Redskins Sign Former Browns OG Shawn Lauvao

The Washington Redskins have signed former Cleveland Browns OG Shawn Lauvao to a 4-year deal worth $17 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN:

Former Browns G Shawn Lauvao reached agreement on a 4-yr, $17M deal with the Washington Redskins, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2014

I was pretty stunned to see Lauvao get that type of money. Lauvao became a starter in 2011 and didn't miss a game in his first two seasons in that role. After suffering an ankle injury in training camp last year, though, the guard situation was in disarray for Cleveland. Oniel Cousins filled in for Lauvao the first four games of the season. Lauvao's return was good in the sense that Cousins was out of the lineup, but the fourth-year guard failed to take his game to the next level in a contract year.

My feeling is that we treated Lauvao as the starter not because he was a great lineman, but rather because anyone else on the roster would have been a disaster. When a guy like that is up for free agency, you look to upgrade the position, so I'm not disappointed that the Browns have moved on from him. In our free agency poll about him, only 27% of fans said they wouldn't mind bringing Lauvao back for another season.