, could be forced to come down. But he will not come cheap, regardless.

No more expected visits have been reported for Hankins, but that could change soon. As long as his demands remain as high as they are, however, teams will settle for cheaper options, and it is likely that Hankins’ agent will have to settle for less. When that time comes, the Washington Redskins may offer a contract. And that contract could be more enticing for the receiving party.

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For now, however, the situation is still in flux. If the Washington Redskins don’t sign Hankins, it’s not the end of the world. They will have saved themselves a bit of cap space in the future. But the need on the defensive line will linger into draft season, and the team could ultimately be forced to spend an early pick on a defensive lineman, whereas with Hankins, they would have the privilege of draft flexibility, and the presence of another proven starter in the trenches.