After being claimed off waivers by the Redskins on Tuesday following a wild week personally, veteran linebacker Zach Vigil is ready to contribute wherever he is needed.

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With linebacker and core special-teamer Houston Bates tearing his ACL in Monday's loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Redskins were in need for a linebacker to help give a suddenly thin group some depth. 

The Redskins' linebacker corps has been dealing with several injuries over the past few weeks, with Will Compton recovering from a PCL strain and hybrid linebacker-safety Su'a Cravens suffering from an upper arm injury.

On Tuesday, the Redskins claimed former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Vigil off waivers.

In his rookie year in 2015, Vigil appeared in all 16 games with the Dolphins, starting two and registering eight tackles. 

But his sophomore campaign went in a different direction, as he only played in seven games with Miami in 2016 prior to being waived earlier this week.

"I'm excited to be here," Vigil said. "They seem excited to have me and contribute where I can and where they need me."

While Vigil wants to play linebacker long-term, he knows he can immediately contribute on special teams – a place where Bates thrived.

"There's a spot for me to play linebacker here, and that's what I want to do," Vigil said. "But until that time, contribute on special teams and do what they need me to do."

With a quick turnaround from a Monday night game to a Saturday afternoon clash, Vigil has little time to master the Redskins' defensive scheme. But the coaches and fellow linebackers are getting him up to speed very rapidly.

"[Compton] and [Mason Foster] are answering all my questions accurately, and same with the coaches," he said. "When I have a question, they answer it. I'm learning it. We ran a similar defense in college, so getting back to learning how to play this type of defense shouldn't be too much. Like I said, it's just going to be a quick learning process before we play on Saturday and next week and moving forward."