Sam Cosmi checks in with Kevin Sheehan on the revamped Commanders offensive line so far
Kevin Sheehan was not at Commanders minicamp this week out in Ashburn, but he was dialing it up on the BetQL guest hotline, welcoming in Commanders guard Sam Cosmi on Wednesday!
Cosmi was the fourth-ranked guard in the NFL last year per PFF and No. 1 in December/January, a small consolation in the midst of a 4-13 season with a poor O-line – but Cosmi is feeling MUCH better about this year’s unit so far.
“Just from the short time we've been able to be with each other throughout OTAs and minicamp, I can tell that we have a lot of guys that work their tails off and really want it and love ball,” Cosmi said. “So I'm very optimistic about our line, very excited about our line. I think we could do something special, and I'm looking forward to being able to go out there and battle, especially during training camp to see where we’re all at.”
The Commanders OL allowed 65 sacks last year, second in the NFL to only the Giants (whose line was even more patchwork than Washington’s), and while that’s not all on the line, Cosmi knows that with a more mobile QB behind him in Jayden Daniels, protection may actually be more crucial because Daniels is a true rookie in a new system for everyone, with a lot of new faces on the front.
“A lot of factors that can go into sacks; last year was a plethora of things that went into it, and we took the brunt of that, but this year is a clean slate and a new OC, and we're excited to see how we operate this year,” Cosmi said. “I'm very optimistic about it, and with Coach Kliff, his style of offense keeps the defense questioning what's going on, so it’s up to us to do our jobs.
If we continue to do our jobs, everything else will fall into place.”
Cosmi is loving new head coach Dan Quinn and the new staff, saying there’s already ‘a lot more hustling’ throughout OTAs and camp and ‘the vibe is very up,’ which has the activities feeling ‘fresh’ – for the players and the vibe in DC.
“Everybody's feeling rejuvenated,” Cosmi said, “and you can feel it in the building. Mr Harris said he's gonna give us all the tools, whatever tools we need and we don't have, and I can already tell that's in place; he's trying to make things around here better and things for the fans better. The thing I love the most is the fact that they are listening to what we have to say; not a lot of places run like that on every level, but they want our opinions, and I think that’s awesome to hear and be a part of.”
Also awesome to be a part of? The Jayden Daniels era.
“He can sling it; he’s very talented. His arm talent is insane and his release is very quick, which is obviously nice for us big fellows up there,” Cosmi said. “We can tell he's very talented, and we’re very excited about that. He’s getting better each and every day he's learning the offense, and we all see that the talent is there – but he’s coming in the building looser and looser, too. It’s nerve-wracking to come into a building like this and be the ‘face of the franchise,’ but I think he's really stepped into the role and I could see him stepping into more of a leadership role. It’s really good to see that.”
Take a listen to Cosmi’s entire segment above, which also includes thoughts on what the offense might look like, the revamped line as a whole, who looks good in camp so far and more!
