Redskins nose tackle Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton recently revealed that the team's revamped defensive front has gifted itself with a new nickname.
"The D-line, we call ourselves 'Capital Punishment,' being in Washington, D.C.," Knighton told ESPN, per The Washington Post.
It's not a great sign when you're forced to churn out your own nickname -- instead of one coming organically -- but this happens all the time in the NFL. A better question is whether Washington's defensive front can live up to it.
The defense gave up an outrageous 27.4 points per outing last season, third-worst in the NFL. That said, the Redskins were a respectable 12th against the run and roll into this year with their retooled line as a potential strength. Jason Hatcher returns at right end with newcomer Stephen Paea expected to start on the left side while Knighton swallows up blockers in the middle. Chris Baker and Ricky Jean Francois bring rotational depth if they don't wind up seeing starts.
New general manager Scot McCloughan prioritized beefing up both lines this offseason, leaving Washington as less of a pushover up front -- at least on paper. The self-aggrandizing nicknames are vastly premature, but we're not in the mood to take that up with a 330-pound gentleman named after a slow-cooked meat dish.
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