NFL Free Agency: Redskins expected to sign OLB Andrew Ankrah following the Alliance of American Football’s collapse

The Redskins are reportedly looking at the now defunct Alliance of American Football for talent. They are expected to sign former Orlando Apollos DE/OLB Andrew Ankrah. In 8 games for the Apollos, Ankrah(6’4”, 255lbs) recorded 14 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 QB hits, 1 pass defended, and 1 forced fumble. Ankrah was coached by former Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier in his return to the sidelines.

He played college football at James Madison University, and went to high school locally in Montgomery County at Quince Orchard. The Redskins lost one of their top pass rushers when Preston Smith left in free agency, and will turn to 3rd year OLB Ryan Anderson if they can’t find an upgrade. Ankrah has a shot at being a depth signing, but he still has a long road to make an NFL roster.

This past fall, the former James Madison defensive end was the FCS Athletics Directors Association National Defensive Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association. He registered 59 tackles, a team-best 15.5 tackles for loss and tied for the team-high with 8.5 sacks in his final season as a member of the Dukes.

“I really expected to sign with an [NFL] team,” Ankrah said. “And it just didn’t happen to go my way and I don’t know what happens behind the scenes when the draft goes on, but it was kind of a shock and surprise to me, so at that point I switched my mindset and said, ‘Any opportunity that comes my way, I’ll take it and run with it.’

“It’s made me more hungry to go out and prove myself. I just feel like, right now, a lot of teams don’t know about me. They just know from my college film, but they don’t know what I could truly do on that level yet.”