The Washington Redskins announced that they have agreed to terms with third-round draft choice Chad Rinehart. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. In addition, the Redskins have released defensive end Tommy Davis, center Kyle DeVan and quarterback Sam Hollenbach.
The 6-5, 311-pound guard/tackle from Northern Iowa was the 96th overall selection in the 2008 National Football League draft. Rinehart appeared in 47 games for Northern Iowa from 2004-07, with 44 starts at left tackle, including opening 39 straight contests over his final three seasons. He was a consensus All-American as a senior when he led the Panthers to an 11-0 regular season and a No. 1 national ranking in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Boone, Iowa, native was also a unanimous All-Gateway Conference selection in 2007, the third straight season he was chosen first-team all-conference. Rinehart also picked up second-team All-America honors as a junior in 2006 and third-team Freshman All-America accolades in 2004.
Rinehart was a semifinalist for the Draddy Award, given to the nation's top scholar-athlete, and capped his college career by participating in the Senior Bowl. He is the fifth of the Redskins' 10 draft choices to sign or agree to terms.
Hollenbach spent the final three games of 2007, including two in the regular season and one playoff matchup, on the Redskins' 53-man roster. He served as the third quarterback in all three contests. Davis was signed as a free agent on January 8, 2008, while DeVan was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2008.
