Multiple reports indicate the Washington Redskins have extended tender offers to linebacker Will Compton, running back Chris Thompson and punter Tress Way, who are exclusive rights free agents. The Washington Redskins have reportedly begun the process of extending tender offers to their 2016 exclusive rights free agents.
On Friday, those offers were extended to inside linebacker Will Compton, running back Chris Thompson and punter Tress Way, according to multiple reports, including those from The Washington Times, ESPN.com and CSN Mid-Atlantic.
This on Compton from The Washington Times' Anthony Gulizia:
Compton started the final eight games of the regular-season, as well as the Redskins' wild-card round loss against the Green Bay Packers, and recorded 70 total tackles during that stretch.
During Weeks 3 and 4, Compton filled in for inside linebacker Perry Riley Jr., who was out with a calf strain. Compton played well in Riley Jr.'s absence and recorded 18 tackles, but fell back into his role as a backup once Riley Jr. returned.
In Week 9 against the New England Patriots, the Redskins' starting inside linebackers struggled and Compton stepped in to play 52 defensive snaps. The following week, Compton supplanted Keenan Robinson as the starting "mike" linebacker and was responsible for the signal-calling, which he excelled at. Robinson also missed four games with labrum, biceps and rotator cuff injuries in his right shoulder and returned in a limited role at the end of the season.
At the NFL combine in Indianapolis, coach Jay Gruden indicated that Robinson will test the free agency market and is unlikely to return. Riley Jr., who also fractured his right foot toward the end of the season, played in just nine games and has one year remaining on his contract.
Thompson battled through injuries throughout the 2015 season, but when on the field, he was a productive third-down back option as a runner and a pass catcher.
He missed three games due to various injuries, but made the most of his opportunities with 35 rushing attempts for 216 yards (6.2 yards per rush) and 35 receptions for 240 yards with two touchdowns receiving – all career highs.
Thompson underwent left shoulder surgery in January to repair a torn labrum.
Way, meanwhile, has excelled as the Redskins' punter since winning the job in the final week of the 2014 preseason.
A lefty, Way in 2014 became the first member of the Redskins to lead the NFL in punting for a season since Sam Baker in 1958. The Oklahoma product finished with the fourth-best gross average in team history, trailing only Sammy Baugh's full-season NFL record (51.4 yards per punt in 1940) and Baugh's 1941 and 1942 campaigns (48.7 and 48.2).
His 40.0-yard net punting average was the highest by a Redskins punter in records dating back to 1976, surpassing Matt Turk's mark of 39.2 net yards set in both 1996 and 1997.
Last season, Way battled some inconsistencies early to get back on track with 70 total punts for an average of 46.1 yards per punt – a net average of 39.8 yards per kick.
Compton, Thompson and Way are the team's three exclusive rights free agents heading into the offseason. An exclusive rights free agent is a player whose contract has expired and has accrued three or fewer tenured years in the league. The player's original team must make a contract offer by the league imposed deadline (4 p.m. ET on March 9) or the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.
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