The Washington Commanders' offensive line was not great overall in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. And that was all general manager Adam Peters needed to see.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero of The Ringer and Netflix, the Commanders are reportedly signing versatile interior offensive lineman Lucas Patrick to their 53-man roster. This is the clearest sign yet of dissatisfaction with how things unfolded at Lincoln Financial Field.
And it also speaks to the indifferent strategy implemented by general manager Adam Peters in this critical area of the field.
Commanders turn up the heat on struggling offensive linemen with Lucas Patrick signing
Patrick has experience at all three interior offensive line positions. He suited up six times for the Cincinnati Bengals last season and started one game. While his production wouldn't be classed as elite by any stretch, the Commanders are clearly desperate enough to give him a shot.
If nothing else, Patrick becomes a better depth option.
The Commanders don't have much of that, so they had to do something. Other options would have arguably been more intriguing, but those in power must have been impressed enough to take the plunge.
This sounds the alarm for players like Nick Allegretti and Chris Paul.
Peters took a big risk by making Allegretti their starting center this offseason after releasing Tyler Biadasz. Fans questioned the thought process, and striking out on Tyler Linderbaum came with no backup plan whatsoever.
If Lucas Patrick stays healthy, he can make things uncomfortable for others
Allegretti was awful in Philadelphia, looking shaky, unsure of his responsibilities, and blowing assignments in crucial moments. With only sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin behind him, his job is now legitimately in jeopardy.
The same goes for Paul, though to a lesser extent.
Paul performed well last season, but his free-agent market wasn't hot. The Commanders brought him back on a one-year deal, and the player was willing to bet on himself. However, the Tulsa product looked set to lose his starting spot to Brandon Coleman before Laremy Tunsil's unfortunate injury.
Patrick can pile on the pressure. But the big question centers on whether his knee can hold up.
The New York Giants cut Patrick before the season, but the reports were positive. His knee issue did flare up again, so it'll be interesting to see how much he can do right away in Washington.
But expecting miracles is unrealistic.
It shows the Commanders are looking. Having these problems after just one game isn't ideal, and fans saw it coming from a mile off. The most important thing is trying to do something about it, and Peters is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to find the right formula.
But if he'd adopted a better approach earlier in the year, the Commanders wouldn't be having these problems now.
That much is crystal clear.
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