Redskins sign defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis to a three-year extension

The Washington Redskins signed defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis to a three-year extension on Thursday. This was a big move for the team and one that wasn’t exactly expected to happen.

On Thursday, the Washington Redskins made a key move to continue to solidify their defense for the near future. They agreed to an extension with their talented interior defensive lineman, Matt Ioannidis.

Ioannidis, a former fifth-round pick out of Temple, has progressed in each of the past few seasons. After barely playing as a rookie and spending time on the practice squad, Ioannidis has turned into one of the more underrated interior pass rushers in the NFL. In the past two seasons combined, Ioannidis has logged 12 sacks and has been able to get into the backfield with ease. Given that he only turned 25 in January, he still has a lot of room for growth.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo was first to report the details of the three-year extension that will pay Ioannidis up to $24.75 million over the course of three years.

The #Redskins are signing DE Matt Ioannidis to a three-year extension with a base value of $21.75 million with another $3 million in incentives, source says. Former fifth-rounder from Temple is underappreciated by many (7.5 sacks last year), though clearly not by the Skins.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 18, 2019

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This deal is a more than solid one on paper. In fact, the Redskins may have gotten a steal here.

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 Anderson signed 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.

With another solid year before hitting the open market, Ioannidis could have had a chance to earn a massive payday. There is a premium being placed on pass rushers at the moment, so Ioannidis could have earned an excess of $10 million annually, especially if a team was willing to give him starter snaps (his 7.5 sacks last year came despite playing just 42.5 percent of the team’s snaps). So, this really is a quality move for the team.

The other point here is that Ioannidis’ three-year extension will keep him on the team with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. That should keep their very strong interior defensive line rotation in tandem, so that’s a major plus. The nice thing is that Ioannidis will be in the final year of his deal when Allen is set to hit free agency, so the team will be able to ensure that they can keep at least two of their top defensive linemen even if Allen were to leave. Or, they could re-sign Allen and keep the three together for an extra year before having to decide if they want to pay Payne.

Recently, I had argued that Ioannidis could be a trade chip for the ‘Skins if they weren’t going to re-sign him. But bringing him back — especially at this price — makes a lot of sense. He can continue on as the pass-rushing specialist in the defensive tackle group and will have a chance to continue to emerge as a playmaker. He gives the team depth and insurance at a position of strength. That’s a major positive for them.

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With Ioannidis extended, the team should shift their attention to Brandon Scherff. If they can get that done, they will have locked up their two most important free agents ahead of next year’s 2020 free agent class.

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