Washington Redskins interested in bringing back OL John Sullivan
By Ian Cummings
The Washington Redskins are seriously lacking on the offensive line, in terms of depth.
The clear need for such a thing was displayed on a national scale in 2017, when the Washington Redskins‘ offensive line was effectively decimated by injuries. The offense couldn’t function at a comparable level with the team’s depth stunted, and the team’s production suffered as a result.
For the Washington Redskins, it’s logical to have interest in veteran interior linemen floating on the market. And per Ian Rapoport, the team is particularly interested in bringing back a player who resided in D.C. relatively recently: Veteran center John Sullivan.
#Rams veteran C John Sullivan was invited on a visit by the #Giants, source said, as they continue to try to improve their OL. He’s drawing interest from the #Redskins, too.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
Sullivan spent the 2017 season with the Los Angeles Rams and former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay. He was a very serviceable player in the middle of the line, putting up a decent grade of 74,6 on Pro Football Focus.
Sullivan turns 33 years old later this year, but the former Indianapolis Colts All-Pro hasn’t yet seen his production, or his durability, take a hit. He started fifteen of sixteen possible games in 2017, giving the Rams a reliable anchor at center. With the Washington Redskins, he could bring back some of that reliability, and potentially for a cheap price.
Sullivan is a center first, but the Washington Redskins don’t need him there. Chase Roullier is entrenched as the starter for 2018, and so Sullivan would likely serve a purpose as insurance on the interior, playing at both center and guard. The skill sets of guards and centers are comparable, and a tenured player like Sullivan would help immensely.
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The Washington Redskins still have a little more than $20 million left in cap space to spend on free agents. Aside from their signing of Paul Richardson, the Washington Redskins have been rather frugal, opting to avoid spending big bucks on high-priority free agents. Signing John Sullivan wouldn’t be the most attractive move. But it would be cost-effective. And it could serve the team well for 2018.