The Washington Commanders entered the season expecting a workable offensive line. Instead, one injury has rattled the whole setup.
Laremy Tunsil’s triceps injury changed the picture fast. Brandon Coleman was able to step in at left tackle, but that move came with a domino effect: Coleman had to be pulled out of the left guard battle, and Chris Paul ended up with the job there.
The bigger headache now sits at center. Washington moved on from Tyler Biadasz in February, and general manager Adam Peters has taken heat for that decision ever since.
The Commanders pursued Tyler Linderbaum, but backed off when the Raiders outbid everyone else. From there, Washington settled on veteran Nick Allegretti.
The problem isn’t just Allegretti’s transition. It’s what happened behind him.
Peters never added a reliable backup center, and when Allegretti strained his calf on the first day of training camp, the depth chart got thin in a hurry. He missed three weeks, came back for a couple of days, and then was sidelined again.
That left Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin as the next men up at center, with the pair combining for just two NFL snaps.
That uncertainty was impossible to ignore after Saturday’s 17-13 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Head coach Dan Quinn addressed the situation plainly.
“So, we got work to do to figure out where we want to get to at center,” Quinn said.
That’s about as direct as Quinn gets when it comes to a player or position.
The Commanders still expect Allegretti to be ready for Week 1, but that may not be enough to calm the situation. Peters should be exploring trade options for a backup center with NFL experience, and he could also make a call to a familiar free agent: Graham Glasgow.
Glasgow is 34 and brings a long track record, with 147 regular-season games and 136 starts over 10 seasons. He has played both guard and center, and the Lions moved on from him earlier this year in what was believed to be a cost-cutting move.
Whether Glasgow would sign without a guaranteed starting role is another question. That kind of assurance seems unlikely in Washington. Even so, the Commanders need to ask.
After Saturday, the pressure is on Peters to clean up a mess he helped create.
In Other News...
Commanders Face Tough 53-Man Calls After Surprise Preseason Risers
Two preseason games are enough to sharpen a lot of roster conversations, and Washington is now in the thick of them as final cuts approach. The Commanders have spent the past couple of weeks sorting through the back end of the roster, with the evaluation process taking on extra weight after Marcus Mariotas injury created an opening behind center.
Athan Kaliakmanis has taken advantage of the chance and has strengthened his case as a backup quarterback with his recent play. He is part of a small group of surprise risers, along with Joshua Josephs and Kaytron Allen, who have helped make some of these 53-man decisions more complicated than they looked a short time ago. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Quinn Sent Commanders A Clear Message After That Lions Showing
The Commanders altered their usual Monday routine by scrapping a walk-through and instead going with a full practice, a clear sign that Dan Quinn wanted a sharper response after an underwhelming showing against the Lions. Quinn then met with reporters afterward, and the shift in schedule fit the tone of a coach trying to keep standards high rather than let a preseason performance linger in the building.
It also came at the right time, with a joint practice against the Ravens looming and a tougher stretch of evaluation ahead. For a team trying to establish habits early, the message from Quinn was simple enough to read between the lines: no easing up, no settling in, and no room for complacency just because it is August. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have One Major Problem In Front Of Jayden Daniels
Dan Quinn left little doubt after Washingtons latest preseason game that one of the last unresolved spots on the roster remains right in front of Jayden Daniels. The Commanders still have not settled on a starting center, with Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin splitting snaps while Nick Allegretti works back from injury. It is the kind of timing issue that can ripple through an offense, especially for a young quarterback who needs the line and the communication in front of him to be as steady as possible.
The competition has not produced a clear answer yet, and the calendar is not offering much help. Washington has limited time and limited options to sort out the position before the regular season begins, which puts added pressure on every practice rep and every preseason decision still to come. For a team trying to build around Daniels, center is suddenly one of the most important spots left to solve. [Read more 🡒]