Free Agency Preview – Guards

The Redskins are entering a dangerous level of uncertainty when it comes to their offensive line. Outside of Morgan Moses, whose play has been mediocre to above average at best, Washington can only rely on center Chase Roullier to return as a starter in 2020. What does that mean for the guard position? We take a look at the options for Washington here.

Premier Level Players

Brandon Scherff is the most obvious and sensible player in this group. Scherff is entering his first year in free agency, and at this point, has not been franchise tagged yet. Scherff has been the most consistent player among the offensive line throughout his tenure in Washington, allowing him to walk freely without putting up a fight, which would not be the Redskins’ best decision. If the Redskins chose not to apply the franchise tag on Scherff, he would command around a $12.5 million salary, according to spotrac.com.

New England Patriots Joe Thuney is next on the list for Washington. Thuney has grown into one of the NFL’s elites, according to multiple analysts and media outlets. Coming off of his rookie deal in New England, there will be at least 20 teams interested in Joe when free agency arrives, according to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline. Assuming things go south with Scherff, Joe can be Washington’s plan b. However, with the number of teams that are involved in the sweepstakes, is it worth overpaying?

New Orleans Saints Andrus Peat has been praised by his teammates as being the teams’ most versatile offensive lineman. Being able to play all across the offensive line, Washington needs precisely that sort of versatility for multiple reasons. Given the Saints’ success upfront, paying Peat to play guard should be an additional option for Washington too.

Value Level Players

Ereck Flowers has proven to many, including myself, that he actually may know how to play football. Now, given that Bill Callahan will be credited (deservedly so) for Flowers career resurrection, Ereck may find his way to Cleveland this off-season. However, given the chance the Redskins gave him this past year, Washington may have a fighting chance to re-sign Ereck and help provide some stability among the offensive line. The Redskins has the money to keep him on board now, and fortunately enough for the team, Flowers wouldn’t be nearly as expensive as the three premier-level talent at the position.

Conclusion

The list of guards heading into free agency is pretty limited. If Washington fails to retain Flowers and Scherff, or one of them, then both free agency and the draft is the only answer for this position. However, because of the many holes across the offensive line, Washington must become willing to invest a good amount into the unit in general.