ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — After being blunt about where the Washington Commanders stand at center after their preseason loss at Detroit over the weekend, coach Dan Quinn expressed more confidence Monday about the position that has been hampered by injuries and inconsistent play.
Asked if he feels the Commanders have enough talent on the roster at center, Quinn said, "We do, but we still have work to do there.”
“We’re still in the process of evaluating what’s
the best way for us to go,” he said. "That’d be one of the spots that I’m still digging in on and still looking.”
Center first became a hole when Washington released veteran Tyler Biadasz in February, choosing to move forward with natural guard Nick Allegretti, who started in the middle of the offensive line in the final two games last season. The plan became even clearer once the top centers available in free agency signed elsewhere.
The Commanders' problem at the moment is that Allegretti has been sidelined most of training camp because of a calf injury. He has participated in just two practices, most recently last Tuesday, when he left early with members of the training staff.
Quinn said on Monday that Allegretti is “not there yet” in terms of his recovery, almost certainly ruling him out for a joint practice at Baltimore on Wednesday.
Julian Good-Jones, 29, has served as Washington’s starting center in Allegretti’s absence. Good-Jones has been with the franchise since 2023, mainly as a practice squad player, and has played in just one career NFL game.
Good-Jones got the starting nod on Saturday against the Lions. He appeared to miss a block on Washington’s first offensive snap, forcing quarterback Jayden Daniels to throw the ball away. Daniels and most of the Commanders’ offensive starters played just three snaps before the second-team unit came in.
Challenging Good-Jones for the center role is rookie Matt Gulbin, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State. The two players rotated in with the first-team offense on Monday, and Quinn plans to give Gulbin – who has mostly played guard during training camp — an extended look at center this week.
“I feel like I’ve gotten better,” Gulbin said. “Still a lot to improve on. Looking forward to going to Baltimore and getting to work and competing with them.”
Quinn is looking for improvement in pass protection, specifically picking up blitzes and stunts, when evaluating the two players. The joint practice and Friday’s game against the Ravens provide his staff two opportunities to evaluate those players against outside competition.
Despite the uncertainty, Quinn said he is confident either one can handle the role.
“I feel comfortable system-wise, and you know how important it is to direct everything up front,” Quinn said. “This is the call; this is where we’re going. With both of them, I feel good (with their) knowledge of the system and where they’re at.”
The Commanders were supposed to have just a walkthrough on Monday, with Tuesday being a normal practice before heading to Owings Mills, Maryland, to meet up with the Ravens.
But after losing in Detroit, Quinn decided his team needed more work.
“I didn’t love all that I saw from an identity standpoint,” Quinn said, yet emphasized it wasn’t a “knee-jerk reaction” to add an extra practice day.
Injuries and subpar play in Detroit forced Quinn and his staff to take an additional look at players in positions they don’t normally play. Changing Monday’s session from a walkthrough to practice gave those players extra snaps, particularly on the offensive line.
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