National Football League

Midseason Grades For The Washington Redskins Offensive Line

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:33 a.m. ET

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Oct 16, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) blocks against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins have had a lot of offensive linemen cycle in and out this season. How have they all fared?

The Washington Redskins have had to do a lot of shuffling along the offensive line over the last couple of seasons. The team has cleaned house of some of the previously ineffective starters, and as a result they have remade the unit with younger players.

This season, that investment has somewhat paid off as the team has looked good over the past month. They have their issues, but they definitely have some strengths as well.

With all that in mind, here is a look at the midseason grades for the Redskins’ offensive line.

Sep 3, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Browns tackle Vinston Painter (70) after the game at Soldier Field. Chicago Bears defeat the Cleveland Browns 24-0. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Vinston Painter

There really is not really much to say about the performance of Vinston Painter. Why, you ask? It is because he has not seen the field. Painter was added to the active roster earlier in the season from the practice squad, but he has been listed as an inactive every week since joining the team.

Because of this, it is impossible to grade Painter. One can assume that he has not had much of an impact, but that does not constitute a failing grade. Instead, I consider Painter’s grade to be undecided. If he sees the field in the second half of the season, perhaps we will be able to evaluate him more in the future.

Painter’s Midseason Grade: Incomplete

Next: John Sullivan

Oct 28, 2016; London United Kingdom; Washington Redskins center John Sullivan (56) at practice at the Twyford Avenue Sports Ground in preparation for game 17 of the NFL International Series against the Cincinnati Bengals. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

John Sullivan

When the Redskins signed John Sullivan, it was expected that the veteran could have an immediate impact. The team had just lost Kory Lichtensteiger for the season, and Sullivan was expected to be a strong backup for the team. In fact, I said the following the week that they signed him.

However, that has not turned out to be the case.

Sullivan has actually not logged a single snap on offense for the Redskins. He has mostly been used on special teams as a lineman. He definitely still has some talent, but he is just not quite as good as he once was. I would trust Sullivan as a top backup, but he definitely belongs behind Spencer Long.

The fact is that the Sullivan signing has panned out for the team. He was a buy low candidate and the Redskins are just using him as depth. However, I feel like he has not gotten the playing time on offense needed to effectively grade him. For that reason, I do not think I can effectively grade Sullivan for this season.

Sullivan’s Midseason Grade: Incomplete

Next: Kory Lichtensteiger

Sep 12, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins center Kory Lichtensteiger (78) prepares to snap the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Kory Lichtensteiger

This season may have been the last one in which we see Kory Lichtensteiger. The veteran center was on the cusp of losing his starting job at the beginning of the season, and he played very poorly through three games. The veteran was guilty of numerous penalties and was unable to effectively block for Kirk Cousins. Because of this, it was apparent that Lichtensteiger needed to be replaced.

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After Week 3 of the season, Lichtensteiger was placed on season ending IR. He had injured his calf in the game against the Giants, and the team elected to put him on the injured reserve. It was an easy decision for the team, given how poorly he had played.

Since Lichtensteiger’s absence, the Redskins’ offensive line has been much better. Spencer Long has been a major upgrade at center and the offense has significantly improved. Both the running game and the passing game have been stronger and that has been huge for the team.

Overall, Lichtensteiger’s season was a failure. He lost his starting job and possibly his spot on the team as well. The team is better without him. That does not bode well for his future.

Lichtensteiger’s Midseason Grade: F

Next: Arie Kouandjio

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins guard Arie Kouandjio (74) prepares to block against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Arie Kouandjio

There has not been much news coming out about Arie Kouandjio in recent weeks. This is because the Redskins mostly do not dress the second year player from Alabama. Kouandjio did make a start in Week 4 against the Browns, but since then he has barely played. The team was just using him as a spot starter, and frankly he was not that impressive.

Kouandjio was guilty of two penalties in the Cleveland game. Both were offensive holding, and both were declined. Though Kouandjio’s actions did not do much damage, they did demonstrate that he simply is not ready to make major contributions for the team.

Right now, Kouandjio is a decent backup at the best. The team cannot afford to dress him most weeks given that he is not quite as good as most of the rest of their linemen. He did have a chance to prove himself, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. For that reason, I think that Kouandjio could be a bust and the Redskins may move on from him in the offseason.

Kouandjio’s Midseason Grade: D

Next: Shawn Lauvao

Aug 26, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins guard Shawn Lauvao (77) prepares to block against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Shawn Lauvao

This season has been an up-and-down one for Shawn Lauvao. The veteran guard entered his third season as a Redskin as the starter, but he has not been consistent enough for the team. He got off to a good start for the season, but has since been less effective.

Part of that was due to an ankle injury he suffered early in the season. Lauvao missed Week 4 because of the ankle issue. Since that point, he has only been mediocre as a starter. Perhaps his ankle is playing a role in that, especially since he had a season ending foot issue last year.

In Week 8, Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus described Lauvao as the “weak link” in regards to the line giving up pressures. Lauvao has typically been better in run blocking than pass blocking, and this development was not a good one for him. He has to improve henceforth, or he could end up being overtaken.

Still, that seems unlikely. The team does not have enough depth to replace Lauvao, and he is about an average player. The Skins cannot be too upset with him, though they are likely not thrilled with his performance to date.

Lauvao’s Midseason Grade: C

Next: Ty Nsekhe

Aug 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tackle Ty Nsekhe (79) prepares to block against the New York Jets during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Ty Nsekhe

According to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, Redskins GM Scot McCloughan said this about Ty Nsekhe prior to the season.

