The Washington Commanders began their Week 17 game with the Dallas Cowboys minus their two best offensive linemen. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right guard Sam Cosmi were both out. Before the first half was over, they lost their next best lineman when center Tyler Biadasz went down with knee and ankle problems.
In a sense, the Commanders are equipped to deal with this type of problem. All three replacements were starters for most of last season. Brandon Coleman took over at left tackle. Nick Allegretti started at guard in place of Cosmi, then slid over to center after Biadasz left the game. Andrew Wylie took Allegretti’s spot at right guard.
Overall, their play was not especially good. But as backups, they held up well enough to keep Washington in the game.
The Commanders averaged an excellent 8.0 yards per play, and little-used quarterback Josh Johnson was sacked just twice. On the other hand, Washington ran just 41 plays in the entire game, in part because they were inferior on third down. They also struggled in the red zone.
Commanders need to acquire better center depth behind Tyler Biadasz
Though the team fought well and showed resilience after falling behind early, they were unable to make big plays at crucial moments. When the game was on the line, the Commanders faltered.
Biadasz has been a very steady presence for the Commanders since signing as a free agent in the 2024 offseason. He started 15 games in 2024 — he probably could have started 16, but was held out of the final regular season contest. He is not an overpowering blocker, but he has experience and technique. He usually grades out equally well as both a run and a pass blocker.
In short, you can build a quality line around a center like Biadasz. But on the rare occasion he has been hurt, there have been problems.
This was most clear last year when the center had to miss a Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints. Michael Deiter started in place of Biadasz. Even though the Commanders won, it was a very messy affair — especially on offense.
New Orleans had one of the worst run defenses in the league last year, giving up almost five yards per carry to opponents. Washington gained five yards per carry, among the best numbers in the league.
But when they played, the Saints held the Commanders under a full yard below their season average.
Even worse, New Orleans sacked Jayden Daniels eight times. They only had 31 sacks in the other 15 games of 2024, but against Washington’s jerry-rigged line, they were often dominant. The Commanders got out to a fast lead, then held on for dear life in a 20-19 win.
That certainly cannot all be pinned on Deiter. But it was clear this offseason that general manager Adam Peters wanted to upgrade his depth. He signed free agent Nate Herbig to fill that backup interior line role. But the 27-year-old surprised the club by retiring last summer.
Deiter remained on the practice squad, as did Julian Good-Jones. Neither impressed enough to secure a spot as Biadasz’s backup.
Allegretti is signed for one more year at a reasonable price. He was demoted from starting left guard to a backup role this year, and in that capacity, he remains a serviceable depth piece. However, his play at center is reminiscent of what Washington had in Wes Schweitzer several years ago.
Schweitzer came as a free agent in 2020 and immediately paid significant dividends, replacing an injured Saahdiq Charles at left guard during the NFC East championship season. The following year, he was again called on when Brandon Scherff missed part of the campaign.
Then in 2022, Washington had nightmares at center. Schweitzer was one of several players they rotated through the position. He was not nearly as good as he had been playing guard. That was his final season in D.C.
The Commanders have tried many other players over the past few years. Nick Gates was an unsuccessful free agent. Ricky Stromberg was an unsuccessful draft pick. Veteran Tyler Larsen was usually around to eventually take over. Now Deiter and Allegretti seem to be functioning about the same.
On a key series late in the Cowboys’ game, the offense couldn’t advance the ball from a first-and-goal at the five-yard line. One of the main reasons was that Allegretti could not slow down Quinnen Williams in the middle.
Not many starters can handle Williams. But the Commanders still need better production at that spot if they expect to return to the success of 2024.
Improving the depth behind Biadasz may not be a top priority for Peters, but ignoring the position carries significant risk.