The Washington Redskins haven’t exactly plugged the hole they have at left guard this offseason. That said, they have added some intriguing undrafted free agents to compete on the interior offensive line and one of them is Casey Dunn.
One of the primary holes that the Washington Redskins had on the offensive side of the ball coming into the 2018 offseason was at left guard. It was widely assumed that the team was going to move on from the ineffective Shawn Lauvao. Instead, the team re-signed Lauvao after the 2018 NFL Draft and he was expected to compete with some of the younger players on the roster.
Chiefly, Arie Kouandjio was expected to challenge Lauvao. However, Kouandjio injured his quad and he will be out indefinitely. He did have surgery on the injury and it’s possible that he could return in September. But for now, relying on him would be a mistake.
Elsewhere, there was some buzz about Sean Welsh, who had signed with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent. However, after one day of rookie minicamp, he elected to retire as he didn’t have the desire to play any longer. Thus, Welsh isn’t an option.
However, following rookie minicamp, a new player came into focus. That would be former Auburn center Casey Dunn. Dunn had come in as a tryout player, but he was signed to the 90-man roster after impressing. There’s a chance that if he plays well, he could be the next Welsh: a potential depth lineman who would be a solid practice squader at the least.
With that said, here’s all the information that you need to know about the newest member of the Redskins.
About Casey Dunn
Dunn comes to the Redskins after a good college career. Dunn, a native of Trussville, Alabama, played at Jacksonville State, a college that is deceptively located in Alabama. Dunn was one of the better linemen in the FCS during his time there. Dunn earned all sorts of honors during his two years as a starter. And during that time, Dunn really helped the Jacksonville State offense to thrive.
The Gamecocks were able to reach the FCS title game in 2015, and that was largely thanks to their terrific offense. They were the top rushing offense in the Ohio Valley conference, and Dunn played a role in that. At the FCS level, Dunn was great at taking on defenders and stalemating them near the line of scrimmage, and that allowed the Gamecocks to open up holes as a result.
Because of Dunn’s strong performance at the FCS level, he was given a chance to come to Auburn and compete for a starting job. Dunn played in 11 games for the Tigers and was generally a solid part of the team’s offensive line. He helped open holes for Kerryon Johnson, and that really will be his calling card for the next level.
The Tigers run offense ranked No. 26 in the FBS last season, and Dunn played no small role in that. He started nine games at center, and he worked well with right guard Braden Smith, who ended up being a Round 2 pick.
Despite Dunn’s success at the FCS level and his solid performance at Auburn, he wasn’t drafted and was only brought into Redskins camp on a tryout basis. That said, it was mildly surprising that he wasn’t a priority free agent, given that he is a skilled technician. Regardless, Dunn will have a chance to succeed in the NFL if given time to develop.
What Casey Dunn does well
When watching Dunn’s tape, it’s easy to see how he has been such a consistent player over the course of his past three seasons, despite the jump up in competition.
Dunn is an excellent technician and really knows how to use his hands. In the run game, he excels at getting off the ball and quickly hitting the opposing defenders to ensure that he can stalemate them right away. And once Dunn is engaged, he is rarely, if ever, moved backwards. He keeps his hands high and avoids putting them too far outside on the shoulder pads. This allows him to avoid holding penalties.
Also, Dunn is good at moving his body while engaged to shield the runner and open running lanes. Often, Dunn was able to move his feet to get to a more advantageous blocking position, and that allowed Johnson to have a lot of success in hitting open lanes. That skill should translate well to the NFL, as footwork is key for NFL interior linemen.
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Additionally, Dunn has good athletic ability that is shown on tape. When he gets into space and runs out on screen passes, he moves very well. He has decent speed and can get to the next level when needed to make blocks.
Dunn’s solid athletic ability was backed up by the numbers he posted at his Pro Day. Dunn ran the 40-yard dash in 5.03 seconds and posted a 29 inch vertical. Those are above average numbers for a center, so that should give him a chance to compete for a roster spot.
Because of all that, Dunn seems like an ideal candidate to make the roster, and he could be in the mix at left guard. However, he still has to improve in a couple of areas in order to truly be considered for a spot on the 53-man roster.
What Casey Dunn needs to improve
In looking at Dunn as a prospect, it’s clear that there is one area that he definitely needs to improve if he wants to stick around at the NFL level. And that is his strength and weight.
As it stands, Dunn has a nice 6-foot-4 frame, but while at Auburn, he was listed at 292 pounds. Typically speaking, the average NFL center is about 10 pounds heavier. And while Dunn did bulk up to 297 pounds for his Pro Day workout, he only logged 22 reps on the bench press. That’s a below-average total for centers. He definitely needs to continue to add muscle if he can to improve his overall potential.
On tape, Dunn is usually able to stalemate his opponents as previously mentioned. However, he doesn’t often drive many players down the field with his blocks. At the NFL level against bigger, stronger, and faster defenders, it may become a problem for him to continue to stalemate his opponents. So, getting up to the 300-310 pound range seems like a necessity for Dunn. Otherwise, he may not be able to hold up as well as he did at the collegiate level.
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Also, Dunn should continue to work on his ability as a pass blocker. Because he played at Jacksonville State and Auburn, two teams that heavily used their run game, Dunn is a bit raw regarding pass blocking. In fact, Auburn ranked 105th in the FBS out of 130 teams, passing the ball a meager 38.75 percent of the time. That doesn’t mean that Dunn will be a bad pass blocker, but it may take some time for him to adjust to doing that more at the NFL level, considering the lack of reps he had in pass protection at the collegiate level.
These weaknesses definitely played a part in Dunn going undrafted and having to make a squad as a tryout player. But, with a solid strength and conditioning program and a good offensive line coach, the concerns can be put to bed. Considering that the Redskins have Bill Callahan in the fold, they should be in good shape to help Dunn develop into a potential option as a backup center.
How Casey Dunn might fit with the Redskins
Dunn signed as a tryout player after the draft and long after the priority free agents were inked to deals. So, it would be premature to say that he has a good shot at making the 53-man roster. However, in looking at him as a player, it may be hard for the Redskins to pass on having him in their organization in some capacity.
Dunn simply is a great technician who is extremely good in the run game, and he will have a chance to develop into a quality NFL center. As it stands, he looks like a good backup candidate with a solid frame, athletic ability, and the potential to be a versatile player at the NFL level. So, he should have a chance to make the roster and at the very least, he will be a practice squad candidate.
There’s no way of knowing how Dunn will factor into the offensive line rotation until OTAs and the preseason really begin. But for him to realistically have a shot at staying in Washington, he will have to play on par with fringe roster candidates like Tyler Catalina, Kyle Kalis, Tony Bergstrom, and T.J. Clemmings. Because of his ability to play center, he may have a shot to beat Kalis. And if he can show enough upside, overtaking Bergstrom would be next.
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Keep an eye on Dunn as long as he’s with the team. He could end up being a real diamond in the rough this offseason. Picking him up after tryouts was certainly a strong move by the Redskins.