Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Breaking down the Washington Football Team’s position battles: Left Tackle

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: Geron Christian #74 of the Washington Redskins looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: Geron Christian #74 of the Washington Redskins looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 16: Cornelius Lucas #73 of the Chicago Bears lines up against the New York Giants during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 16: Cornelius Lucas #73 of the Chicago Bears lines up against the New York Giants during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

Current Favorite: Cornelius Lucas

During the 2020 NFL offseason, Washington signed Cornelius Lucas to a two-year deal worth $5.3 million. The 6-foot-8 journeyman was coming off a solid season for the Chicago Bears and many expected that he would serve as the top swing tackle for the team.

But after Washington elected not to take an offensive tackle with their first two draft picks, it became clearer that Lucas could be in the running for the starting job. And at this point, it seems that he is favored to start at left tackle.

There’s one thing that separates Lucas from his competitors right now. Experience. Throughout his career, Lucas has played in 53 NFL games. He has only started 11, but eight of them came last year with the Bears. Lucas played left tackle twice in those eight starts (six at right tackle) and played in all 16 games for the Bears. In 702 snaps, he allowed just one sack and didn’t commit a penalty.

More from Commanders News

Those are strong numbers. And given that he was playing on a beat-up offensive line with the Bears, they’re even more impressive. Perhaps in 2020, he will have a chance to repeat that success.

In some ways, Lucas is reminiscent of Ty Nsekhe. He’s a bit of a late bloomer but has a massive frame and a solid set of skills that should allow him to find success moving forward. In an ideal world, Lucas would be a swing tackle. But as a stopgap starter on the left side of the line, he should have a chance to continue his solid streak of play that started in Chicago last year.

Lucas probably won’t be the starter for the whole season. But at least to begin the year, he should be on the field. He’s the current favorite right now but it will be interesting to see if the top challenger at the position can knock him back to the swing tackle role before the season rolls around.

Home/Commanders News