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Redskins signed ILB Nick Barnett, formerly of the Bills, to a one-year contract.

Barnett, 32, has been in the D.C. area for the last two days visiting with the Redskins. He was released by the Bills in February with a "failed physical" designation, so the team wanted to make sure his knee was good to go. Barnett started all 16 games for Buffalo last season, grading out as a top-ten 4-3 outside linebacker in Pro Football Focus' end-of-the-year rankings. He'll provide depth behind starting inside 'backers London Fletcher and Perry Riley.

After visiting Washington and working out for the team today, free agent linebacker Nick Barnett has signed a one-year contract.

Barnett confirmed the signing with a four-character tweet, writing, “HTTR,” for “Hail to the Redskins.”

The Washington Post reports that Barnett met with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, “fell in love” with the team’s coaching staff and is particularly excited to be playing with linebacker London Fletcher.

Barnett started all 16 games each of the last two seasons for the Bills after playing eight seasons for the Packers before that.

Chris Luva Luva wrote:In the past, we brought in big names who were past their prime to replace our own "talent". Now we're bringing in specific big names, to simply assist our homegrown talent. We're placing players in situations that accentuate their remaining strengths and not asking them to relive their early 20's in their early 30's.

#success

RICHMOND – Soon after the Buffalo Bills released him this past February, Nick Barnett’s phone started ringing. A 10-year veteran and starter of all 139 games he had played in in eight seasons with the Packers and two in Buffalo, Barnett could have quickly chosen his next destination.

But having just recently had arthroscopic surgery and stem cell treatments on his right knee, Barnett wasn’t ready to work out for teams. And, he didn’t want to sign with just any team. He wanted to find the perfect fit.

Barnett this week found that fit and on Wednesday night signed with the Washington Redskins on a one-year deal. Barnett saw Washington as the ideal situation for him because defensive coordinator Jim Haslett runs a system that closely resembles the defense Green Bay ran while Barnett played there. Redskins linebackers coach Bob Slowik also served as Barnett’s defensive coordinator with the Packers in 2004. And Barnett has looked up to Redskins inside linebacker London Fletcher all of his career, so the opportunity to join him in Washington, where the Redskins hope to remain atop the NFC East, seemed perfect.

“Looking at the coaching staff, Haslett and Slowik, I played for him in Green Bay, and I think it was a very good fit with them running a very similar scheme to what we had in Green Bay two years ago when I was there. I thought it would be fairly easy to pick up,” Barnett said Thursday after the Redskins’ morning walkthrough. “And the linebackers that we have now, with London Fletcher and [Perry] Riley, it’s a talented bunch, and my goal is to get on the field somehow or some way. So, with this team, up and coming and the way they played last year, I wanted to be a part of a successful team. There were a couple teams that I talked to earlier in the year, in free agency, it just wasn’t a right fit. I don’t want any more 6-10 seasons. So, I wanted to go to a winning team.”

Adding a player of Barnett’s caliber should significantly boost the depth of Washington’s inside linebacker position. Fletcher returns from his third Pro Bowl season, and Riley enters his second full season as a starter. But the depth behind them is questionable. Second-year pro Keenan Robinson could be lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle that will require surgery to repair. That leaves seldom-used Roddrick Muckelroy and journeyman Bryan Kehl as the only other players with realistic chances of making the 53-man roster.

With Fletcher now 38 and coming off of a year in which he battled ankle, hamstring and elbow injuries, the Redskins sought to add an insurance policy in case he goes down. Enter Barnett, who said the defensive concepts and terminology is already very familiar to him.

“It’s almost like you spoke Spanish for two years, stopped speaking and go back, it’s ‘Oh, yeah, I remember those words.’ It’s basically the same terminology,” he said. “They handle the slot different, or the backside Cover 2, there’s different things like that, but it’s very similar and probably 90 percent of the terminology is the same.”

Barnett arrived in Richmond on Tuesday afternoon and went through a workout and physical. Then on Wednesday morning, he had another workout. He then spent the rest of the day at his hotel room, waiting for word on the Redskins’ decision. He said he watched three movies to pass the time.

Then, Wednesday night, the two sides got a deal done. Barnett only served as an observer in Thursday morning’s walk-through, and afterwards went through a workout with strength coach Ray Wright. Barnett said the team’s plan is to ensure that he is in football shape, and then he will be permitted to practice. Then, Barnett aims to have an impact.

Although he has never served as a backup, Barnett said he will take on whatever role the Redskins give him. He said he believes it’s possible to have an impact even if coming off the bench to play.

But Barnett made it clear he’s not settling for anything.

“For me, I feel like, I’m not going to say it’s open competition, but I haven’t settled on a backup role just yet. If a backup role comes about, then that’s the role I take,” Barnett said. “I’m going to go out there and try to push London, and try to push Riley. And that’s what it’s all about: competition, and with that, you get better. So, I’m going out there trying to push them as much as I can and we’ll see what happens. And either way, we’ll have three or four or five good linebackers and we’ll all be interchangeable.”

Although a starting job didn’t appear as readily available as it would have on other teams, Barnett had no hesitation about joining the Redskins. Having witnessed their success from afar, he very much wanted to be a part of it.

“You’ve seen the way they played in the homestretch, and toward the end of the season, they came together and who knows how far they could’ve went if RG didn’t get hurt?” Barnett said. “They have such a great outside linebackers, London in the middle, great D-line, the offense is good and productive. You’ve got a good, young offense. This team could be good for years coming. I have a one-year deal, but I’m hoping to earn some more years here, and that’s my whole goal, to be here for longer.”

KazooSkinsFan wrote:

Chris Luva Luva wrote:In the past, we brought in big names who were past their prime to replace our own "talent". Now we're bringing in specific big names, to simply assist our homegrown talent. We're placing players in situations that accentuate their remaining strengths and not asking them to relive their early 20's in their early 30's.

#success

Isn't he slated for a back up role anyway?

Chris Luva Luva wrote:

KazooSkinsFan wrote:

Chris Luva Luva wrote:In the past, we brought in big names who were past their prime to replace our own "talent". Now we're bringing in specific big names, to simply assist our homegrown talent. We're placing players in situations that accentuate their remaining strengths and not asking them to relive their early 20's in their early 30's.

#success

Isn't he slated for a back up role anyway?

Yea. But in the past, he would have came in for a ton of money and been given an opportunity to supplant an entrenched starter.

Santana Moss said it best this week, he'd have a career year and the FO would go out and bring it 2-3 free agents.

EA7649 wrote:He seems pretty excited to join the team. I wonder if next year when we have more cap space if other "big name" free agents will prefer to come here ...
Having more depth and experience is never a bad thing.

SkinsJock wrote:

EA7649 wrote:He seems pretty excited to join the team. I wonder if next year when we have more cap space if other "big name" free agents will prefer to come here ...
Having more depth and experience is never a bad thing.

The most important thing to this franchise is that they do NOT bring in "big name free agents - when players are brought in now it's more likely because that player fits into what we have