Redskins LG Shawn Lauvao likely to miss time, per Jay Gruden

Offensive line injuries plagued the Redskins last year. This year, they have an early start at repeating the nightmare of 2017.

It was known from the conclusion of the 21-9 loss to the Colts that Washington Redskins starting left guard Shawn Lauvao had suffered an injury.

Lauvao was listed as limited early in the week, and now after the first full practices, Jay Gruden stated in a press conference, per ESPN beat reporter John Keim, that Lauvao could end up missing time. Regardless of the quality of Lauvao’s play, the injury is a blow to both experience and depth on the line, and in the running game, Lauvao is a suitable player.

With Lauvao out, the plan appears to be moving Chase Roullier to left guard to fill in for Lauvao, while slotting in backup interior lineman Tony Bergstrom at center. Ty Nsekhe could theoretically play guard, but with injuries starting to dwell, keeping him as valuable tackle depth is a more appealing option.

Aside from an earlier statement that disclosed Lauvao’s ailment as a calf injury, no further details have been forwarded on the matter. The Redskins worked out a number of offensive linemen a few days ago, but signed only one, Chris Durant, to the practice squad.

Time will tell whether the Redskins are done making additions on the offensive line. For now, they will likely have undrafted rookie Casey Dunn active on game days as an interior backup, while Tony Bergstrom joins the starting lineup. If injuries persist and multiply, the team will be forced to do some damage control.

Bergstrom isn’t an NFL starter, but he is a quality backup with some degree of versatility on the interior. No team, in a perfect world, ever wants their backups to receive substantial starting snaps. But sometimes, the inevitability of the sport wills it so. On Sunday, Bergstrom will be a crucial player in the Redskins’ offensive puzzle, and his job won’t be easy.