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John Matsko’s history developing offensive linemen bodes well for Redskins

By Jacob Camenker

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 29: Carolina Panthers running game coordinator John Matsko during the second half during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 29: Carolina Panthers running game coordinator John Matsko during the second half during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 21: Saahdiq Charles #77 of the LSU Tigers blocks Andre Mintze #48 of the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 21: Saahdiq Charles #77 of the LSU Tigers blocks Andre Mintze #48 of the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

How Matsko can help the Redskins

At this point, we’ve gone through Matsko’s entire career and noted all of his recent successes. Now, the question becomes, how exactly will he help the Redskins?

Well, let’s focus on Matsko’s strengths. First and foremost, he’s good at developing talent even when players have to sit on the bench for a year. That bodes well for the young linemen that the Redskins invested in during the 2020 NFL Draft, Saahdiq Charles and Keith Ismael. Both have upside but may need more time to gain seasoning. Matsko was able to develop players both on the field and behind the scenes, so both of those players should be in good hands moving forward.

Another strength of Matsko’s is that he’s not afraid to move pieces around to create the most effective blocking unit. That’s good news for a team that has no roles set on the left side of the offensive line. Matsko can experiment with Cornelius Lucas, Charles, Wes Schweitzer, and Wes Martin while considering moving Ismael or Chase Roullier to guard if necessary too.

Matsko will do what he thinks is best with the unit and won’t hesitate to make changes. That’s good news for the Redskins as it may take a number of tries to find the right combination. But rest assured, Matsko will be willing to try everything until he settles on the right five-man unit.

Elsewhere, Matsko could try to get the most out of fringe roster candidates at the tackle position like Geron Christian and Timon Parris. Both have been with the team for three years and have the traits needed to succeed, so perhaps Matsko can coax their upside out of them. Christian, a former 2018 third-round pick, particularly may need some one-on-one development if he is going to crack the roster. It will be interesting to see if Matsko can help him get better.

Next. Redskins roster projection - Loading up in the trenches. dark

No matter how you look at it, Matsko seems like a good hire. He has a long track record at the NFL level and has had his fair share of success. He may not have the name recognition or head coaching experience of Bill Callahan, but Matsko should be a breath of fresh air for the O-Line group as they head into the Ron Rivera era.

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