For all the praise the Redskins garnered for their 2018 draft class, guard was one position they ignored. Now they could be snake-bitten by the decision to pass on adding an interior lineman.
After the draft, Doug Williams, Senior VP of Player Personnel, explained that they didn't want to reach for a guard.
Via The Washington Post:
"I still feel good about our offensive line," Williams said. "The guard that we targeted wasn't there. So, you don't do a reach. You don't go down to get a guard because you need that guy. ...There were some guys on the board, but at our pick, those guys weren't on the board. But we wanted to pick those guys. They were down further. And because it wasn't about the need, as much as the value of what we're picking at that particular time.
"So, when it's our time to pick and you look over there at the guards, you look over there at the centers or what have you, if they weren't there during the time we were picking, we didn't go down. If there had been a guy up high, we would have picked that guy."
Among current linemen on the roster, veterans who've already logged time in a Redskins uniform include Shawn Lauvao -- who re-signed with the Redskins earlier this week -- Brandon Scherff, Tyler Catalina, Tony Bergstrom and Arie Kouandjio.
That thin squad got thinner Friday morning, when news surfaced that Kouandjio had suffered what's believed to be a torn quad muscle, which would surely cause him to miss the entire 2018 season. Jay Gruden says the Redskins are seeking a second opinion on Kouandjio's quad.
The Redskins hoped to find relief in Sean Welsh, the Iowa offensive lineman who'd graded as a late-round talent and surprised many by going undrafted. One week after signing with the Redskins, the rookie announced his retirement from the NFL.
Here's Sean Welsh's full announcement. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/lvCKoth7QT
— Adam Rossow (@AdamJRossow) May 11, 2018The Redskins, through a series of unpredictable events, are suddenly in free fall at the guard position.
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