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

By Jacob Camenker

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 29: Wes Martin #67 of the Washington Football Team blocks B.J. Hill #95 of the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 29: Wes Martin #67 of the Washington Football Team blocks B.J. Hill #95 of the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 13: Ross Pierschbacher #64 of the Washington football team warms up prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 13: Ross Pierschbacher #64 of the Washington football team warms up prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

The Rest

Mike Liedtke. Washington signed Liedtke as a free agent this offseason from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There has been little to no buzz surrounding Liedtke, but the fact of the matter is that the team has kept him around despite parting with some of the other players they signed on the O-Line like Jeremy Vujnovich and Kevin Pamphile.

Liedtke has NFL experience and has logged 10 games of NFL action. He’s not likely to challenge for the starting guard spot, but he could challenge a roster spot, so we’ll list him among the other interior line options.

Ross Pierschbacher. A fifth-round draft pick in 2019, Pierschbacher was considered to be a potential long-term backup at center for Washington who could eventually develop into a starter. But maybe he could find a spot at left guard.

Pierschbacher is a heady player but is merely a marginal athlete overall. So, starting him at guard won’t be ideal. He could end up being a versatile backup for the team, but it doesn’t seem likely that he would beat out his fellow ’19 draftee, Martin, for the top job.

Keith Ismael. Ismael is the more recent center draftee for Washington, but he’s blocked from entering the starting lineup by Chase Roullier. If the team was comfortable playing him at guard to kick off his career, they could explore doing that, but it’s more likely that Ismael will serve as the backup center.

And for those wondering, Roullier isn’t likely to move to guard. Ron Rivera seems to like the way the line is set up with Roullier at center, so he should remain at the position for 2020. Beyond that, however, things are less clear, as Roullier is set to be a free agent after the season.

Next. What could keep Washington from competing. dark

We’ll see what happens at left guard, but fans should probably be hoping that Martin pans out. He’s a controllable asset on his rookie deal and showed well in three starts late last year. If he can perform well, that will solidify at least one of the team’s offensive line positions ahead of what could be a turbulent 2021 offseason for the position group.

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