NFL free agency rumors: Terrance Knighton leaves Redskins to join Patriots
The New England Patriots and Washington Redskins each were given the opportunity to pitch their offers to nose tackle Terrance Knighton on separate occasions and it was more likely that he would be returning to Washington for a second season. However, just as most decisions in the final months of free agency, Knighton surprised everyone with his pronouncement that he will instead be joining the Patriots.
According to the Washington Post, the deal breaker was the fact that the Redskins management didn't appear to be willing enough to give in to what Knighton wanted from them all along: a multi-year contract. Although New England's offer to the 29-year old is practically the same (one year deal), Knighton hopes to become an integral part of the Patriots rotation this season.
One thing that he needs to prove with the Pats is if he can get rid of his weight issues and become more fit. One of the reasons why the Redskins didn't want to give him a multi-year commitment is he mightily struggled with his weight and endurance last season. Even though he started the year with a pretty decent performance, he eventually faded in the team's late season games. Washington could have been more than willing to give him what he wanted if only he was fit.
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For Knighton, he never made an effort to hide his frustrations towards the Redskins after they told him that they're most probably heading into separate directions the moment free agency, although he did admit he still wanted to return.
For the Patriots, the addition of Knighton only means one thing: they now have a better defensive line. But the same as the experiment in Washington, the very first thing he needs to do right now is to improve his fitness and endurance since his talent and abilities on the field are undeniable.
