The Redskins have signed free agent offensive lineman Kory Lichtensteiger to a futures contract, the team announced on Thursday.

Lichtensteiger (pronounced LICK-ten-sty-ger) spent part of the 2009 season with the Minnesota Vikings before being waived on Sept. 29.

Prior to his stint with the Vikings, Lichtensteiger, who is 6-3 and 295 pounds, was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft.

He played in 16 games in a reserve role as a rookie and spent the 2009 offseason with the Broncos, but he was released following preseason.

Lichtensteiger played for new Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan in Denver.

The signing is the first of Shanahan's tenure with the club.

A standout at Bowling Green, Lichtensteiger was named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center and was a first team All-MAC selection following his junior and senior seasons. He played his first two years at Bowling Green as a guard, where he received all-conference honors both seasons.

Lichtensteiger was born March 22, 1985 in Van Wert, Ohio.