The Redskins added depth along the offensive line by signing Jeremy Vujnovich, the team announced March 25.
Vujnovich (6-5, 300) is entering his fourth NFL season after originally being signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. He has appeared in 23 regular season games with 18 starts.
Here are five things to know about the Redskins' new offensive lineman.
1. He's a small college product.
It isn't easy for college players to make it to the NFL. In fact, the NCAA reports that fewer than 2% of all college athletes go on to become professionals.
That number is even smaller for players who compete at levels outside of Division I. Vujnovich, who played at Louisiana College, is one of the players in the league to come from a Division III school.
Division III athletes don't get much exposure to professional scouts as those who play at the Division I or even Division II level. The level of competition is not as high, so players need to stand out on almost every play to get any attention from NFL teams.
Vujnovich, who was listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds entering his senior year with the Wildcats, did exactly that, and added his name to the short list of Division III players in the NFL. There were just 11 such players last year, according to NCAA records, and many of them are either backups or practice squad players.
Of those players, Vujnovich has spent more time in the league than most. Although he hasn't played since 2018, he still has four years of experience, which ranks him as the fourth-most experienced Division III player in the NFL today behind Ali Marpet, Derek Carrier and Stephen Hauschka, who has been in the league since 2008.
2. He was part of some of the best seasons in Louisiana College history.
Vujnovich was a reserve offensive lineman during his freshman year, so he didn't get consistent playing time until 2010. That's when Vujnovich became a starter and the Wildcats' offense became one of the better units in the American Southwest Conference.
With Vujnovich as the starting left tackle, the Wildcats went 7-3 while averaging 45.7 points per game. The offense, which put up 513.7 yards per game, had three running backs rush for at least 300 yards and a quarterback who passed for 3,770 yards and 42 touchdowns.
The next year was similar; the Wildcats went 7-3 again while averaging 37.1 points and 485 yards per game. But in 2012, the Wildcats went one step further and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in recent memory.
Louisiana College went 8-3 to earn their postseason appearance, and while their offense wasn't as productive as previous seasons (33 points and 451 yards per game), they did have a 1,000-yard rusher in Ryan Montague and a 3,000-yard passer in Jamie Bunting.
3. He's one of the few players from Louisiana College to get an NFL contract.
Vujnovich isn't the first player from Louisiana College to make it in the NFL, but there haven't been many.
Prior to Vujnovich signing with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent, the Wildcats only had two players in school history to join the professional ranks. The first was offensive lineman Matt Miller, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, followed by wide receiver Darnell Williams, who joined the Philadelphia Eagles after finishing school in 2011.
Of the three, Vujnovich is by far the most successful. After joining the Chiefs, Miller was briefly a member of the Seattle Seahawks before playing for the New Orleans Voodoo in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe's Amsterdam Admirals. Williams did not play in an NFL game.
Vujnovich has played in 23 games and started in 18. Prior to taking a year off, his last start came with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.
4. He was cut twice before earning a starting job with the Colts.
Vujnovich has one season where he started in all 16 games. That came with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, but his path to get there was more diverse than most.
After getting waived by the Packers in 2016, the Colts picked up Vujnovich three days later. He was cut at the end of training camp and spent the next three cycling between being cut, spending time on the practice squad and playing on the active roster.
One year later, Vujnovich was named the starting left guard and was one of two offensive linemen -- the other being Anthony Castonzo -- to start all 16 games.
5. He adds more depth and competition along the offensive line.
The Redskins have now brought in three new players on the offensive line. All of them have experience as starters and can play a multitude of positions. It seems that the coaching staff is looking for answers at the position group and is willing to bring plenty of competition to find them.
With Vujnovich, they could fill one of two open spots of the left side of the offensive line. It looks like Trent Williams will be gone before next season, and the departure of Ereck Flowers in free agency means the Redskins are looking for a new left guard.
Vujnovich has spent most of his time in the NFL as a guard, so he will likely compete with Wes Martin and newcomer Wes Schweitzer for that spot. However, Vujnovich also has experience as a tackle, so they could put him on there if he ends up being one of the five best linemen on the roster.
At the very least, the Redskins will have depth on the offensive line with Vujnovich, and having a player with starting experience will be a solid backup option.
