Commanders Sign 5x Pro Bowl Guard Trai Turner; New Offensive Line Depth Chart?
The Washington Commanders upgraded their offensive line Monday, signing five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner.
Turner, who turns 29 next month, will play for his fourth team in four years after signing with Washington. He played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 after six seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers were led by current Commanders head coach Ron Rivera during Turner's tenure in Carolina. While with the Panthers, Turner made the Pro Bowl every year from 2015-19. Now, he brings his Pro Bowl pedigree to the nation's capital.
The Commanders had a need on the offensive line after Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers departed in free agency. While the team signed Andrew Norwell from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team didn't do much else to add to the unit. The team waited until the seventh round to draft an offensive lineman, using the 230th pick to select Tulsa offensive lineman Chris Paul.
With Turner in the fold, it allows second-year pro Sam Cosmi to stay at right tackle. Charles Leno Jr. is expected to stay at left tackle, while Chase Roullier holds the fort at center.
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For the guards, Norwell is expected to slot in at left guard, while Turner has the opportunity to win the job at right guard over veteran Wes Schweitzer.
Schweitzer made 11 appearances in 2021, starting four games at right guard for Scherff while he was injured and one at center for Tyler Larsen, who projects to be the backup center behind Roullier in 2022.
Depth Chart
LT: Charles Leno Jr., Saahdiq Charles
LG: Andrew Norwell, Beau Benzschawel
C: Chase Roullier, Tyler Larsen
RG: Trai Turner, Wes Schweitzer
RT: Sam Cosmi, Cornelius Lucas
