ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins signed cornerback Quinton Dunbar to a three-year extension Monday, preventing him from becoming a restricted free agent.
Dunbar's contract is worth $10.5 million with $5.25 million guaranteed and a $3 million signing bonus, according to a source.
The Redskins have known it will be tough to re-sign corner Bashaud Breeland, a four-year starter who is expected to hit free agency. A source said they knew it would be difficult to keep Breeland, anticipating a big deal for him in free agency, so the Redskins are making sure they have players who can replace him.
If the Redskins fail to re-sign Breeland, who has spent the past two seasons opposite Josh Norman, Dunbar could start opposite him. The Redskins also have corner Fabian Moreau, a third-round pick this past spring who played sparingly. The Redskins also have Kendall Fuller, whom they could move outside or keep in the slot, where he excelled this season.
For Dunbar, the contract represents another step in an unlikely career. He began his Redskins tenure as an undrafted free-agent receiver in 2015. However, early in his first camp, the Redskins suffered numerous injuries at defensive back. The coaches liked Dunbar's speed, length and size (6-foot-2) and switched him to corner.
Dunbar has started eight games in his first three seasons, including four in 2017. The Redskins benched Breeland for the second half of a Week 14 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers, replacing him with Dunbar. Breeland did start the final three games. However, that was also around the time the Redskins started negotiating with Dunbar about a new contract.
Norman has three more years remaining on his contract. His 2018 salary of $13.5 million becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year.