Redskins won’t tender restricted free agent Treyvon Hester

NFL free agency is here, and the Washington Redskins are getting ready to make some moves as they plan for the future. That future will not include Treyvon Hester.

The Washington Redskins have some key decisions ahead of them in free agency. They’ve already made some important ones; they’ve placed the franchise tag on Brandon Scherff and have parted with a number of high-cost veterans including Josh Norman.

But the first decision they reportedly made on Monday wasn’t a big one, though it was a sensible choice.

According to NFL Insider Adam Caplan, the Redskins are not expected to tender restricted free agent defensive lineman, Treyvon Hester.

Hester signed with the Redskins last September after spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles to kick off his career. He provided defensive tackle depth for the Redskins and played 11.6 percent of the defensive snaps last season, logging eight tackles and a sack.

Hester is a fine rotational player, but the team doesn’t necessarily need him. They have Caleb Brantley returning from an injury to take Hester’s role as the fourth defensive tackle while Tim Settle will be the primary backup tackle for the ‘Skins. Matt Ioannidis and Daron Payne figure to see most of the reps at defensive tackle in the Redskins new 4-3 defense, so at best, Hester would’ve been a fifth option on the defensive line.

Had the Redskins tendered Hester at an original round level, they would’ve owed him $2.1 million. And had he signed elsewhere, the ‘Skins only would’ve gained a seventh-round pick. It’s unlikely that any team would’ve paid more than $2.1 million for Hester’s services, and that would be too much to pay a player who wouldn’t see many snaps.

It would’ve been nice to keep Hester around, but the Redskins simply don’t need him. The 27-year-old can still be a solid backup, just not at the price that Washington would’ve had to pay if they tendered him.

The ‘Skins may look for some cheap defensive tackle depth to help offset the loss of Hester. Or, they could rely on internal options, like 2019 undrafted free agent Ryan Bee, to fill a role as the fifth DT.