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Redskins: Details on contract with Donald Penn emerge

By Jacob Camenker

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 30: Tackle Donald Penn #72 of the Oakland Raiders catches a touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to tie the game at 10-10 at Raymond James Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 30: Tackle Donald Penn #72 of the Oakland Raiders catches a touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to tie the game at 10-10 at Raymond James Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins added Donald Penn to their team earlier this week. Details about his one-year pact emerged on Friday.

The Washington Redskins were in need of some help at the offensive tackle position with Trent Williams holding out. Geron Christian and Ereck Flowers were the main duo working at left tackle in Williams’ absence and given that Christian was limited, the team was desperate for help at the position.

That’s why adding Donald Penn to the squad made so much sense. Though Penn is into the twilight of his NFL career, the 36-year-old has started 174 games during his career. Most of those starts have come at left tackle. Penn is a great insurance policy for Williams, will allow Christian to develop in the swing role, and give Flowers a chance to move back to the guard position where the team originally planned on playing him.

Penn did agree to a one-year contract with the Redskins but details on the deal weren’t available in the immediate aftermath of its signing. On Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the specifics of the contract and confirmed that there are incentives in the deal should Penn be the starter.

The details of the contract are important for a couple of reasons. First of all, Penn only having $250K in guarantees is a steal for the Redskins. Sure, he has been dealing with a foot injury for the past two years and missed 12 contests last year, but paying merely that price for that much experience is a relative bargain.

And since that is the only guarantee, the ‘Skins can part with him for little-to-no cost in the event that he looks finished in training camp and the preseason. Of course, that scenario is unlikely, as it would take a lot for Penn to be worse than the other tackle depth the Redskins have on their roster.

As for the incentives, they are sensible too. If Penn comes in and proves to be the starter with Williams out, giving him $5 million for a single year is a more-than-fair deal. In fact, they would be paying Penn roughly what Ty Nsekhe made on the open market in terms of average annual value (and ranked 23rd among left tackles per OverTheCap.com). While Nsekhe is a couple of years younger, Penn has significantly more experience, so landing a recent Pro Bowler on that type of a deal is solid.

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Overall, the contract for Penn is a good one. He shores up the Redskins’ line and potential depth options moving forward for a very low cost. But if things don’t go well for whatever reason, the Redskins can part with him easily. This was a smart signing for the team and one that could pay off even if Williams does return to the team.

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