Adam Peters' latest comments about Josh Conerly Jr. raise key questions that only Dan Quinn can answer
So now that we have the Washington Commanders' first round pick on the roster, it's time to figure out the new puzzle that is the offensive line.The Commanders took tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th overall selection and he's a pure tackle. He's not one of your typical college tackles that project as guards […]
So now that we have the Washington Commanders' first round pick on the roster, it's time to figure out the new puzzle that is the offensive line.
The Commanders took tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th overall selection and he's a pure tackle. He's not one of your typical college tackles that project as guards in the NFL – he's a guy who will live on the edge throughout his career in the pros.
However, Adam Peters left things open-ended to a large degree when discussing Conerly Jr.'s fit with the offensive line.
"I think what's cool about our team and our program and how DQ [Dan Quinn] coaches, is, it's competition," Peters told reporters after the pick. "You know, iron sharpens iron. I'll leave these up to the coaches, [but the] only one I can say is LT [Laremy Tunsil] is going to be at LT [left tackle], and then the rest of them, they'll compete for the rest of the spots, I think. But to answer your question more specifically, he [Conerly Jr.] can play guard and he can play tackle.
"So he's played both. He played a little right tackle in the Senior Bowl – that's not totally foreign to him and he's practiced at it. So, whether it's left guard, right guard, right tackle -I don't think it'll be center although I do think it could play center if we needed him to- he'll compete at those spots."
Only Dan Quinn can fully answer the Commanders' plan for Josh Conerly Jr. and the offensive line
Frankly, having Conerly Jr. play inside doesn't seem ideal, as his traits and current level of play strength are definitely better suited for tackle. In reality, the guy who is best suited to move inside is Brandon Coleman, who played all but one snap at tackle, last year. Quinn said a while back that Coleman will compete with Wylie at right tackle before the decision is made to move either inside, but wouldn't Conerly Jr.'s presence speed that up? That seems to be the most logical and beneficial move, here.
But even then, the key question would become which side does Coleman play? Does he take over at right guard in place of Sam Cosmi while he recovers from an ACL injury or does he go ahead and challenge Nick Allegretti for the starting gig at left guard? Or, do the Commanders have a three-way competition for the starting right tackle job?
The Commanders took an unorthodox approach to the left tackle position last year when they decided to rotate Coleman and Cornelius Lucas in the early goings of the season. That usually doesn't work out, but it fared better in Washington than anywhere else in recent memory.
So while this is another unique path to take, it's tough to withhold trust/faith from Quinn and Co. until we see how everything fully plays out. But until we hear more from him, these are questions that will be discussed thoroughly and for good measure.
Jayden Daniels is smiling again as the Commanders nab another playmaker that will help the offense in Day 2 mock draft
The first round of the NFL Draft has come and passed us in the blink of an eye and the Washington Commanders certainly made its mark by drafting Oregon Ducks tackle Josh Conerly Jr. at 29 overall. It was a bit of a surprise, as the Commanders traded for Laremy Tunsil and drafted Brandon Coleman […]
