During the first few weeks of the offseason, the Washington Redskins added three quality defensive linemen to a unit that will now be led by new defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

• To help you track all of the early moves to the defensive line, here's a look at the recent Redskins transactions, courtesy of FedEx Tracking:*

On Feb. 27, the Redskins made a string of moves to change their defensive line rotation, releasing veterans Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen while acquiring the recently-released Ricky Jean Francois.

Jean Francois, a product of LSU, played his last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after getting his start with the San Francisco 49ers, where he was drafted there by current Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan.

He has appeared in 77 career regular season games with 28 starts, compiling 95 tackles (64 solo), 8.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Then, on March 11, the Redskins made their first move during the free agency period, signing former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Stephen Paea.

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound Oregon State product comes to Washington seeking the opportunity to prove himself, most notably in one-on-one matchups he's hoping Barry will place him in.

"I want to get the matchups one-on-one, and that's one thing [why] I chose the Washington Redskins," said Paea, 26. "Hopefully bringing me in here I get some one-on-ones on first and second down, not only on third down."

He has appeared in 55 career games with 40 starts, all with Chicago, recording 94 tackles (56 solo), 12.0 sacks, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

The Redskins capped off their defensive line rebuild last Friday when they signed Terrance Knighton, a former captain for the Denver Broncos, to a reported one-year deal.

Considered by many to be the top nose tackle in the game today, the 6-foot-3, 331-pound Knighton wants to be center to the Redskins' efforts in rebounding from back-to-back difficult seasons.

"I'm still hungry, and I'm just looking forward to submitting my name into this organization," Knighton told host Larry Michael on "Redskins Nation." "Being great, being one of those guys 20 years from now, I walk in and see my picture on the wall. There are a lot of things left I want to do and hoisting the trophy is something I still haven't done yet and I'd like to hoist it here."

RELATED LINKS:
-- Knighton: 'I Breathe Football'
-- Paea Wants To Be 'Living In The Backfield'

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During the first few weeks of the offseason, the Washington Redskins added three quality defensive linemen to a unit that will now be led by new defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

To help you track all of the early moves to the defensive line, here's a look at the recent Redskins transactions, courtesy of FedEx Tracking:

On Feb. 27, the Redskins made a string of moves to change their defensive line rotation, releasing veterans Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen while acquiring the recently released Ricky Jean Francois.

Jean Francois, a product of LSU, played his last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after getting his start with the San Francisco 49ers after he was drafted their by current Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan.

He has appeared in 77 career regular season games with 28 starts, compiling 95 tackles (64 solo), 8.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

On March 11, the Redskins made their first move during the free agency period, signing former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Stephen Paea.

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound Oregon State product comes to Washington seeking the opportunity to prove himself, most notably in one-on-one matchups he's hoping Barry will place him in.

"I want to get the matchups one-on-one, and that's one thing [why] I chose the Washington Redskins," said Paea, 26. "Hopefully bringing me in here I get some one-on-ones on first and second down, not only on third down."

He has appeared in 55 career games with 40 starts, all with Chicago, recording 94 tackles (56 solo), 12.0 sacks, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

The Redskins capped off their defensive line rebuild last Friday when they signed Terrance Knighton, a former captain for the Denver Broncos, to a deal.

Considered by many to be the top nose tackle in the game today, the 6-foot-3, 331-pound Knighton wants to be center to the Redskins' efforts in rebounding from back-to-back difficult seasons.

"I'm still hungry, and I'm just looking forward to submitting my name into this organization," Knighton told host Larry Michael on "Redskins Nation." "Being great, being one of those guys 20 years from now, I walk in and see my picture on the wall. There are a lot of things left I want to do and hoisting the trophy is something I still haven't done yet and I'd like to hoist it here."

RELATED LINKS:
-- Knighton: 'I Breathe Football'
-- Paea Wants To Be 'Living In The Backfield'

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