Grading the Redskins extension of defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis
By Ian Cummings
The Washington Redskins had been quiet for much of the month of April. But earlier today, they made a big move, extending one of their own.
The Washington Redskins didn’t use all of their cap space in free agency; after signing Landon Collins to a sizable deal, the Redskins mainly settled for low-money acquisitions. They signed Ereck Flowers to a one-year, $4 million deal, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a one-year deal as well.
It was theorized at the time that the Redskins’ relative conservatism after the signing of Landon Collins was due in part to their desire to extend key in-house players in the near future. Proponents of that theory received more ammunition today, when it was announced that the Redskins had extended interior pass rush specialist Matt Ioannidis for three more years. Our own Jacob Camenker had this to say about the financial terms of the deal:
"Ioannidis’ extension will make him about the 25th highest paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL with an average annual value of $7.25 million to $8.25 million with incentives. That’s most comparable to the deal Henry Andersonsigned this offseason worth $8.4 million annually over three years. However, the difference here is that Anderson is 28 years old and just had the first season of his career with more than two sacks (7.0). So comparatively, Ioannidis is a bargain since he has been more productive and is three years younger."
Per Pro Football Focus, Ioannidis earned pressure on over thirteen percent of his pass rushing snaps, a rate that stacks up favorably with some of the best interior linemen in the NFL, including Sheldon Rankins (10.2 percent), Malik Jackson (12.3 percent), Geno Atkins (12.9 percent), and Fletcher Cox (15.3 percent).
Ioannidis is getting paid less than Henry Anderson, and yet, he provides much more value as an interior pass rush specialist who uses his quick twitch and Spartan-like power to drive through the gaps. Ioannidis earned 7.5 sacks last season, all of which came in his first nine games, and he’s easily trending up, with two young first-round defensive linemen beside him.
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At just 25 years old, Ioannidis should just keep getting better over the remainder of his contract, and for the Redskins, having that value deal in-house will be crucial. Once a weakness, their defensive line is now a terrifying strength. And keeping Ioannidis around means that opponents won’t get a break any time soon. Now, it’s time to add a blue-chip edge rusher, and complete a fearsome front seven.