David Richard – USA TODAY Sports
It’s not often a Pro Bowl offensive lineman is released, but Evan Mathis was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles. He is exactly the type of player the Washington Redskins would have salivated over during the Vinny Cerrato and Bruce Allen eras, but there’s a new sheriff in town in Scot McCloughan. The new approach the Redskins are taking in free agency is measured, intentional and methodical. They won’t sign Mathis, and they shouldn’t.
Admittedly, all Redskins fans know that the 2014 offensive line was a major problem on a team with lots of them. The unit surrendered 58 sacks, leading the NFC in that category. It makes sense that the Redskins should at least consider meeting with Mathis, and reports out of Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. indicate there is “mild interest.”
Improving the offensive line was considered an offseason priority. To that end, the Redskins brought in Bill Callahan, architect of the vaunted Dallas Cowboys offensive line which dominated the NFC East last season, as their new offensive line coach. They also have released former starters, Chris Chester and Tyler Polumbus. The Chester move indicates that Callahan and the rest of the coaching staff like what they see in the development of 2014 third-rounder Spencer Long (Nebraska). He is be expected to start at right guard. While they were quiet in free agency, choosing instead to focus on defense, McCloughan and his team went to work on draft day.
They spent the No. 5 overall pick on Brandon Scherff, the consensus top offensive lineman in the 2015 draft class. The former Iowa Hawkeye has been handed the starting job at right tackle. At his briefing yesterday with reporters, Jay Gruden addressed Scherff’s development saying: “He moved over to right tackle, and he’s had some struggles. The thing about [Scherff] I’ve already noticed is that he takes coaching extremely well, he learns quickly and that’s important for an offensive lineman.” While Scherff is not there yet, comments like that show that he should be just fine upfront. Addressing line depth, a significant issue in recent years, became a theme as the Skins would use two more picks on offensive linemen, selecting guard Arie Kouandjio (Alabama) in the fourth round and center Austin Reiter (South Florida) in the seventh round.
McCloughan’s focus this offseason has been improving the team with young free agents and draft picks who can become “core Redskins.” The articulated strategy has been to pick up players who are under 28 years old and can contribute for several years. Indeed, Dashon Goldson, acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the only new Redskin who does not fit this template, but he is only 30.
Mathis will turn 34 in November. Yes, Mathis would be an improvement over Shawn Lauvao, who struggled last season at left guard. However, the Redskins made a significant financial investment in the former New Orleans Saints lineman, and they cannot afford to give up on him as a starter. Hopefully, improved play from QB Robert Griffin III and fellow linemen, along with coaching by one of the best in the game in Callahan, will help Lauvao to develop.
Lauvao and Long are not likely to cause trepidation for opposing defensive tackles and middle linebackers, but Callahan has proven an ability to get the most out of players. Pairing them with an All-Pro caliber left tackle in Trent Williams, a young potential stud in Scherff and the solid Kory Lichtensteiger as the center, the Redskins may be just fine without the financial investment it would take to sign Mathis, a player who may only play two or three more seasons. They shouldn’t sign a player like Mathis, and unlike previous seasons, Redskins fans can trust that with McCloughan in the driver’s seat, they won’t.
