Rookie Saahdiq Charles’ shift to LG could provide major spark for Washington O-line

It’s been the same old story with Washington as far as the offensive line play goes this season, with the unit struggling as a whole to get much push in the run game, and allowing the quarterback to be under constant duress. Fortunately, they appear to be taking some measures to fix it this time around, mixing and matching some players in the front five to try and find a combination that works.

We posited earlier this week that the return of RG Brandon Scherff could allow Washington to shift Wes Schweitzer over to LG, placing Wes Martin on the bench. However, there is another young player that might be getting tapped for the start at LG with week, giving Washington a fresh look upfront that might actually instill some confidence from the fanbase.

Rookie Saahdiq Charles, drafted as an LT out of LSU in the fourth-round this year, is currently getting run with the starters at the guard position. There were high hopes that Charles could take over as the starting LT in his rookie season, but a calf injury held him out of training camp and much of the start of the season, and Geron Christian Sr. got the nod instead. Shifting one spot to the inside might not be a bad call for Charles for the time being. He will still be playing on the left side, with just a few of the techniques and responsibilities shifting a bit. We saw Ereck Flowers go from LT to LG last fall, and he had a breakout season.

Expecting a rookie who is yet to have any real experience in the NFL to be the answer for a struggling unit as a whole is a bit risky, but at this point, Washington needs to be willing to try anything to patch things up on the front line.