"It's been a disappointing year for the Washington Commanders, but there have been some positives. One of them is the development of rookie offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. But don't tell former Washington head coach Jay Gruden. After a brutal first month, the Oregon product has found his footing and emerged as a key building block of the future. The Commanders' offensive line has become a strength in recent weeks, thanks in large part to the new additions of Conerly and Laremy Tunsil on either end."
""He's just had a tough year... he struggles in pass protection against powerful rushers and speed. He's done some good things, but as far as a starting right tackle, he's below average this year. There's a lot better right tackles out there that are bigger, stronger, especially in the run game... he's just not quite there yet.""
"Gruden makes a sound point about Conerly's physical build still needing development. He's not as filled out as most of the league's veteran offensive linemen, which is to be expected as a 22-year-old rookie. When it comes to his performance, though, Gruden's comments seem incredibly harsh. Conerly got off to a slow start against a gauntlet of opposing edge rushers. But for the past two months, he's been playing at a borderline Pro Bowl-caliber level."
The Washington Commanders experienced a disappointing season overall, but rookie offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. emerged as a positive development. Conerly struggled early during a difficult first month against elite edge rushers, but he has since stabilized and played at a near Pro Bowl level over the past two months. The offensive line has strengthened recently, aided by Conerly and the addition of Laremy Tunsil. Former coach Jay Gruden criticized Conerly's pass protection and noted that the rookie needs to add physical size, which is expected for a 22-year-old.
Read at Riggo's Rag
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]