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Five most important free-agent Redskins of the 2021 offseason

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 15: Brandon Scherff #75 of the Washington football team takes the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 15: Brandon Scherff #75 of the Washington football team takes the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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ORCHARD PARK, NY – NOVEMBER 03: Chase Roullier #73 of the Washington Redskins waits to snap the ball against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on November 3, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo beats Washington 24 to 9. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY – NOVEMBER 03: Chase Roullier #73 of the Washington Redskins waits to snap the ball against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on November 3, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo beats Washington 24 to 9. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /

58. . Center. Washington Commanders. Chase Roullier. 2. player

Chase Roullier is set to be the Redskins starter heading into 2020. It will mark his third season in that role and he has done a solid job so far.

Roullier was a sixth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and has gotten better with each year. He stepped in to replace Spencer Long after the former Redskin suffered an injury in 2017 and since then, Roullier hasn’t looked back.

I made a case for Roullier as one of the most underrated players on the Redskins in a recent piece. The core of the argument: durability, consistency, and improvement.

"In 2018, Roullier played every single one of the Redskins’ offensive snaps. And last season, he started 14 games in total and played 88.5 percent of the snaps. He’s not the best center in the league, but he’s a smart, strong player who can effectively make blocks at the next level. During his three NFL seasons, Roullier has only committed six penalties and allowed four sacks in total. Given that he’s played without a full-strength Brandon Scherff on his right and several different quarterbacks for most of his time as a starter, that’s pretty impressive. Roullier is entering a contract year and the 26-year-old should only get better moving forward. He’s not the team’s best offensive lineman, but he well may be the second-best in the wake of Morgan Moses‘ struggles. And in terms of consistency, he has certainly been undervalued to kick off his NFL career."

Roullier will be hitting free agency in 2021 and a lot of his future will depend on Keith Ismael’s performance in 2020. If the rookie fifth-round pick progresses, grows, and looks like an eventual starter, Roullier will move down this list. But for the time being, Roullier qualifies as the team’s second-best offensive lineman. And until Ismael improves and proves himself, Roullier’s next contract will be worth focusing on.

Maybe Ismael does emerge. But if not, Roullier will be a key cog to retain. And that is only strengthened by the possibility of losing the No. 1 target on this list.

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