The Redskins' acquisition of Erasmus James makes sense for all parties. James' time in Minnesota was up. He was always going to be a disappointing first-round pick there. He gets a fresh start in Washington without all those expectations. Jared Allen replaced him, and then some. Time to move on.
In James, the Redskins add a player with the potential to give them depth at a critical position. James' knee troubles will likely prevent him from becoming the player the Vikings envisioned. But if he becomes even a role player in Washington, the Redskins would presumably be happy to part with the 2009 seventh-round choice. Being a role player wasn't going to be good enough for the Vikings given all they had invested in him as the 18th player chosen in the 2005 draft.
While adding James, Washington released rookie free agent Dorian Smith, also a defensive end. James is 25 years old (his left knee probably feels quite a bit older) . The remaining eight defensive ends on the Redskins' roster average nearly 27 years old, led by 35-year-old starter Phillip Daniels. The line now consists of ends Daniels, Andre Carter, Rob Jackson, Kevin Huntley, Chris Wilson, Demetric Evans, Alex Buzbee, Tommy Davis and James.
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