Brandon Scherff moves to guard
By jonfox
It had been rumored and observed since the beginning of last week: Brandon Scherff was lining up at right guard for the Redskins after a few days lined up at right tackle for the team.
After a full day of Scherff lining up at guard, Jay Gruden “spilled the secret” about what was going on: Bill Callahan moved Scherff to right guard and Morgan Moses is the starter at right tackle.
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Reportedly this move wasn’t made because Brandon Scherff was looking rough or overwhelmed at RT. The move was made because Morgan Moses is thriving under the tutelage of Bill Callahan.
The big knock against Moses, when he did play in 2014, was that he played too high and bent at the waist far too much. This is a combination for a shorter speed rusher to victimize a tackle. He came into the league with great strength/power and good footwork, but these inconsistent flaws hurt his performance.
Fast forward a year and Callahan appears to have taught out these flaws so far. Moses now plays the way that an OT should: using his height and power to keep the rusher out of the plays.
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It would have been understandable for the Redskins to keep Brandon Scherff at the position that they said they were draft him for. That they’ll hazard some fan outrage(and there’s plenty of that about this on twitter) to maximize talent speaks volumes.
What this says to this author is that McCloughan doesn’t care one whit about the fans howling about any move he makes. This doesn’t mean he’ll always ignore fan opinion but he’s unafraid to approve a move like this to maximize the talent on the field.
What does this mean for Spencer Long and Shawn Lauvao? It means that, at least when it comes to the offensive line, the best players are going to play. Long will have to find a new position(he’s worked out at center).
Lauvao will have to beat out Arie Kouandjio to keep his job if the coaches hold him to the same standards as they’re holding Scherff/Moses to. At the very least, Lauvao can’t repeat last season’s incompetence.
Mostly importantly: what does this mean for Trent Williams? The short answer is: nothing good. Reportedly Williams and the Redskins are still far apart on a new contract.
Dec 20, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams (71) grimaces after being injured against the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
It’s possible that the Redskins and Williams come to some sort of agreement between now and March. It seems unlikely right now.
The temptation for Callahan with Moses’ improvement is that they start measuring him up as a potential Williams replacement. If so, Williams will be lowballed contract wise and Moses might be given a chance at LT in a season.
The alternative is McCloughan thinking that since the right side of the offensive line is secure, they can let Williams walk and replace him with a rookie LT. And it’s a thick draft for OTs in 2016.