In 2023, quarterback Sam Howell was sacked a league-leading 65 times. That figure marked a franchise record for the Commanders, a team that has made a slew of changes on offense this season.
That includes second overall pick Jayden Daniels set to take over under center, along with multiple new faces up front. Washington added Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti during free agency, and they are on track to start at center and left guard, respectively. Returnees Sam Cosmi and Andrew Wylie are set to reprise their respective positions on the right side of the line, but the left tackle spot remains wide open.
The Commanders released Charles Leno in March, ending his three-year run in the nation’s capital. The 32-year-old served as a full-time starter in 2021 and 2022, and he logged a first-team role when healthy last season. Washington used swing tackle Cornelius Lucas as his replacement for four games in 2023, and he is one of the candidates to take on blindside duties. Another is fellow veteran Trent Scott, who saw usage at right tackle in his debut Commanders season in 2023.
Washington waited until the third round of this year’s draft to select an offensive lineman, adding Brandon Coleman at No. 67. The TCU product saw time along the interior during his college tenure, but he also logged snaps at tackle. If he impresses this summer, he could get an extended look at the latter position. For now, though, nothing has been settled with respect to the competition for a first-team role.
“It’s still a little early to say how confident we are in anything,” offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said (via ESPN’s John Keim). “I’m pleased with the progress they’ve made. At this point, I don’t see any red flags that give me pause. But once again, it’s still early.”
Many positional battles along the offensive and defensive lines are, of course, not settled until padded practices in July and August take place alongside preseason action. For the Commanders, that will leave the left tackle spot undecided for at least a few more months. If a late-offseason free agent addition is deemed necessary, finances will not be an issue. Washington currently has $44.5M in cap space, the second-most in the NFL.
Much of Daniels’ success at LSU (which included a Heisman-winning performance in 2023) was built on his mobility, and scrambling will no doubt be a consistent aspect of his play at the NFL level early on in particular. As Keim notes, Washington has also committed more to the run game than last season, and a running backs room now led by Austin Ekeler is in line to be notably involved as a result. Still, one of the team’s key questions over the summer will be the selection of a starting blindside protector for Daniels’ rookie campaign.
