New Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters knew he needed to fix the offensive line during his first offseason. The good news is Peters had around $90 million in salary cap space and nine picks in the 2024 NFL draft to improve a unit that allowed 65 sacks last season.
The Commanders signed many players, including two starting offensive linemen, and spent one of their nine picks on a lineman. Yet, here we are, three weeks from training camp, and Washington’s offensive line remains a big question mark.
Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti are the new starters at center and left guard, respectively. Biadasz was a solid center for Dallas over the previous four seasons, while Allegretti was Kansas City’s top reserve, who thrived when called upon. Both represent upgrades for the Commanders, even if they aren’t Pro Bowl-level players.
Washington re-signed Cornelius Lucas at left tackle. He has started 31 games for the Commanders at right and left tackle over the last four seasons. He’s been solid, but he struggles once he’s required to start several games.
The Commanders used a third-round pick on Brandon Coleman. Some NFL teams viewed Coleman as a guard, but his measurables favor him playing tackle.
Will this offensive line be good enough to protect a rookie quarterback (Jayden Daniels)?
According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Washington’s offensive line remains one of the league’s 10 most significant roster holes ahead of training camp. In fact, Patra ranked the Commanders’ O-Line at No. 4.
Jayden Daniels’ blind side sits in a precarious spot. Washington didn’t address left tackle in free agency and waited until the draft’s third round before taking a tackle. Thirty-two-year-old journeyman Cornelius Lucas, who’s started double-digit games once in 10 seasons, and third-round pick Brandon Coleman are in line to compete for the gig. Guard Nick Allegretti was a backup in Kansas City for the past five years and will be tasked with locking down the left guard spot. RG Sam Cosmi is a stud and C Tyler Biadasz is solid, but the rest of the group has significant question marks. The hope is that Daniels’ elusiveness can mitigate some of the issues, but that’s asking a lot of a rookie.
Each of Patra’s are valid. Cosmi is a stud and needs to be extended soon. Allegretti is a bit of a mystery, while Biadasz will be just fine. Both tackle spots, including right tackle (Andrew Wylie), represent some concern.
There aren’t many moves Peters can make this close to training camp. When he took the job, he had a laundry list of issues to fix, and he has done an outstanding job of filling those needs. Peters always knew he couldn’t fix every hole in one offseason. But, if Peters is right about the moves he has made, Washington’s offense has a chance to be much better than people expect in 2024.