How Will Washington Redskins' Offensive Line Shake out Post-Draft?
Let's just come out and say it. The offensive line of the Washington Redskins last season was downright offensive.
With 58 sacks allowed, the team's rotation of quarterbacks took on the appearance of a punch-drunk fighter most Sundays. That once vaunted running game, No. 1 in 2012, fell to 19th in 2014.
Alfred Morris and the team's trio of quarterbacks shouldn't be absolved for their roles in this. But you can't ignore the common denominator between the two's struggles either, the offensive line.
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And apparently, neither could new general manager Scot McCloughan.
First came the hiring of Bill Callahan. Behind a homegrown offensive line, the Dallas Cowboys fielded the NFL's top rushing attack in 2014 under his direction. Next came the ouster of Tyler Polumbus, a subtle start on the personnel side of things. He spent the majority of the past three seasons starting at right tackle.
Lastly, there was the 2015 NFL draft. Headlined by No. 5 overall pick Brandon Scherff, Washington added three prospects to play up front.
Sporting a host of new faces, how will the Redskins offensive line shake out?
Keeping in mind the team only entered last season with nine offensive linemen on its active roster, here's a projection of how Washington's rotation up front will play out:
Left Tackle, Trent Williams
His standing as the team's top offensive lineman doesn't say much, but Trent Williams does rank as one of the top left tackles in football.
Williams was hampered by a variety of ailments in 2014, with injuries to his knee and shoulder being chief among them. And still, he managed to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl berth for the third consecutive year.
According to Pro Football Focus, the quarterback was pressured by Williams' man on just 25 of 525 passing snaps last season.
A premier player who happens to be a free agent following the 2015 season, signing Williams to a new contract has to be of the highest priority for the team's front office.
Left Guard, Shawn Lauvao
One of Washington's prized free-agent acquisitions a season ago, Shawn Lauvao was a colossal disappointment his first year in town.
Pro Football Focus rated him as an average starter for his play last season. After handing out $17 million, that's not what the team bargained for.
Injuries were a factor, as he was limited by a knee injury. But namely, it was Lauvao's transition from a power-running scheme in Cleveland to a zone-rushing scheme in D.C. that factored into his struggles.
Offensive linemen with mobility is a crux of any zone-rushing scheme, and dating back to his time at Arizona State, this was never a strength of the 6'3", 315-pound Lauvao.
Looking to CBSSports.com's draft profile on Lauvao back in 2010, this much is made clear:
"Lacks explosion coming off the snap and is more of a position/wall-off type of blocker…Lacks the sustained speed to get out quickly to make plays in the second level…Will come out and attack the linebackers, but will fall off some blocks working in space.
"
Callahan won't outright abandon the use of zone-running plays, but reading into McCloughan's comments about the team's draft picks along the offensive line, it will no longer be the staple of the team's running game either:
"McCloughan on offensive line coach Bill Callahan: "We tailored our draft picks (to) what fits his system," regarding power vs. zone runs.
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 4, 2015"
Regardless if he's a better fit in Callahan's scheme, though, with Spencer Long and rookie Arie Kouandjio waiting in the wings, he can ill-afford to repeat the struggles of last season.
Center, Kory Lichtensteiger
There's two ways of looking at Kory Lichtensteiger's place in the starting lineup. On one end, next to Williams, he was the only other starter to garner an above-average rating from Pro Football Focus.
On the other side, though, the former guard's strengths don't mesh well with the direction the team's offensive line is going in.
McCloughan has emphasized time and time again the need for the team to get bigger up front. And, well, Lichtensteiger isn't that. At 6'2" and 296 pounds, he doesn't sport the size of his battery mates up front.
With mobility as his strong suit, he's a better fit in the zone scheme the team is actively moving away from.
Still, just look at the alternatives Washington has to him. Seventh-round pick Austin Reiter, for one, is actually smaller than Lichtensteiger at 295. Chris Chester is an option, as he was the backup last season.
Down the road maybe, but at the moment, neither of these alternatives is promising.
Chalk it all up, and Lichtensteiger is a sure bet to open the year as a starter.
Right Guard, Spencer Long
Spencer Long isn't a McCloughan guy. But he is a Jay Gruden one. He didn't see the light of day as a rookie in 2014, but let Gruden tell it, the team is expecting Long to make a jump this offseason entering his sophomore campaign, h/t CSN's Rich Tandler:
"Well, Chris Chester is still on the team and we expect Spencer Long to have an excellent offseason, come in in better shape. You you come from your rookie to your second year, that’s the biggest jump you have to make as a football player. It’s a big jump to get your feet wet . . . all the things that go into being a professional football player you learn as a rookie.
"
Chester is still on the team, like Gruden said, but the question is for how long. At 32, he isn't in the team's long-term plans. Additionally, with the ability to shed $4 million of his $4.8 million cap hit by releasing him, per Spotrac.com, the Redskins have financial motivation to cut ties with Chester as well.
With Chester out of the way, Long should be the favorite to outpace Kouandjio and Josh LeRibeus for the starting gig.
Right Tackle, Brandon Scherff
Entering the draft, Scherff's best NFL position was open for debate. Some, like ESPN's John Keim, see him as a guard:
"I really like Scherff as a guard; was not wowed by his play at LT but he'll obviously play on the right side. #WASpick
— John Keim (@john_keim) May 1, 2015"
Gruden's opinion is the only one that matters, though. Right? And according to him, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Scherff's debut will come at right tackle.
Pass protection isn't a strength of Scherff's just yet, but with his chief competition coming from Moses and Tom Compton, his dominance in the run game will be enough for him to start as a rookie.
Bench
It's already been mentioned, but Washington carried just nine linemen entering last season. Now that the starting lineup has been set, there will be a host of linemen battling for the final four spots.
More names will be brought into the picture as the team signs more undrafted free agents. Ultimately, though, the battle for these spots will be between Chester, LeRibeus, Reiter, Kouandjio, Moses and Compton.
You've already been briefed on the financial motivation the Redskins have to rid themselves of Chester. Simply put, he makes substantially too much money to be a backup. So consider him gone.
Next up, is LeRibeus.
He isn't a Gruden guy or a McCloughan guy. What he is, though, is a disappointment. He hasn't lived up to the billing of a former third-round pick.
LeRibeus has had conditioning issues over the course of his tenure in D.C. Without the aid of injury, he's never been able to force his way into the starting lineup. Sayonara.
The ouster of LeRibeus and Chester would make the team particularly green behind its starting lineup, but with the long term in mind, it's the right route for the team take going forward.
Washington's new offensive line won't pay immediate dividends. But with the focus now set on developing a cohesive offensive line, opposed to simply throwing money at spare parts to fix it, the Redskins have positioned themselves to make this position group a strength in the future.
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