New Commanders offensive tackle has some upside

When the Washington Commanders announced on Tuesday that they'd signed offensive tackle Foster Sarell, the move received little fanfare. After all, Sarell is a former undrafted free agent who spent his first four seasons as a backup.

But there could be more to Sarell than just a "camp body." The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Sarell was an elite high school recruit, then committed to Stanford and never fully lived up to his vast potential. Injuries played a part. Sarell's sophomore season ended with an injury. He returned the following year, earning All-Pac-12 honors. His final collegiate season was cut short due to COVID-19.

After going undrafted in 2021, Sarell was signed by the Baltimore Ravens before he was released during final cuts. After spending brief periods on the practice squads of the Ravens and New York Giants, he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad in October 2021. He would finally make his NFL debut in 2022 and appeared in 35 games with three starts over the past three seasons. Sarell can play left and right tackle, although the right side is more natural for him.

Washington's longtime swing tackle, Cornelius Lucas, departed after five seasons with the Commanders last week. Now, they need someone to fill his shoes. While Sarell may not be slotted for a starting role, the swing tackle position is critical. Lucas appeared in 76 games with 38 starts over the past five seasons.

Veteran Trent Scott re-signed for one year, but Washington kept two tackles last season. Could Sarell push Scott to be the Commanders' third offensive tackle?

No one studies offensive line play like Brandon Thorn. Thorn, who runs the Trench Warfare newsletter and contributes to multiple sites, had the following to say about Sarell ahead of the 2023 season.

Foster Sarell (6'7" 325, former 5-star recruit & UDFA) put together a really nice performance in Week 2 of preseason at RT compared to a more up & down performance at LT in Week 1.

He was thrown into the fire last year in his first career action (faced Bosa, Crosby & Phillips… pic.twitter.com/PLiUz4nwgD
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 23, 2023

Remember, Sarell is only 26. Is it possible his best years are ahead of him? Could Sarell thrive under Bobby Johnson's leadership?

What if Sarell can help out inside, too?

One example of how OL Foster Sarell has flashed at guard in the preseason. Shows some real power here to finish off the double team. I have Sarell as OL9 on my 53-man projection. pic.twitter.com/g0ZxMPUI0z
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 26, 2024

That type of versatility can be valuable when it comes time for roster decisions. Whether Sarell develops into a starter or not, he appears to be a depth prospect with some upside. You can never have too many capable offensive linemen.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: New Commanders offensive tackle could be more than depth

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