Report: Redskins will sign OT Donald Penn to one-year deal

The Washington Redskins are adding more help at the tackle position. They are signing Donald Penn to a one-year deal, according to a report.

The Redskins are apparently getting ready for what could be a long stalemate with Trent Williams. With Williams holding out of training camp and no end in sight, the team had worked out veteran offensive tackles over the course of the past few days in hopes of finding some extra depth at the position.

On Friday, the Redskins signed Corey Robinson to a deal. The journeyman had last played with the Jacksonville Jaguars and wasn’t expected to be a huge difference-maker for the squad. If anything, he was just there to provide extra depth with Williams hurt and Geron Christian limited in the early stages of camp.

But on Tuesday, the ‘Skins made a move that could really bolster their tackle depth. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, they are signing veteran Donald Penn to a one-year deal. Rapoport posted the news on his Twitter account.

Penn had been a part of the Redskins’ workouts for the tackle position but didn’t sign in the immediate aftermath of them. There was reportedly “still hope” that Penn could join the team, and that came to fruition on Tuesday.

Penn’s presence will be massive for the Redskins. With Williams out, they were relying on a couple of players to fill the void at left tackle in Christian, an inexperienced 2018 third-round pick who struggled as a rookie, and Ereck Flowers, a player they signed with the intention of moving him to guard. Flowers has been particularly bad at left tackle during his career, and it showed when the team played him there in their early training camp practices.

Now, Penn will be able to serve as the top left tackle as long as Williams is away. Penn had a down year in 2018, dealing with a groin injury and playing in just four games, but he made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2016 and 2017. Penn may not have a lot left in the tank at age 36, but he can still be a solid starter if healthy. And with 174 starts mostly at left tackle over the course of his career, he certainly is both more proven and has more experience than the options currently on the roster.

Penn will likely continue on as the first-team left tackle as long as Williams is out and should be able to make the roster as a swing tackle. He can help mentor Christian and give him time to develop if he isn’t ready for a bigger role. And, it will give the team a chance to try out Flowers at guard, as they had initially planned to do.

We’ll soon see how Penn looks on the field, but this was probably the best short-term move the Redskins could make. They likely didn’t sacrifice much to get Penn and he could prove to be a capable fill-in for Williams. And at this stage in the offseason, that’s a major win.