The Washington Commanders came out of Week 1 with more than a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. They also left with a fresh mess at center, and it traces straight back to general manager Adam Peters’ offseason bet on Nick Allegretti.
Allegretti’s first game in the middle was ugly from start to finish. The tape showed shaky snaps, busted communication, poor awareness, and repeated failures in protection.
This wasn’t one bad series or a couple of isolated mistakes. It kept going, and the problems piled up.
The roughest moment came late, when Washington had a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion after its rally. Allegretti missed his assignment, and that was that.
It was a harsh result for a player who was already facing a brutal assignment against Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Still, the matchup only explains so much. The performance itself was disastrous.
That’s what makes this such a big issue for the Commanders. If Allegretti’s debut at center is a preview, then Washington has a real problem in front of quarterback Jayden Daniels, and the timing could matter all season.
Peters talked all offseason about raising competition across the roster, but center never got the same level of attention as other spots. Tyler Biadasz was released, a move that caught people off guard.
Allegretti, who hasn’t exactly stood out at either guard spot, got a new contract and essentially a clear path to the job with little resistance. Sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin was added, but he still has plenty of development ahead of him.
The warning signs didn’t stop there. Allegretti also dealt with a calf strain and missed all but one practice of training camp, and Peters didn’t do much to ease the concern. The reps he needed never really came.
What showed up against Philadelphia looked a lot like the disappointing play Washington saw from Allegretti at left and right guard over his first two seasons with the team. The Commanders have stuck with him so far, but that kind of faith only lasts so long.
The bigger problem is the lack of a real fallback plan. Gulbin is a Day 3 project, not a ready-made answer. Julian Good-Jones sits on the practice squad, but he’s not viewed as a sure thing, and starting him would not go over well with fans.
That leaves a few possibilities, none of them especially clean. A veteran free agent could be considered, though the market is thin this late in the year. Another team’s practice squad is also an option, and a trade can’t be ruled out either.
Peters could have sidestepped this by addressing the center spot earlier in the offseason. Once Biadasz was unexpectedly out of the picture, the Commanders never seemed to have a firm plan to stabilize the middle of the offensive line. Peters put his trust in Allegretti, and in Week 1, that gamble came up empty.
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Porter is still playing on his rookie deal and has yet to land an extension, which only adds to the trade buzz around him. Whether Adam Peters decides to push on a deal is another matter, since any move would have to balance the price in compensation with the long-term contract piece, but the Commanders clearly have a defensive issue that could force their hand. [Read more 🡒]