It was a foregone conclusion entering the offseason that the Washington Commanders would make a move at offensive tackle. The Commanders were busy during the early stages of free agency, signing over a dozen players within the first week.
However, none of those players were an offensive tackle. That’s not to say Washington didn’t address the offensive line. The Commanders signed center Tyler Biadasz and guard Nick Allegretti, both of whom will likely start. Washington did re-sign veteran tackle Cornelius Lucas, bringing him back for his fifth season with the franchise.
The Commanders still had the 2024 NFL draft, and many believed they would move back into the first round for one of the offensive tackles in what was a deep class. The first round came and went, and Washington did not move back into the first, although there were attempts to do so.
The Commanders did use a high third-round pick on TCU offensive lineman Brandon Coleman. Washington said Coleman would be a tackle, and while others view him as a guard, his film and athletic profile is promising.
We’ve discussed multiple veteran options for the Commanders. While none would be long-term solutions, there just aren’t many players who could come in and start Week 1 at left tackle.
Bleacher Report recently looked at seven teams that didn’t address their major holes in the 2024 NFL draft and suggested what these teams could do to improve.
Washington’s tackle problem was listed.
Here’s what B/R said about the Commanders’ tackle need:
New center Tyler Biadasz and third-year guard Sam Cosmi are the only offensive linemen on the squad proven to be at least average starters. The rest—left tackle Cornelius Lucas, left guard Nick Allegretti and right tackle Andrew Wylie—are all replacement level or worse.
The blindside commands priority. It always has and it always will. With a rookie quarterback in the building, especially one with some of the pocket-management concerns Jayden Daniels brings, the priority on sorting out the position is raised even higher.
As we sit here in June, the Commanders’ options at left tackle are Lucas, Cosmi and third-round rookie Brandon Coleman.
Lucas is hardly a serious consideration. He’s been a fine spot starter for the Commanders for half a decade now, but if he was good enough to be locked into a starting job, he would be by now.
Cosmi is an intriguing option but not a surefire answer. He played both left and right tackle in college, as well as right tackle for most of his time with the Commanders. However, he has yet to play left tackle in the NFL, in part because he lacks the range and length you see from the best blindside protectors. It’s why he’s kicked inside to guard.
Even if Cosmi does OK at left tackle, that just makes the guard spot worse in turn. Being better at left tackle is probably more valuable, but the Commanders would just be moving one quality lineman to a different position rather than adding another good player to the line. That doesn’t solve much.
Then there’s the rookie Coleman. Right off the bat, it’s hard to trust any third-round tackle to be an immediate positive presence on the left side. He is also coming from an Air Raid-style offense that doesn’t really pass protect with the same rules or spacing as the NFL. That’s going to create a steep learning curve. Chances are Coleman won’t be ready for the spotlight Week 1.
The Commanders should be in the market for the handful of remaining left tackles out there.
D.J. Humphries, Donovan Smith, and David Bakhtiari were all named as potential signings for Washington. We’ve discussed each. Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the season and will not be ready for the early part of the season. He may not be able to play at all. Bakhtiari has been injured for much of the past three seasons. Smith would be a potential option for one season.
As far as the potential of Cosmi moving back to tackle, that would be a horrible move for him and the team. He has All-Pro potential at guard and is heading into a contract year. Peters and Quinn see Cosmi’s future at guard, too.
Coleman and Lucas both worked at left tackle during OTAs and minicamp. Washington’s ultimate outcome would be Coleman winning the job.
