Redskins should have interest in Richie Incognito after release from Bills

The Washington Redskins have a major need at left guard. They could plug that in by signing Richie Incognito.

Throughout the course of the 2018 NFL offseason, the Washington Redskins did a great job of filling the big needs they had on their roster. They fixed the nose tackle position, added a three-down running back, and have added some exciting depth players to their roster. However, they have left one big hole largely unaddressed. And that is at the left guard position.

Last year, left guard was the weak link on the Redskins front. Shawn Lauvao was the starter there and struggled before getting injured. In his stead, Arie Kouandjio started a couple of games and looked okay, and most of the rest of the vacant games were filled by underwhelming options. Still, the team didn’t address the position during the 2018 offseason, and they brought back Lauvao, Tony Bergstrom, and Kouandjio to essentially compete for the spot. There has been talk that reserve tackle Ty Nsekhe could also play guard, but it’s unclear if that’s the team’s top option as of right now.

That said, on Monday afternoon, the Redskins got some good news on the free agent front. Richie Incognito, who reportedly retired earlier in the offseason, was released by the Buffalo Bills from their reserve/retired list. This means that he is a free agent and it’s possible that he could play again. If Incognito wants to return, Washington would be a perfect place for him to play.

Incognito has been a starter virtually since he entered the NFL, and he has 150 starts under his belt. He’s played for three different teams in the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills. Most recently, he started all 16 games for the Bills in 2017 and was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and his fourth overall.

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What Incognito brings to the game is a gritty, physical blocking style and a mean streak as well. He’s ferocious out on the field and often aggressively attacks opposing defenders to open up lanes in the run game. This attitude has gotten him into trouble in the past, and he was the face of the Bullygate scandal, when Jonathan Martin accused the Miami Dolphins and Incognito of bullying him and creating a hostile environment.

In addition to the issues he had with Bullygate, Incognito was accused of using racial slurs in the team’s playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yannick Ngakoue made the accusations, but the issue appeared to evaporate after the Pro Bowl. The Bills have stood firm that there was a misunderstanding between the two players and nothing much has come of the whole situation.

On the field, Incognito has been accused of being a dirty player in the past. However, he didn’t appear to get himself into much trouble last season in Buffalo, and Sean McDermott was seemingly able to keep him in check in 2017. Perhaps Jay Gruden and his staff could do the same.

If Incognito was to come to Washington, he would be an immediate upgrade over what the team already has at left guard. Incognito graded out as the No. 12 guard in football by Pro Football Focus in 2017, so he is still playing at a high level. Though he turns 35 this offseason, he is still playing at a high level. And even if he regresses a bit, he would still be an upgrade over what the Redskins already have.

Incognito does come with some baggage. He obviously has been a locker room issue at times during his career and he has been a dirty player. But if that is behind him, Bill Callahan could continue to help him unlock his talent and make a terrific tandem on the left side of the line with Trent Williams.

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If Incognito’s head is in the right place, he could be a perfect fit for the Redskins. At the very least, they have to bring him in for a visit to see if the two parties have any sort of interest in one another. It can’t hurt the Redskins to at least investigate Incognito as an option. Maybe he’s not the right fit, but bringing him on a visit would still be smart.

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