4 position battles Commanders fans should watch this offseason
By Jerry Trotta
2. Offensive Line
Barring any unforeseen changes, the Commanders will carry nine offensive linemen on the 53-man roster. There are seven shoo-ins, including Charles Leno, Sam Cosmi, Andrew Norwell, Trai Turner and Chase Roullier — the expected starters — as well as Wes Schweitzer, Cornelius Lucas and Saahdiq Charles.
Washington could always free up an extra spot, but the early projections suggest there could only be one roster spot up for grabs. The competitors include Tyler Larsen, Keith Ismael, rookie Chris Paul, promising UDFA pickup Tyrese Robinson, Beau Benzschawel, Deion Calhoun, Jon Toth and Nolan Laufenberg.
The experienced players have the inside track, but The Athletic’s Ben Standig understands Paul could make the final roster out of preseason. Schweitzer’s ability to play any of the interior position makes Tyler Larsen expendable after he started three games last year filling in for Roullier before he suffered a torn Achilles.
In Standig’s early roster projection, he has Paul making the team over Larsen, whose release would save Washington $895,000 against the cap while incurring a more-than-manageable $152,000 dead cap charge.
Get your popcorn ready, folks.