The Washington Redskins hosted nose tackle Terrance Knighton, but their former player still left without a contract. A source had said Tuesday that if the Redskins were satisfied with his physical condition, they'd want to sign him. But after the meeting one source said they weren't making any move just yet, though it does appear interest remains.
However, New England also remains interested in Knighton so he could be faced with a decision to make.
Knighton started 15 games for the Redskins last season, missing one game due to his cluster headaches. He's been working out hard this offseason, having lost 30 pounds, as he tries to eliminate one criticism of his game: his weight.
“This year, as soon as the offseason hit, he took probably a week off and just re-dedicated himself and said, ‘Hey, I’m tired of bouncing around, I’m a hell of a player,'” Redskins defensive end Chris Baker, also Knighton's best friend, told 106.7 The Fan's Chris Russell. “He’s a great locker room guy. The only problem [last season] was the weight. So he said, ‘This is not going to be an issue for me no more’ and he’s dropped 30, 40 pounds since the end of the season. When you see Terrance in great shape and think of what he was last year, it’s going to be a hell of a difference. He’s way better, way more athletic, way more faster, way more powerful than he was last year. Starting now, this is the beginning of the offseason, so he has nowhere to go but up. I just can’t wait to get out there and show what we can do when we’re both in our best shape.”
The Redskins were ready to part ways with Knighton, even as late as when free agency began March 9. But they still have yet to replace Knighton -- they said Kedric Golston could do it as well as Baker on occasion. The draft is deep with players who could play both the nose in their base 3-4 look and tackle in their nickel packages, which feature two down linemen. Knighton played that role last season, but the Redskins wanted more -- and felt his weight prevented him from being able to deliver it.