As the Washington Commanders get ready to find their franchise quarterback with the No. 2 pick, revamping their offensive line will be just as important. Finding a center will be their top priority and with Dallas Cowboys free-agent Tyler Biadasz on the market, he could be the solution.
The Commanders allowed the second most sacks in football, allowing 3.8 per game in 2023. Sam Howell was sacked more than any other quarterback in football last season, taking 65 sacks. That was three more than Bryce Young and nearly 20 more than the third most sacked quarterback in Zach Wilson, who was sacked 46 times. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report links the Commanders to the former Cowboys center.
“While the Washington Commanders signed center Nick Gates last offseason, Gates struggled this past season by giving up five sacks in the team’s first seven games, per Pro Football Focus. He ended up getting benched in favor of Tyler Larsen, whose contract expires at the beginning of the new league year.
“The Commanders are widely expected to spend the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback and can’t afford to put the future of the franchise behind a center that struggles in pass protection. That’s where Tyler Biadasz can come in and help the rookie sign-caller.”
Holder’s assessment of the need is spot on as the Commanders must protect whoever they draft with the No. 2 pick. Young was pressured all last season and that resulted in him throwing for just 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His 33.4 QBR was the second worst in football.
Biadasz has Familiarty With Dan Quinn
New Washington Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn comes to Washington after serving as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator.
While Biadasz is on the offensive side, there’s some familiarity there with Quinn.
That could help the Commanders in this situation and in other situations with Cowboys defensive players.
As a team, the Cowboys had an average unit up front in terms of sacks allowed, giving up 2.4 per game, which ranked 16th. Biadasz allowed three sacks, which ranked 14th, according to PFF.
Most of the Offensive Line Needs Help
While adding a player of Biadasz caliber will help the Washington Commanders, there’s a need for help all throughout the offensive line.
There will be options later in the draft but with over $80 million in cap space this offseason, landing offensive line help should be a priority. Robert Hunt, Tyron Smith, Jonah Jackson, and others are among the top available this offseason.
Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire views the center position as a need, writing that Nick Gates wasn’t good enough after being benched by Week 8 in 2023.
“The Commanders signed Nick Gates to a three-year contract last offseason, and he was benched by Week 8. He returned later in the season when Tyler Larsen was hurt. Larsen was better, but he is over 30 and injury-prone. The Commanders selected Ricky Stromberg in the third round last season, but he finished 2023 on injured reserve. With a new quarterback likely coming in, it’s essential that Washington fixes this position. Perhaps Gates is the answer with a different scheme, or Stromberg is healthy and ready to take over. Regardless, finding a solution here is critical for the offensive line this offseason.”
They have the money to make moves and the former Dallas Cowboys center could be the perfect initial move to improve this offense.
