The Washington Redskins are on a mission this offseason to build their defense up from the one that has been near the bottom of the league the last few years. The team has already begun the process of rebuilding the defensive line, and last week added a player to the Redskins' secondary who will start in safety DJ Swearinger. The team still has needs in the secondary if they look to improve over last year’s squad.
With that in mind, according to sources, the team has scheduled a visit for Thursday with veteran free agent cornerback Darius Butler.
The Colts want Butler back in Indianapolis but that isn't stopping him from scheduling several visits with teams this week.
Redskins are looking for defensive depth
Butler, 30, has played for the Indianapolis Colts for the past five years after being drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 draft. Last year he recorded 33 tackles to go along with three inceptions and seven passes batted down. In 109 career games Butler has recorded 15 interceptions, and returned four of them for touchdowns in the process for the Patriots and Colts.
Veteran DB Darius Butler has another round of visits scheduled, starting with Washington today. Colts want him back. Visited CHI already
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 16, 2017
Last year Dashaun Phillips and Greg Toler gave the Redskins depth at the corner position when they needed it.
Toler may still return, but the team will need to search out a couple more able players to improve the unit moving into the new season.
Any team in the NFC East should be looking to improve their secondary
The Redskins already have a secondary that includes corners Josh Norman, Bashaud Breeland, Quinton Dunbar and Kendall Fuller.
With linebacker-turned-safety Su’a Cravens making the shift to safety, and the signing of Swearinger, the team now appears to have a grip on the safety spot in terms of starters. Backing up Cravens and Swearinger, the Redskins currently have veterans DeAngelo Hall and Will Blackmon, who both made the conversion from corner to safety last season.
The Redskins also have Josh Evans, Deshazor Everett and Earl Wolff on their current roster at the safety position. Any team that calls the NFC East their football home, and has to play the likes of Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham twice a season should be searching out new talent on the back-end every time they get a chance.
Washington will also likely look to select at least one player in April's NFL Draft to add to their secondary depending on availability.
