We are a little over two months away from veteran Cornelius Lucas opening Washington Commanders’ training camp as the left tackle. Considering Washington’s investment in quarterback Jayden Daniels, that may not be the best decision.
Lucas has been with Washington since 2020 and started a bunch of games. He’s been good. However, the longer he plays, the more his flaws are exposed. Lucas has been a valuable player for the Commanders and that’s why the regime brought him back at almost 33 years old.
Washington drafted TCU’s Brandon Coleman early in the third round of last month’s NFL draft. While some believe Coleman may be better at guard, the Commanders loved his tape, and he has excellent measurables, which they feel translates to left tackle.
But you can’t count on a third-round rookie in Week 1.
Washington largely ignored the position in free agency, outside of bringing back Lucas. The Commanders released last year’s starter, Charles Leno Jr., who had offseason surgery. While there are no surefire options available right now, there is one particularly intriguing player available.
Former Green Bay offensive tackle David Bakhtiari played only one game last season and has played in just 13 games over the past three seasons as he has undergone two knee surgeries.
Bakhtiari recently received some positive injury news, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Bakhtiari will be 33 in September, and Washington has plenty of cap space remaining to take a chance on Bakhtiari for the upcoming season.
Former #Packers All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari, who is recovering from knee surgeries, had a positive follow-up exam with expert Dr. Brian Cole, and Cole proclaimed him on schedule for a 2024 season return.
Cole is the chairman of Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center in… pic.twitter.com/7GtC0pOzSy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 21, 2024
Bakhtiari will not be costly, as no team will break the bank on him. This means he could be a smart buy-low candidate if team doctors clear him for 2024. A two-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time second-team All-Pro, Bakhtiari could at least be brought in for a workout.