Free-Agents-To-Be in 2023: Big Year, Big Decisions – Wes Schweitzer
May 25, 2022
by Paul Francis
As of the writing of this column, according to Spotrac, the Washington Commanders have 22 players slated to be free agents after the upcoming season. This means 2022 is the prove-it year both for those individual players and for the team, whether it’s the player proving themselves worthy of a rich extension or the team proving itself capable of re-signing its own top talent. I’m in the midst a mini-series profiling a few of the key free-agents-to-be and how they fit into the Commanders future plans, if at all.
This week we take a closer look at one of the less heralded, but potentially key, free-agents-to-be: offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer.
Player
Wes Schweitzer was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 6th round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Initially winning the starting right guard position in 2017, he spent the balance of his time in Atlanta bouncing in and out of the starting lineup, playing various positions on the interior offensive line. He signed a 3-year/$13.5 million deal as a free agent with Washington before the 2020 season and largely picked up where he left off as a utility interior lineman. But a deeper look at his play presents an intriguing picture of a potentially undervalued player for the Commanders who could step into the starting lineup and be the right fit at the right time.
Production
When Schweitzer isn’t impressing the public with his creative workout videos or freakish deadlifts, he’s low-key impressing football junkies with his solid game film. Over 2 seasons with Washington Schweitzer has appeared in 27 games, starting 18 of them.
In 2020, Schweitzer impressed when he stepped in for injured right guard Brandon Scherff in weeks 3 through 5. When Scherff returned, Schweitzer resumed his backup role until Week 7. With Wes Martin struggling as a starter and Saadhiq Charles struggling with fitness, coaches inserted Schweitzer into the starting lineup at left guard, where he played out the rest of the season. In 990 snaps, Schweitzer only committed 1 penalty, while surrendering 5 sacks, but his performance as a run-blocker stood out finishing the season with a very solid PFF run-block rating of 72.
After the 2020 season, Washington re-signed Ereck Flowers, and Schweitzer ultimately returned to a spot-duty backup role to start the 2021 season appearing in games off the bench. However, it didn’t take long for him to be called back into full-time action. With Scherff once again out of the starting lineup due to injury, Schweitzer started at right guard from weeks 5 through 8. Then later in the season was inserted as the starting center for 2 games when both Chase Roullier and Tyler Larsen suffered injuries. Unfortunately for Schweitzer, the injury bug bit him as well in Week 12, and he ended the season on injured reserve.
Although the 2021 season featured an ensemble performance of lineman filling in and stepping up at various times, according to advanced stats, the unit finished the season with high grades. Credit goes to offensive line coach John Matsko, who does not get enough praise. Washington ranked ninth in ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate metric (63%) and first in Run Block Win Rate (75%). Pro Football Focus largely concurred, grading Washington fourth in team pass blocking grade and seventh in run blocking.
And while Schweitzer only played 53% of the snaps, due in large part to injury, his contribution to that unit should not go unnoticed. He played well on those snaps, grading out as the ninth-ranked guard per Pro Football Focus, the highest grade over his five years in the league. But as he enters the final year of his contract, he will still have a lot to prove, despite already proving a lot.
Potential Future
Both starting guard positions on Washington’s offensive line appear to be up for grabs. With Scherff and Flowers off the roster, Schweitzer finds himself in a plum position to grab one of those openings, but he has competition. Young players like Charles and Keith Ismael will be eager to prove themselves, and veteran “Commanther” signings Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner will also be in the mix. Coaches have not tipped anyone in particular as favorites, so training camp is where things will likely be determined.
In his favor, Schweitzer already has the inside track working with the coaches, especially Matsko, and winning their trust. He knows the schemes and expectations, and he’s proven to be a solid starter who can shift to any interior line position. Veterans like that don’t just grow on trees. However, Schweitzer will be 29 years old in September. And coming off a season that ended on IR, he’ll have to prove that he’s the kind of healthy, capable, and reliable player that the team saw up until Week 12 last year.
Conclusion
Throughout the offseason, Ron Rivera has emphasized the need to protect and support Carson Wentz. That begins up front, and Wes Schweitzer has a prime opportunity to be part of that solution. The recent Position Group Breakdown by my Hog Sty colleague, noonefromtampa, painted the picture of the scrum that currently exists on the roster at the interior line. When there’s an open competition for a spot, you never know what will tip the scales if it’s close. Maybe coaches will give a preference to younger players with more room to grow. Maybe coaches like consistency of a vet they know? Either way, presuming he’s healthy, Schweitzer should either seize a starting spot, or at least show that he’s the same high-caliber utility backup that we’ve seen the last 2 seasons. If he doesn’t do one of those, and earn an extension along the way, I’d be surprised.