When an NFL team adds three players at the same time from the same position group, it's obvious they want to see more than what they've seen from the current depth
. Daniel Brunskill
, Nicholas Petit-Frere, and Max Scharping
all bring substantial NFL experience, meaning the team did not just add a bunch of camp bodies. Commanders
head coach Dan Quinn sees it as more of a raising of the competition level
.
"We actually wanted to see if we could raise up the competition level in that back group, to see who could go," Quinn said Saturday before practice. "It was not injury-related. It was more like, 'let's battle this thing out and see where we can go.'" In other words, Washington is making the players already competing for backup jobs prove themselves against a new set of veterans who have NFL experience.
Brunskill is probably the most accomplished and versatile of the three signings with 71 starts across 108 games, and experience playing at multiple spots on the line. Brunskill started nine games at center for the Tennessee Titans
in 2024, something worth noting with Nick Allegretti still out
with a calf injury.
Petit-Frere has started 28 times over 34 games in his career, 26 of them at right tackle for the Titans, but has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Scharping's guard experience gives Washington another veteran challenger on the inside. Washington has now thrown three players in the mix that add experienced competition at tackle, guard, and center rather than targeting one isolated weakness on the roster.
Any of the backup offensive linemen who spent the first portion of training camp trying to establish their role within the team now have three additional players to deal with on the depth chart
. The three new guys cannot just walk in on day one and expect roles, but once they are up to speed, the reps are going to have to come from somewhere. Washington essentially just turned preseason snaps
into currency in the competition with more players in the mix.
What no one should do is perceive Saturday's moves as panic over Allegretti or anxiety about any other injury because Quinn already said that was not the case. Washington wanted the back end of its offensive line room pushed harder, and adding three veterans with starting experience ensures that the remaining camp practices and preseason games will decide who responds.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Commanders Turn Up Pressure on Offensive Line Depth With Three Veteran Additions .
