Pro Football Focus will be providing analysis for every major NFL signing and trade during the 2015 free-agency period, accounting primarily for the quality of the player and his fit with his new team while focusing less on the financial terms of the deal.
Here is a grade for the Washington Redskins' signing of Chris Culliver.
Link to grade articles on every major deal
Washington Redskins: B+
Washington continues to make moves in free agency, with former 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver the latest signing. Culliver saw plenty of action as a backup in his first two seasons. He was even pushed into the starting lineup in the 2012 postseason, although he didn't fare as well in the starting role.
His season did not start well last year, but that could be attributed to seeing his first game action after missing the entire 2013 season with a knee injury. After Week 3, he played at a high level and earned the fifth-highest PFF coverage grade from that point forward. Culliver allowed a reception once every 13.3 snaps in coverage, the sixth-highest among cornerbacks for the 2014 season.
Culliver is a considerable upgrade for a Washington secondary that is in need of help. David Amerson graded out last among 108 cornerbacks with a negative-20.2 overall grade, and allowed a 140.2 QB Rating that included 10 touchdowns when quarterbacks targeted him in coverage (the most in the league). Culliver hasn't played at a high level for as long as some other available players and injuries might be a bit of a concern, but his performance last year plus his young age makes for a solid signing for Washington.