Gregg Williams and Danny Smith each got a key player back
over the past few days.
First, restricted free agent Ade Jimoh was re-signed. He is
listed as a cornerback and he did play there some in 2005 with results that
were mixed but markedly improved over previous seasons when he was a liability.
His forte, however, is special teams and Smith, the coach of that unit, is
certainly glad to have Jimoh, one of the special teams’ leading tacklers, back.
Jimoh came to the Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of
Utah State in 2003. While the terms of his contract are not yet known, it is
believed that he signed his restricted free agent tender offer, which makes it
a one-year deal.
Then word came that Demetric Evans has agreed to terms on a multiyear deal. Details on
that contract are sketchy, but reports are that it is worth about $1 million a
year.
Williams seems to be particularly proud of Evans’ emergence
as a valuable role player. The defensive guru likes to talk of making players
out of “guys off the street” and Evans fits that particular description. After
spending parts of two seasons with Dallas, Evans was cut in training camp in
2003 and was out of football that year. And it wasn’t as though anyone,
including the Redskins, were in a big hurry to give him a shot after that. He
didn’t sign with Washington until the shortly before training camp started in
2004.
Evans soon found his way into the starting lineup after
Phillip Daniels went on injured reserve. He posted 31 tackles and 2.5 sacks on
a unit that led the NFC in total defense. Last year, with Daniels healthy,
Evans got three starts at left tackle when Cornelius Griffin was out with an
injury. His inside-outside versatility is a major resume enhancer in Williams’
defense.
Evans did visit San Francisco and New Orleans in search of
an opportunity to get a starting job in 2006, but he decided to return to
Washington. With both of the starting defensive ends on the north side of 30, he
may well get that opportunity in the next couple of years.