Dan Quinn Considering Shocking Position Switch for Former Commanders Starter

It's been a really successful offseason for the Washington Commanders and general manager Adam Peters. They have gotten faster and more versatile across the board at key positions, and will look to add to that with the NFL Draft just around the corner.

One aspect of the roster that is still a relative unknown is what will happen at the center position. That's because Washington released starting center Tyler Biadasz without even attempting to find a trade partner, only for him to sign a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers within the week.

The move was questionable and continues to be as the Commanders have noted that veteran and recently extended guard Nick Allegretti and Julian Good-Jones will compete for the spot. While it appears that either of those two will be the starter at center for quarterback Jayden Daniels, the franchise hasn't ruled out adding to the competition with further free agent acquisitions or through the NFL Draft.

However, a new name has potentially entered the fold, as head coach Dan Quinn sat down for a one-on-one with WUSA9, where he explained that Brandon Coleman could also likely see some time at center as offseason programs roll around in the Summer.

Washington Commanders OL Brandon Colema — Washington Commanders offensive tackle Brandon Coleman (74) Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Coleman An Option at Center?

“There could be. We did some of that last year,” Quinn told WUSA9 about a potential path for Coleman to compete at center. “We'll start him off at the left guard spot. We wanted to leave them there in that space [but] as we get through OTAs and into camp and that type of thing, for sure.”

After being drafted in the third round out of TCU, the plan for Coleman was to groom him to become the full-time starting left tackle. However, things shifted from there with the Laremy Tunsil trade last offseason, and thus Coleman was pushed inside on the offensive line.

Coleman would battle with guard Chris Paul for the spot, with Paul coming away as the starter, meaning that Coleman was relegated to backup duties.

Despite his positioning on the roster, Coleman has seen plenty of playing time due to injury, seeing over 50% of the snaps over the past two seasons. While he can play inside or out on the offensive line, it does beg the question of whether that ability to be malleable would translate to perhaps the most important aspect of the offensive line: center.

Being in charge of checks and making sure everyone is on the same page is a tall task. Coleman likely wouldn't be called upon to be the starter at center, but if he is going to be seeing time in the offseason at center, as alluded to by Quinn, then they must have confidence that he would be able to handle that workload.

Outside of seeking a true weapon opposite of Terry McLaurin at wide receiver, center is the biggest question mark for the Commanders. If one of these guys is able to emerge and become a dominant force in the middle, great, but it could also end in disaster.