Riggo's Rag
FanSided

What the Najee Toran signing tells us about the Washington Football Team’s O-Line

By Jonathan Eig

ASHBURN, VA - JUNE 08: Najee Toran #61 of the Washington Football Team in action during minicamp at Inova Sports Performance Center on June 8, 2021 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
ASHBURN, VA - JUNE 08: Najee Toran #61 of the Washington Football Team in action during minicamp at Inova Sports Performance Center on June 8, 2021 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 03: Samuel Cosmi #52 of the Texas Longhorns takes the field in the fourth quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 03, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 03: Samuel Cosmi #52 of the Texas Longhorns takes the field in the fourth quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 03, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

What we know about Washington Football Team’s O-Line preferences

Consider the changes the Washington Football Team has made along the offensive line as Ron Rivera and Scott Turner embark on their second season at the helm. Despite a reasonably solid performance in 2020, it seems likely that Washington will have two new starting tackles in 2021.

Morgan Moses is already gone, and Cornelius Lucas may give way to recently acquired free agent Charles Leno, Jr. Moses’ right tackle position would seem to be 2021 draftee Samuel Cosmi’s spot for the taking. Lucas could still figure in on either side, as could 2020 draftee Saahdiq Charles.

But I think the smart money is on Leno and Cosmi. Neither is as physically powerful as the men they would be replacing. Moses and Lucas are very large men. Neither moves especially well, though, to my eyes, Moses was moving in short areas as well in 2020 as I had ever seen him.

More from Commanders Depth Chart

Leno and Cosmi are clearly more athletic. They play better in space. Neither may be able to collapse the line as well as the 2020 tackles, but both should be better able to pull and reach the second level on running plays. And both have quick enough feet to be reasonable pass protectors, even if neither puts up a wall the way Lucas did in the second half of 2020.

In other words, Leno and Cosmi are in Washington because they can excel at the zone blocking concepts that figure into so many running games in the modern NFL.

Zone blocking, as perfected by Mike Shanahan with Denver back in the ‘90s, and then tweaked by teams like San Francisco, Seattle, and Atlanta, does not require massive road graders who dominate one-on-one matches along the line.

It relies on mobility and coordinated movements. Linemen have to read defenses the same way a quarterback does and make adjustments.

Home/Commanders Depth Chart