Commanders acquisition of Laremy Tunsil named one of the top moves of free agency

[ASFN Admin]

The addition of left tackle Laremy Tunsil could be a game-changer for the Washington Commanders. Washington acquired the five-time Pro Bowl tackle on the opening day of free agency last week in exchange for multiple draft picks.

Not only does Tunsil fill a significant hole, Washington gets one of the NFL's best offensive tackles to protect its most valuable asset: Quarterback Jayden Daniels. Additionally, the move allows the Commanders to move rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman to either left guard or right tackle, improving two positions with one move.

Tunsil is only 30 (31 in July) and is the epitome of dependability and reliability. In nine NFL seasons, Tunsil has missed only 23 games, most of which came in 2021 when he underwent thumb surgery.

The Commanders continue to receive praise for acquiring one of the NFL's best offensive tackles and keeping their first-round picks. Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently named his best and riskiest moves from the first week of free agency, and he listed Washington's trade for Tunsil as one of the best.

Smart teams capitalize when star rookie quarterbacks are on cheap deals. GM Adam Peters has done so this offseason by trading for Deebo Samuel, who adds needed YAC to Kliff Kingsbury's offense, and a smashing swap for a top-shelf left tackle. The Tunsil trade bears some resemblance to the 49ers swiping Trent Williams from Washington when Peters was in the San Francisco front office. I'm not comparing a then-disgruntled 32-year-old Williams to a 30-year-old Tunsil, but rather noting that acquiring a difference-making left tackle can alter an offense. Peters knows this firsthand.

Tunsil has his foibles, including an eye-popping 19 penalties last year -- many of the avoidable pre-snap variety -- and is coming off a down year on a horrific Houston offensive line. That makes this a good time to buy for Washington. Even in a relatively off year, Tunsil can still pass protect. He can be a wall on the left side, allowing help to go elsewhere. He should immediately make Jayden Daniels' life easier. As a rookie, Daniels was sacked 47 times. Many were on the QB holding the ball, trying to make something happen -- 13 by Pro Football Focus's count. In addition to Daniels being savvier in Year 2, the presence of Tunsil should give the QB an extra beat to find a target or take off.

The less-discussed aspect of adding Tunsil is the cascading benefit it could have along the rest of the line. The Commanders liked Brandon Coleman's progress at left tackle last season but didn't shy away from an upgrade. The trade opens up the possibility of moving the third-round pick elsewhere. Sam Cosmi's playoff knee injury clouds the group. Given the timeline, he's likely to miss the start of the season and might take some time to get his legs underneath him. Coleman could shift inside to left guard -- where he played some at TCU -- and push Nick Allegretti to replace Cosmi at right guard. Or Washington could move Coleman to right tackle and bump Andrew Wylie inside. The flexibility was needed, given the Cosmi injury.

If the Tunsil move works out for Washington the way Trent Williams did for the 49ers, expect a lot of success coming its way in future years. Williams turns 37 in July and arguably remains the NFL's best left tackle. He was one year older than Tunsil currently is when Washington traded him to San Francisco in April 2020.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders' trade for Laremy Tunsil named one of best moves

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