Redskins free agent target Greg Olsen signs with Seahawks

The Washington Redskins were in the mix to sign veteran free agent tight end Greg Olsen. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday.

For the first time since 2010, Greg Olsen will not be playing for a Ron Rivera-coached team.

Since 2011, Olsen had been the starting tight end for Rivera’s Carolina Panthers. The veteran became one of the league’s best all-around tight ends during his time with the squad and was particularly potent as a receiver.

But with Matt Rhule ushering in a new era of Panthers coaching, Olsen was released to allow the team to rebuild and Olsen to find new work. He interviewed with the Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, and Seattle Seahawks in free agency before ultimately settling on his new team on Tuesday.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Olsen will be signing a one-year, $7 million deal to join the Seahawks. The deal contains $5.5 million guaranteed.

While Olsen undoubtedly would’ve been an upgrade for the Redskins at the tight end position, it makes sense that he didn’t ultimately sign with the squad. The Redskins aren’t set to be a contender this year, and the 35-year-old appears to want one more shot at a title before he hangs it up and transitions into broadcasting.

Olsen largely met with the Redskins for two reasons. The first being the connection with Rivera and the second being that they had a hole at tight end. But if being with a contender was his top value, he probably just wanted to give him former coach a chance to win him over. Ultimately, that didn’t happen.

It’s also worth noting that the Redskins probably wouldn’t want to invest $7 million for a one-year patch at tight end. Sure, Olsen would’ve been an upgrade and a veteran leader, but wouldn’t they be better off investing that money in a longer-term deal for a guy like Austin Hooper or Hunter Henry? Probably not. So, missing out on Olsen at that price probably doesn’t hurt.

The ‘Skins will likely target one of the top free agent tight ends, which includes Hooper, Henry, Eric Ebron, and Seahawks restricted free agent Jacob Hollister, who may be more attainable now that Seattle has signed Olsen. They also should investigate adding a younger depth option in the draft, though the 2020 NFL Draft class isn’t considered to be particularly strong at tight end.

At the end of the day, seeing Olsen sign with Seattle isn’t a big deal. It would’ve been nice to have him, but it makes more sense for him to latch onto a contender, especially considering the price for which he signed.