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5 biggest free agent mistakes for the Redskins in the past five seasons

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 18: Wide receiver Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys carries the ball against strong safety David Bruton #30 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter at FedExField on September 18, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 18: Wide receiver Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys carries the ball against strong safety David Bruton #30 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter at FedExField on September 18, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Running back Justin Forsett #29 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by defensive tackle Stephen Paea #90 of the Washington Redskins in the first quarter of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Running back Justin Forsett #29 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by defensive tackle Stephen Paea #90 of the Washington Redskins in the first quarter of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /

2015: DT Stephen Paea

The Redskins had issues on their defensive line in 2015 — a common theme until recent seasons — so they dipped into the free-agent pool to try and fix them.

On paper, Stephen Paea seemed like a sensible pickup. The thick and strong Paea was coming off his best season where he started a career-high 16 games, logged 33 tackles, and produced a whopping six sacks. For an interior rusher with solid strength, that’s very good.

The Redskins ended up signing Paea to a four-year deal worth $21 million. The hope was that he could play the 3-4 end in the team’s defense and help against the run while offering a bit as a pass rusher. However, that didn’t quite work out.

Paea served as more of a rotational lineman for the Redskins and logged 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the team in 11 games. He didn’t even make the team heading into his second season and bounced around to two other NFL teams before calling it a career.

The team simply dropped too much money on Paea and tried to fit him into a role that didn’t quite work for him, as the 6-foot-1, 306-pound man was a better fit in a 4-3 defense. Had the deal been less lucrative, shorter-term, or had the team run more of a 4-3 look at the time, they would have been better off. But at the end of the day, this was a bust signing.

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