That was some high praise of Nsekhe, but the tackle has not gotten a chance to show much yet. Nsekhe has logged exactly 100 offensive snaps at the midway point of the season, which is only about 18 percent of the offensive snaps. He has been stuck behind Trent Williams and Morgan Moses, and it was assumed that he would just come in as a swing.

However, Nsekhe will be starting in the near future with Williams out. The former CFL tackle is going to have his hands full on the left side, and it will be fun to see if he can hold up like McCloughan thinks he will.

That said, Nsekhe has only played sparingly to start the year, so the sample size for the grade is small. He has been a decent player, and I would consider him to be about average. Perhaps he will prove me wrong as a starter, but for now he deserves a mid-level grade.

Nsekhe’s Midseason Grade: C

Next: Morgan Moses

Oct 28, 2016; London United Kingdom; Washington Redskins tackle Morgan Moses (76) at practice at the Twyford Avenue Sports Ground in preparation for game 17 of the NFL International Series against the Cincinnati Bengals. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Morgan Moses

Morgan Moses may be the toughest offensive lineman to grade. Moses is a relatively solid tackle who has developed fairly well over his three year stint with the Redskins. This year, he has been his best ever and has established himself as a bookend across from Trent Williams.

However, Moses has had some issues with penalties over the last couple of seasons and they carried into this year. He was flagged a whopping 13 times in 2015, and he has already been called for four in 2016. Though that may seem like an improvement, seven of Moses’ penalties in 2015 came after the midseason point. He cannot afford to get careless and if he does, that could cause the team some issues.

That said, Moses has still been a pretty solid blocker. He has done much better in pass protection than he previously had, and that has helped Cousins. It will be interesting to see how he does as the top tackle, though he likely will remain on the right side. He may go up against some stronger pass rushers, and it should be a good test for the young tackle.

Overall, there is not too much to be upset with Moses about. Granted, he has not been terrific, but he is certainly above average. By next season, he may develop into one of the better right tackles in the league.

Moses’ Midseason Grade: B-

Next: Spencer Long

Oct 16, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) prepares for the snap from guard Spencer Long (61) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Spencer Long

When Spencer Long stepped into the starting lineup for the Washington Redskins, everything changed. The team immediately improved their run blocking, but they especially improved their pass blocking. Opposing teams were no longer able to get a ridiculous amount of pressure on Cousins and that really helped the quarterback.

Since Long has been in the lineup, Cousins has had the time to improve his decision making and accuracy. Long has been rock solid in all aspects of the game, and it really makes you wonder why the team did not put him in the lineup sooner.

Long has also been a versatile player for the Redskins. He has mostly played center, but he has filled in at guard on some snaps, and he has been solid at both positions. Essentially, he is a good quality starting interior lineman who should only improve with more playing time.

Because of all of this, Long deserves a solid grade. I think he has earned it based off of his play, and he may improve even more as the rest of the season progresses.

Long’s Midseason Grade: B

Next: Brandon Scherff

Sep 12, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins offensive guard Brandon Scherff (75) prepares for the start of the play against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Scherff

Brandon Scherff is just halfway through the second season of his NFL career, but he already looks to be one of the better guards in the league. HE has made 24 starts in 24 career games, and this season he has been one of the best linemen on the Redskins team.

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Scherff has played 97 percent of the snaps for the Skins, and he has looked solid doing so. He has been stationed almost exclusively at right guard, and has helped to open up lanes in the running game. He also has done well in pass protection, though he does have some areas for improvement.

In particularly, Scherff has struggled a bit with holding late in games. Scherff has been called for three holding penalties in the first half of the season, and all three came in the second half of games, with two taking place in the fourth quarter or overtime.

Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but Scherff needs to cut down on these issues. The holding penalty in Week 8 against the Bengals cost the team some field position, and that played a role in the tie. Granted, it was not the worst mistake he coud have made, but he definitely needs to focus on improving that as time goes on.

Overall, Scherff has been one of the team’s better linemen. He deserves a pretty high grade, and if he continues to improve, he will be the second best lineman on the team in no time at all.

Scherff’s Midseason Grade: B+

Next: Trent Williams

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams (71) blocks Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) during the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Trent Williams

This is going to be a very difficult grade to give. On one hand, Trent Williams has had a terrific season to date. The veteran left tackle continues to be one of the best players in the league at his position. On the other, he just made a massive mistakes that could end up costing his team dearly.

Williams was suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Apparently, he missed a drug test and that will cost him the four games after the bye. Josh Landis Gibbs of Riggo’s Rag offered this analysis of why that loss will be so huge for the Redskins:

For that reason, I cannot give Williams a perfect grade. Still, he has once again been dominant this season, playing almost every single offensive snap. He is almost certainly the best player on the offense. He is such a great blocker and has really kept opposing players from laying a finger on Cousins.

However, his lapse of judgement will cost him in the grading department. It is not a major deduction, but he cannot get a top grade solely because of the suspension. Perhaps the Redskins will be okay without him, but at this point in time, it seems unlikely.

Williams’ Midseason Grade: B+

Next: Overall Positional Grade

Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tackle Morgan Moses (76) at the line of scrimmage against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Overall Offensive Line Grade

As a whole, the offensive line is probably the best it has been in a few years. The young talent coupled with the strong veterans has created a pretty solid unit that marches out there every week. The starters have performed well enough, and that has been huge for the team.

While there are some underachievers on the line, the truth is that it does not matter too much. The top five linemen are playing strong enough, and that is what counts. Overall, the unit deserves a good grade, and that is what they will get.

Overall Grade: B-

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