Redskins working on contract extensions for Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan

Keeping Washington Redskins' drafted and developed talent appears to be a priority for general manager Scot McCloughan.

Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Williams are both set to become free agents at season's end and the team is not waiting around to see them walk, like Brian Orakpo did in the offseason.

Kerrigan, in particular, is a building block for McCloughan on a defense without many bright spots in 2014.

"Just the fact that we're in negotiations proves we want to be around us for a long time," McCloughan said, according to John Keim of ESPN. "I want him to have a second contract and hopefully a third contract with the Redskins. He's what I look for in a football player. Every day he's there trying to make himself better."

Kerrigan also characterized the discussions toward a long-term deal as positive when speaking at the Leukemia Golf Classic at Lansdowne Resort on Monday.

"It sounded like talks were progressing pretty well," Kerrigan said. "It'll happen as it happens. But of course it's in the back of your mind because it's a big deal. It's a big thing that could happen. Hopefully we get that done."

If the Redskins can lock up Williams and Kerrigan, they will have anchors on both sides of the ball for the foreseeable future. That is a strategy McCloughan has been known for during his previous stints in Seattle and San Francisco.

"We're reaching out because they are good players, but for them it's a business as well," McCloughan said. "We're going to take care of our own. It's very important."