It wasn’t a surprising move, but one that can cause many to finally exhale. Linebacker London Fletcher announced via Twitter that he had re-signed with the Redskins.
Fletcher tweeted to fans that “your captain is back.” And he later tweeted, “Excited about returning to the Skins! The support I’ve received from the fans didn’t go unnoticed!”
Fletcher’s return — he received a two-year deal, according to a league source — was almost always a guarantee. Numerous league sources said his value to the Redskins was higher than it was to any other team because of the intangibles he adds. And that meant his best contract would come here. From the Redskins standpoint, they had almost no choice but to re-sign him. Not doing so would have caused great damage in the locker room.
One ex-Redskin said before Friday that if “they don’t re-sign London they’ll all be looking for jobs next year. That’s how valuable he is to the defense. Nobody’s word on that staff goes further or is more pointed than London. There’s zero leadership over there without London.”
But the Redskins — from owner Dan Snyder to general manager Bruce Allen and coach Mike Shanahan — had said all along that re-signing Fletcher was a priority. And Fletcher had said before the end of last season that he wanted to help turn the Redskins around. He turns 37 in May, but he was still playing at a high level last season, albeit after a slow start. Fletcher finished with a career-best 166 tackles last season. He also played in his third Pro Bowl, though he has yet to be voted into the game.
Fletcher has not missed a start since the 2000 season.
The Redskins still need to add depth at inside linebacker. And considering Fletcher’s age, they’d be wise to start grooming his eventual replacement too. Third-year Perry Riley is expected to start alongside Fletcher, but coaches stressed that he was not yet ready to assume a role similar to Fletcher. The latter calls the defensive signals and is the defensive equivalent of Peyton Manning when it comes to changing calls and getting players aligned correctly.
Fletcher also places a high demand on his teammates. During one walk-through last season, for example, Fletcher was disappointed in what was taking place. So, according to a Redskins source, he told defensive coordinator Jim Haslett to “go back to card one and let’s start this whole thing over again.”
“There were no more problems the rest of the day,” the source said. “That’s the type of guy he is. He’s invaluable.”
Washington brought in ex-New York Giant Jonathan Goff for a visit this week, according to ESPN980. He would back up Fletcher and Riley. There are some players they could draft later this month in the middle rounds that could be groomed.
