The Washington Redskins have some strong offensive linemen, but their depth could be a challenge in 2019.
Over the course of the past two seasons, we’ve noticed one big thing about the Washington Redskins offensive line. When healthy, they had one of the more solid units in the league, though there was a hole at left guard. Unfortunately, the unit was seldom, if ever, healthy.
In each of the past two seasons, the ‘Skins have dealt with countless injuries on the offensive line. These maladies have led them to sign players off the street and try to turn them into solid players. That has been an issue and has been part of the team’s demise down the stretch in each of the past two seasons.
Heading into 2019, the unit is looking similar. They have a strong starting unit still, but their depth is even less proven. They have added some high upside guys and some draft picks, but with a key holdout looming, the squad could find themselves in trouble if they lose one or two starters. That will make evaluating the depth chart crucial for the team this year, and they will need to have a shortlist of available players that can step in and block for the squad if injuries strike again.
With that said, here’s an in-depth look at the team’s depth chart as the 2019 offseason rolls along.
Starting tackles
Trent Williams and Morgan Moses
This would be a foregone conclusion if Williams hadn’t recently decided to holdout from minicamp. Depending on who you listen to, he’s either asking for more money or he wants a trade because he’s fed up with the medical staff. Either way, his status entering the season is uncertain.
However, I have a tough time imagining that the Redskins will move on from Williams unless they’re forced to. They have very little depth at tackle, and almost all of it is unproven (and those that are proven are proven to be bad). If the team wants to keep their quarterback upright, they’ll find a way to work things out with Williams.
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It will be interesting to see how quickly the holdout timeline progresses. But, for now, I still think that Williams will be suiting up for the ‘Skins to start the season. He just may have a new contract before that happens.
Meanwhile, Moses has been a stalwart on the line in recent seasons. He has started all 16 games in four consecutive seasons. While he has dealt with injuries at times and has struggled with penalties, he still has the ability to be one of the better tackles in the NFL. He will be on the field and he will be generally solid, if not, better. He is the surest thing on the Washington line at the moment, and there’s no doubt he will be trusted as the starter in 2019.
If Williams plays for Washington, these two will be one of the best tackle tandems in the league. But if Williams won’t, then the replacement, which will get into later, are very, very suspect.
Starting interior line
Wes Martin, Chase Roullier, and Brandon Scherff
The Redskins have had a big question at left guard over the course of the past five years. Shawn Lauvao was the starter at the position and he got progressively worse, starting as an average-at-best starter before injuries sapped him of his athletic ability and made him a poor starter. Now, the team hopes they have a new starter in Martin.
Martin, a fourth-round pick out of Indiana, didn’t receive a ton of hype during the draft process, but he is a strong, physical guard who could be a mauler at the next level. He will have competition at the left guard position from his teammates Flowers, Bergstrom, and Pierschbacher (more on them later) but for the time being, he’s looking like the favorite to be the day one starter.
Some have been critical of Roullier this offseason, but the fact of the matter is that he was a former sixth-round pick that was able to play all 1,020 of the team’s offensive snaps last year. In those snaps, Roullier allowed just one sack and committed five penalties. He is a solid center and while he may never be more than that, the team doesn’t need him to be. If he can continue to do well in pass protection, that will go a long way for this squad.
As for Scherff, the only question mark with him is his health. He’s coming off a torn pectoral muscle, and that injury can be hard to overcome. When he’s on the field, Scherff is one of the best guards in the league and he should continue to develop on that trajectory. If he is fully healthy, he will make a big difference for the Redskins.
This year, the interior line finally looks solidified. If Martin pans out, then this unit should be cohesive and should do well.
Backup tackles
Geron Christian and Ereck Flowers
This group certainly is…something. The loss of Ty Nsekhe really hurt the team’s depth this year, as he was one of the best swing tackles in the league. Now, things aren’t looking great at the position.
In fairness, Christian is entering just his second season and has upside after being a third-round pick in 2018. He didn’t look good at all as a rookie, but he needed to add strength and was viewed as raw when entering the league. Perhaps a full offseason of work will have improved his build, and that could give him a chance to be a more effective swing tackle. It will be tough for him to duplicate Nsekhe’s success, but not impossible.
