4 Commanders in danger of losing their jobs following NFL Draft
By Jerry Trotta
3. Wes Schweitzer
No, Schweitzer’s potential replacement wasn’t taken in the NFL Draft, otherwise he’d rank higher on this list. In their first post-draft roster move, the Commanders signed veteran Trai Turner to a one-year deal, putting him in line to compete with Schweitzer for the right guard spot following Brandon Scherff’s departure.
Once thought to be Schweitzer’s job with zero competition is now the former sixth-rounder’s job to lose. While Schweitzer deserves to enter camp as the starter given he’s made 27 appearances (18 starts) for Washington over the last two seasons and brought stability to the offensive line as an injury replacement, Turner’s experience under Ron Rivera and OL coach John Matsko cannot be understated.
Of course, Turner was drafted by Rivera in 2014 and was the Panthers’ starting right guard spanning 2014 to 2018. He even made starts at center in 2019 and was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls under both Rivera and Matsko.
When you couple Turner’s history with Rivera and Matsko, with the fact Schweitzer missed the final seven games of 2021 due to injury, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re currently on a level playing field in terms of the RG competition.