Washington Redskins: Left guard should be filled in 2018 NFL Draft

The Washington Redskins have an opening at left guard. Will they re-sign Spencer Long, sign Andrew Norwell or look to the 2018 NFL Draft?

The Washington Redskins have three starters on the offensive line locked up under multi-year deals. Franchise left tackle Trent Williams, Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Scherff and right tackle Morgan Moses comprise what is a pretty good offensive line. Injuries decimated this unit in 2017, however.

Moses was the only starter to play all 16 games, and he did much of that with two sprained ankles. Williams had knee surgery, Scherff fought back and knee injuries, while former left guard Shawn Lauvao battled shoulder issues. Meanwhile, fourth-year center Spencer Long dealt with knee tendinitis and was placed on injured reserve.

That paved the way for rookie sixth-round pick Chase Roullier from Wyoming to take over at center. Roullier, despite a broken hand that cost him three games, started seven games and impressed coaches. He appears to have a solid future with the team.

So, who plays left guard in 2018?

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Guard isn’t the sexiest position on the field. Most teams like to get by on the cheap with interior offensive linemen and Washington has so much money tied up in Williams and Moses, and soon to be in Scherff, that it’s important for the Redskins to be wise in future investments at left guard and center. That means we shouldn’t expect Washington to be going after the top free-agent offensive lineman on the market in Carolina guard Andrew Norwell.

Is Long an option to return? Sure, the team approached Long about an extension last offseason but the two sides couldn’t agree on a number. Long has some knee concerns which could limit his earning potential on the open market. Long can play both left guard and center, which is attractive to the Redskins. When he took over as the starter at center in 2016, Long looked like a future cornerstone. However, Roullier stepped up and he will be cheaper. Much cheaper. And that does factor into this decision.

This is a solid class for interior offensive linemen. Quenton Nelson of Notre Dame is the headliner, but he won’t be there for the Redskins at No. 13. And it’s doubtful the team spends another first-round pick on a guard. Remember Jay Gruden’s comments after the 2017 season about drafting a guard in the first round?

Nelson is arguably the draft’s top talent and, if he somehow fell to No. 13, Washington had better draft him.

It’s also possible that coaches could slide Roullier over to left guard and play Long at center or look to the draft for a center. Roullier did play some guard last season and played both guard and center during his college career at Wyoming.

Gruden, though, spoke about Roullier’s progress at center after the season and it seems clear that’s where he’s valued in Washington, per Jake Kring-Schreifels of the Redskins’ official site. Gruden said Roullier “is going to be a very good center for a long time here.”

Re-signing Long should be on the table for Washington. So should drafting a potential future starter, too. This team needs help all over the place, but only a few starting positions appear up for grabs.

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An ideal scenario for the Redskins would be one of the quarterbacks dropping and a desperate team would look to move up to the 13th pick. The Redskins could potentially move down, pick up extra selections and then draft a player such as UTEP’s Will Hernandez or Isaiah Wynn of Georgia.

One thing is certain, Lauvao won’t be back in D.C. in 2018.