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However, after Christian, the team has practically nothing. They signed Flowers this offseason to a “prove it” deal thinking that they would move him inside. But given the team’s lack of talent at tackle, he may end up being the fourth tackle on the roster while also providing depth at guard.
Flowers has been a human turnstile as a tackle since being a first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2015. He does have good athletic ability, so using him as a guard would be fine. But ideally, the ‘Skins would probably like to find a fourth body at tackle to ensure Flowers won’t have to play there. But, for the time being, he is the favorite to be the fourth tackle.
This position could turn into a major weakness if Williams’ holdout continues. If Christian is forced to start, he would be a question mark. And having the unreliable Flowers as the swing tackle would be a borderline disaster. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this, but the tackle position could become a problem area quickly for the Redskins.
Backup interior line
Tony Bergstrom and Ross Pierschbacher
The Redskins could choose to keep three players at this position, but for the moment, I think they’ll only keep two. And part of that is because they do have positional versatility here.
Bergstrom has been with the team for a few seasons now, and he has served as their primary backup center. He also has seen action at guard and has been decent when on the field. He doesn’t have much upside left — he turns 33 in August — but he can still be a solid backup.
Last season, Bergstrom played in just under 50 percent of the offensive snaps. He allowed only one sack and had just one penalty, so that type of play from a backup is good. That plus his experience make him a favorite to make the roster.
As for Pierschbacher, he was a fifth-round pick out of Alabama who could eventually challenge for a starting job at guard or center if Martin and Roullier regress or get hurt. He is probably the heir apparent to Bergstrom as a top interior backup, so he should stay on the roster as well.
Fringe roster options
Timon Parris, Tyler Catalina, Casey Dunn, and Zac Kerin
These three players are being singled out for a few reasons. The first is that if the Redskins do lose Trent Williams, they will probably opt to keep 10 offensive linemen. And secondly, these players have skill sets that could push Flowers and Bergstrom for time at tackle and guard respectively.
I almost considered leaving Parris on the roster because of the Williams situation. The 6-foot-6 tackle out of Stony Brook spent time on the practice squad and active roster last year, and if he shows enough growth, he could hold down the fourth tackle position. He has the size needed to make an impact. It’s just a matter of whether or not he develops.
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Meanwhile, Catalina has been in the league for two years now and while he has been on and off the roster, the ‘Skins seem to like him. They have been giving him tackle reps in minicamp, so if they think he can play both guard and tackle, he may have a chance to make it as an extra blocker.
As for Dunn and Kerin, both have experience on the interior line. Dunn actually made the 53-man roster last season as a developmental center, but the team cut him and added him to the practice squad when the O-line got thin. They clearly thought he wasn’t ready to play yet, which is odd that they didn’t have him on the practice squad to start the year. Regardless, Dunn is an excellent technician and if he adds strength, he could be a solid backup at the NFL level.
Kerin joined the Redskins late last season after they had a lot of injuries on the line. They brought him back as line depth, but it seems unlikely that he will make the push to get back on the active roster. Still, he was a decent blocker and learned well on the fly last year, so maybe with more offseason work, he can make it as an interior backup.
All four of these guys have their merits. They just happen to be behind other guys that project to better fit the roster. But if I had to pick one of these guys that I thought would make it, it would probably be Parris with Dunn as a very close second.
Practice squad hopefuls
Brian Wallace, Blake Hance, and Jerald Foster
The Redskins have been shuffling tackles like crazy, so Wallace and/or Hance could be off the team by the time you’re reading this. Both have some amount of upside, but Bill Callahan and Jay Gruden seem to be content to keep shuffling players until they find someone they like.
Both Wallace and Hance have well-built 6-foot-5 frames, but Wallace tips the scales at 317 compared to Hance’s 301. If Wallace can show similar athletic ability at that size, he may have the edge for a practice squad tackle spot (provided that he can beat out the fringe roster candidates for one).
Meanwhile, Foster has been on the team for a bit since being an undrafted free agent. They must like what he’s been doing enough to keep him around. That said, he still has a tough road beating out the other competition on the interior offensive line. For the moment, he is certainly behind Kerin and Dunn as they fight for a potential roster spot, so he may be best served fighting for a practice squad spot.
Realistically, these guys are young, but they are only replacement level players. Unless one surprises, don’t expect to see them on the 53-man roster this fall.