Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters insists the team has nothing to worry about at center. The tape, however, tells a very different story.
The Washington Commanders are eight days away from their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the center position is still on thin ice.
The room consists of Nick Allegretti, who missed most of training camp and all of the preseason; sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin, who does not look ready to take meaningful NFL snaps, after struggling against the Baltimore Ravens in their joint practice and preseason game; and Julian Good-Jones, who looks more like a practice-squad-caliber player than a legitimate backup.
That's it. There is no backup plan.
However, general manager Adam Peters feels comfortable with the center room. He recently sat down with Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier from 106.7 The Fan and said Allegretti and Gulbin are "two good starting-level centers."
Peters recently pointed out that Allegretti has more than 3,000 NFL snaps under his belt. That's true, but most of those snaps have come at guard, not center. Allegretti has started just two games at center and has fewer than 200 NFL snaps at the position.
That doesn't exactly scream starting-level center.
As for Gulbin, the rookie hasn't played a single regular-season snap yet, and we're already calling him a starting-level center? Peters mentioned earlier this week that the rookie out of Michigan State has passed every test the team has given him.
I'm not sure we're watching the same tape.
Gulbin did not look the part against either the Ravens or the Detroit Lions. But that's not necessarily a knock on him. He's a sixth-round rookie making the enormous jump from college football to the NFL. Struggling at this stage is understandable.
But calling him a starting-caliber center right now does a disservice to the team and, more importantly, ignores the reality of where he is in his development.
The bigger question is: Why won't Peters sign someone?
Is he trying to prove everyone wrong? Does he genuinely believe in this center room? Maybe he does.
What worries me is what this could mean for Washington's franchise quarterback.
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders' offense were practically inoperable during the one series they played against the Lions. On the first play, Daniels was immediately pressured and had to throw the ball away. On the second, he was sacked. On the third, rookie running back Kaytron Allen ran the ball, setting up fourth-and-long.
That's not exactly a reassuring sequence for an offense, especially an offensive line, that is supposed to be ready for Week 1 against the Eagles.
But according to Peters, everything is fine. It better be. Because if it isn't, Washington could be in for a nightmare of a season, and the center position will be a major reason why.
