With Nick Allegretti back on the field, the Washington Commanders have stayed patient when it comes to addressing the center question
After showing signs of becoming a position of strength ahead of the regular season, the Washington Commanders are fighting off a near struggle in the trenches with still unanswered questions ahead of the regular season opener.
The good news is the Commanders saw expected starter Nick Allegretti return to practice on Monday, one of several to make their way back after nursing minor injuries through training camp, yet the return on the field is only half the question. How Allegretti fares in an expanded role at a new position for him in the NFL is a major question mark, and given the injury concerns that loomed through August, the center position has materialized into a storyline to watch through the season.
General manager Adam Peters deflected the chance to revisit the decision to released former starter Tyler Biadasz, who saw his 2026 season already end after suffering a torn ACL, instead pointing back to the confidence in Allegretti.
Rookie Matt Gulbin impressed during preseason where after lining up at center leading into the first preseason game, head coach Dan Quinn pointed to the chance to work him at guard ahead of the Detroit game, only to point to the rookie as one set to take reps exclusively at center ahead of the preseason finale. The confidence in his development was clear after Quinn pointed to his "strength in the pocket" along with the ability to quickly apply teachings learned from his first unofficial NFL reps. Whether Gulbin can provide quality in-game reps during the regular season is another question, but with the rookie now taking snaps with backup Marcus Mariota in practice, he's first in line.
"He's really passed all those tests that we thought he would and really see a bright future in him," general manager Adam Peters said of Gulbin.
That ascension was also made possible due to the disappointment of Julian Good-Jones, though Dan Quinn defended the chance for the former practice squad player to get the chance to compete for a larger role after spending time on the organization's practice squad since 2023. Whether Good-Jones was a viable candidate to provide quality reps as the anchor of the offensive line may be another question mark, but the decision to move him to the practice squad also came as the Commanders opted to stay patient at the position.
The Indianapolis Colts acquired Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, the New York Jets acquired Jordan Meredith while the San Francisco 49ers landed Jarrett Patterson -- all three interior offensive linemen who were viewed as potential movers after preseason with 33 combined NFL starts.
Washington still has a need to address its guard depth with former Carolina Panthers guard Chandler Zavala an intriguing option after being cut on Monday, giving the front office a potential veteran to turn to with given he has started in 14 of his 34 appearances over the last three seasons. Yet Washington may not be looking to move on depth pieces at center anymore.
"If there's somebody else that we feel that would add to it, we're not afraid to do that," Adam Peters said.
