Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have done a lot of work on their roster for the 2024 NFL season.
With so many new faces on the field and in the coaching staff the Commanders have a long hill to climb toward forming a united team that moves and pulls in the same direction, and they’re already starting to put it together.
However, as happy as most are with what Washington has achieved this offseason there’s still a clear need that has to be addressed and it’s all about fortifying the protection around new quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“Luckily, Daniels showed in the SEC that he’s good at escaping pressure in the pocket. He’ll likely have to do plenty of that in the NFC East,” Kevin Patra of NFL.com wrote recently when identifying the biggest remaining offseason priority for every NFC team. “The Commanders imported center Tyler Biadasz from Dallas and former Chiefs reserve Nick Allegretti to play guard. The moves were upgrades but aren’t surefire roadblocks. Outside of Sam Cosmi at right guard, there are questions up and down the Commanders O-line, along with depth issues. The biggest question comes at left tackle, where soon-to-be 33-year-old Cornelius Lucas is penciled in to start over third-round rookie Brandon Coleman. Regardless, left tackle will be a spot opponents target incessantly during Daniels’ rookie campaign. The hope is the whole is greater than the sum of its parts along the D.C. O-line in 2024. Otherwise, the rookie QB could be scrambling for his life.
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Coach Quinn acknowledged the need to figure out the left tackle position on Wednesday but also explained that the team is going to take its time before deciding who the starter at that position will be.
Like Patra stated, the Commanders know their left side protection is going to be challenged often and when looking at pass rushers in the NFC East Division alone like Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys), Josh Sweat (Philadelphia Eagles), and Brian Burns (New York Giants) there’s plenty of reason for the urgency felt around the team’s offensive line.
There’s no reason for the staff to rush to a decision and risk rushing to failure, so the steady approach is the right one, even if it continues to grate on the nerves of all who worry about the health and protection of their new rookie quarterback.
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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.
