There is more excitement around this football team than I can remember in the last 10+ years. New ownership, new front office, new coaching staff - and maybe most importantly, a new quarterback who will hopefully be the face-of-the-franchise for years to come.
I have been heavily intoxicated from drinking too much Kool-Aid in the past, but this batch feels different...
However, there remains one significant issue from the past regime that has plagued this football team for the last four years, and that is a lack of resources being used on the offensive line - more specifically, left and right tackle.
Did Adam Peters and this new staff do enough to address the concerns fans have at both offensive tackle positions this offseason?
When Ron Rivera arrived in 2020, he put a significant emphasis on bringing in “his guys” - many of whom were former Carolina Panthers. He also inherited two bookend tackles in the great Trent Williams (who was recovering from a medical issue, and seeking a new contract), and Morgan Moses. Williams ended up being traded on day three of the 2020 NFL draft for peanuts, and Moses was released a year later in a money-saving move.
Rivera eventually found his Trent Williams replacement when the Bears released long-time starter Charles Leno shortly after the 2021 NFL Draft. Sam Cosmi was drafted in round two of that same year and was plugged in at right tackle to replace the departed Moses. Injuries and inconsistent play factored into the move of Cosmi to right guard - which he remains at today.
A new right tackle was added last year when Rivera and company signed Kansas City Chiefs free agent Andrew Wylie. During that draft, Ron spent a fourth round pick on Utah offensive tackle Braedan Daniels. The undersized Daniels (6’4” 294) was injured in the preseason that same year and was placed on injured reserve with a torn rotator cuff. He would not see any regular season game action as a rookie. As for Wylie - he struggled mightily at right tackle in his first season in Washington (just as he did the previous season in Kansas City), leading the team in both pressures and sacks allowed despite missing two-and-a-half games with injury.
In Ron Rivera’s four years in Washington, he and his staff spent just one top 100 draft pick on offensive tackle, and that pick turned out to be a guard.
New ownership took over in July, 2023, and after a miserable season as head coach, Ron Rivera was relieved of his duties shortly after seasons’ end. The new ownership group, led by Josh Harris, went out and hired well-respected 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters to run the franchise. Peters hired Dan Quinn as his new head coach and Quinn put together a stellar coaching staff.
Washington made some free agent moves along the offensive line, signing former Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz and Chiefs guard Nick Allegretti to bolster the interior. However, no outside free agents were added at either offensive tackle spot.
The optimism remained high among the fan base though, as Washington had six picks in the top 100 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and the offensive tackle class was said to be one of the most talented, and deepest in recent draft history.
It wasn’t a big surprise when the Commanders selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick. The current Heisman Trophy winner was a dynamic playmaker who can beat teams with his arm and legs. What was sort of a surprise was how the next four picks played out.
It was rumored that Washington tried to trade back into the first round for an offensive tackle, but the price was just too high for GM Adam Peters. Two names that were linked to the Commanders as targets were Arizona tackle Jordan Morgan, who went 25th to the Packers, and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton, who went 29th to the Cowboys. Despite a staggering eight offensive tackles being selected in round one, there were still some very good players available on day two, with guys like Kingsley Suamataia, Patrick Paul, Blake Fisher and Roger Rosengarten still out there.
When Washington was on the clock at pick 36 and stud defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, who most had projected to go in round one, was still there, it was not a surprise when Peters turned in the card. No one can even fault the trade-back with Philadelphia from pick 40 to 50, gaining the Commanders another pick in round two, and the selection of Michigan slot corner Mike Sainristil.
What happened after that still remains a mystery.
With a pick at number 53 and all four of the previously mentioned tackles (Suamataia, Paul, Fisher and Rosengarten) all there for the taking, Peters decided to reach for a hybrid TE/H-Back in Ben Sinnott. Now I like Ben Sinnott a lot, but I didn’t like him in the middle of round two when there were still plenty of really solid tight ends still on the board projected to go a round later, and I didn’t like the value over the offensive tackles who remained.
Washingtons next pick wasn’t until number 67, and it just so happened that all four of the tackles mentioned where gone by that point, with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs taking the final one, Suamataia, at pick 63. What did remain on the board were some really solid tight end prospects like Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders, Penn State’s Theo Johnson, and Iowa’s Erik All. In fact, Ben Sinnott was the only tight end taken in the second round, and the value at the position clearly seemed to be in rounds three and four.
With the top 12 tackle prospects all off the board, Peters decided to take his first offensive lineman early in round three, selecting Brandon Coleman from TCU. Many draft guys had Coleman pegged as a guard due to his frame, but Washington sees him as a tackle. I thought the pick represented some solid value and it certainly filled a major need, so this one was a home run for me - however, I had hoped an offensive tackle drafted early in the third would have been the second tackle selected by Washington in this draft; not the first.
Round four saw a run on tight ends, with five being taken. Washington didn’t have a fourth round pick, but moving back into the fourth to secure one of those players wouldn’t have proven extremely costly.
Surprisingly, the Commanders, with two fifth round picks, still had some solid options remaining at offensive tackle when they were on the clock. Texas tackle Christian Jones, who many projected to go in the third round, was still there for the taking. Instead, Peters opted for Temple linebacker Jordan Magee. When our pick came again at number 161 Jones was still on the board. Peters decided to draft defensive back Dominique Hampton with that selection. Christian Jones went with the next pick to the Houston Texans.
As fans, it’s easy to sit back and critique from afar. We have no idea how this current staff felt about players on the roster. All we can really do is read tea-leaves and post our mock drafts. But one thing is pretty evident. A rookie quarterback needs good protection, especially on the edges, and there are going to remain some BIG question marks with the current roster Adam Peters and Dan Quinn have assembled up front.
My biggest question is why they didn’t bring in at least one veteran free agent after they released Charles Leno, knowing they planned on drafting a rookie signal-caller. It’s not often that great free agent tackles hit the market, but there were a handful of guys who were available who could have helped with this transition.
- Tyron Smith (Jets)
- Jonah Williams (Cardinals)
- Mike Onwenu (re-signed with Patriots)
- Josh Jones (Ravens)
- Mekhi Becton (Eagles)
- Jermaine Eluemunor (Giants)
- La’el Collins (Bills)
Still, there are a few guys who remain un-signed.
- Donovan Smith
- David Bakhtiari (recovering from injury)
- D.J. Humphries (recovering from injury)
So, did Washington do enough to protect their new investment at quarterback? In the NFC East alone we are set to go up against the following edge rushers:
Cowboys:
- Micah Parsons
- Demarcus Lawrence
- Marshawn Kneeland
Eagles:
- Bryce Huff
- Josh Sweat
- Nolan Smith
- Brandon Graham
Giants:
- Brian Burns
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Azeez Ojulari
Only time will tell, but as of now, this writer remains very skeptical about Washington’s bookends.
