You don't have to have Einstein-like football knowledge to understand just how bad the Washington Commanders offensive line was in 2023.

It was pitiful, to put it lightly, and fixing the trenches should be a top priority for the Commanders. Especially if team take a quarterback with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Fortunately, there's one guy that should be available in free agency (the franchise tag window is still open) who makes a ton of sense.

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Kevin Dotson is a good fit in the Commanders offense

Dotson had a career year and he's about to cash in because of it. The key with Dotson is he thrived in Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay's offense, which has some similarities to Kliff Kingsbury's offense.

Dotson would immediately fill one of the guard positions on the offensive line. Per Pro Football Focus, Dotson's 20 allowed pressures were fifth-fewest among 50 qualifying guards with at least 749 blocking snaps on the season and his 97.5 pass blocking efficiency rating finished 18th. If you're into grades, he was given the second-best overall blocking grade (82.5), the top run blocking grade (88.8), and the 16th-best pass blocking grade (68.3).

He won't come cheap –we project a contract worth $18 million per year– but, he'll represent a big step toward fixing the offensive line and he'll provide the Commanders a set-em-up-and-knock-em-down strategy for the upcoming draft.

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This allows the Commanders to take a center in the second round of the draft

There aren't a ton of attractive centers in free agency and the Commanders need a center, which makes me think they'll take one of the three impressive prospects available in the draft.

I don't think Jackson Powers-Johnson will be there when the Commanders presumably and assumedly pick at No. 34, but Duke center Graham Barton should be there and he would be a very good fit in the Commanders offense.

Plus the center-quarterback relationship is not only one of the most important relationships in football, it's arguably the most underrated one. Having two rookies come in and learn/develop together is an excellent idea and should provide a foundation that not many teams get to experience. And it's also a foundation that can help steer an effective offense for years to come.

Sure, there would be growing pains, but that's to be expected. The ultimate reward would vastly outweigh any short-term negatives.

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All of a sudden, the Commanders have two spots sealed up on the interior offensive line. Dan Quinn knows firsthand how much a good offensive line helps the offense, so it won't be a surprise if Washington bulks up, literally and figuratively, over the coming months.

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Picking the best Round 1 draft target for the Commanders after the first wave of NFL free agency

The 2024 NFL season has officially arrived after the first wave of free agency. Now, teams are in full offseason mode as they continue to build their roster. There will be more moves made across the league over the coming days and weeks, but the next big step toward filling everything out will be the […]