The Washington Commanders are still on the hunt for ways to improve their roster after finalizing the initial 53-man roster on Sunday. Many Washington fans were upset on Sunday that general manager Adam Peters didn't make a move to bring in another experienced center to back up Nick Allegretti.
Allegretti, who has less than 200 career snaps at center, was essentially handed the starting center position after the Commanders released Tyler Biadasz and later missed out on signing Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. Unfortunately for Washington, Allegretti was injured on the first day of training camp. He attempted to return later in camp, only to reaggravate the injury. It highlighted the Commanders’ scary lack of depth behind Allegretti.
Julian Good-Jones
and rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin handled most of the center snaps in training camp with Allegretti sidelined. The duo of Good-Jones and Gulbin have a combined two career NFL snaps. After struggling for much of the summer, the Commanders released Good-Jones during final roster cuts, but did re-sign him to the practice squad. As of now, Washington will go into Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles with Allegretti and Gulbin at center.
On a positive note, Allegretti returned to practice on Monday.
Still, the Commanders will continue to look for ways to improve their roster, including along the offensive line. General manager Adam Peters acknowledged as much on Monday.
"I’m happy that our staff’s always continuing to look for more guys that can help us down the line,” Peters said. "We’ll continue to do that throughout this week and throughout the year to make sure we give these [coaches] the right types of guys that go out and play on Sundays.”
It’s important to remember it may be difficult to find answers at this time of the year. Those types of players are usually on rosters. But you can still find help. On Monday, a young but experienced offensive lineman became available who could be exactly what Washington needs.
The Carolina Panthers waived 27-year-old offensive lineman Chandler Zavala after claiming Corey Bullock off waivers. Zavala was a fourth-round pick of the Panthers in the 2023 NFL Draft out of N.C. State. In three seasons for the Panthers, Zavala appeared in 34 games, making 14 starts. His starts have come at right guard and left guard, but he’s also taken some snaps at left tackle.
That type of versatility could make him an interesting option for Washington, which values positional flexibility. The Commanders also have concerns at left guard with Chris Paul. Even if Zavala does not start for Washington, he could be a valuable reserve. Remember, the Commanders kept undrafted rookie guard Tanoa Togiai on the 53-man roster. If they claimed Zavala off waivers, they could waive Togiai and re-sign him to the practice squad.
For what it’s worth, Carolina fans appear happy that Zavala is gone. Perhaps a fresh start could do everyone some good.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders could be an option for former Panthers starting OL
