The Washington Commanders‘ Week 1 bout with the Philadelphia Eagles is quickly approaching. As the team gets ready to kick off the season, there has been a growing concern among fans.
The state of the offensive line.
Since left tackle Laremy Tunsil went down with a torn triceps tendon, the line has been under scrutiny.
Those concerns were amplified after The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala called the line “inoperable” during a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens.
To preface, those comments were made on a day when three of the starters were not participating.
We have not seen much of Washington’s starting five line members play together. Center Nick Allegretti just returned from a calf injury, and Sam Cosmi is a full-go after struggling with an illness.
Due to the lack of clarity from the line, quarterback Jayden Daniels’ recent injury history, and the front sevens of their divisional opponents, concern feels understandable.
Commanders right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. responded to the worry that has been expressed.
Josh Conerly Jr. Believes There’s No Need For False Negative During Offseason
When asked by Scott Abraham of ABC7 News if he takes the criticism personally, Conerly responded, “I wouldn’t say personally, but I think it’s a huge misconception…I know how much we work. I feel like there’s only been so much put out there of all of us, all five being out there at once.”
Conerly also called out the Ravens’ joint practice that caught so much attention, saying, “You’ve got your little bit of what you guys saw and how you guys interpret that from the joint practice, but I don’t necessarily think it went that way.”
Conerly doubled down in another interview with Mitchell Tischler, saying, “Working throughout the offseason, just knowing the amount of work that everyone’s put in…we’ve came so far…If there was like this narrative about us in the spring…alright, it could have been true. But at the same time, we have been working our a– off. There is no reason for there to be a false negative without a game being played yet.”
Sam Cosmi, Nick Allegretti Respond To Offensive Line Questions
Washington Commanders right guard Sam Cosmi seemed ready to move past the offseason and get into the Regular Season already.
“I hate the preseason”, Cosmi told Tischler.
“I love the season. Going into the season. Real football…Preseason’s good for development and stuff like that but…I love the season.”
Center Nick Allegretti also opened up about taking over as the team’s official starting center after beginning his NFL career as a guard.
“I got a few games last year at center with CP [Chris Paul] and Sami [Sam Cosmi]..but kind of always treated myself, whether I was playing center or not, [I] was always in the center-quarterback meetings”, Allegretti revealed.
“I’ve always played center mentally, from whatever position I was at. I feel really comfortable with Jayden [Daniels], and I always communicated with him like I was a center…[I] feel super comfortable with Jay and the communication we’ve developed over the past three years, not just last month.”
While the outside noise may be loud, the Commanders’ front will have a chance to silence everything with a dominant performance against the Eagles in Week 1.
Commanders RT Josh Conerly Jr. Calls Offensive Line Struggles ‘A Huge Misconception’