Could Former Longhorns OT Samuel Cosmi Be Starting Week 1 in Washington?

Samuel Cosmi now will have the chance to win the right tackle role for the Washington Football Team

Samuel Comsi won big when selected by the Washington Football Team last April with the No. 51 pick. Now, he could be winning the starting job come Week 1. 

Washington officially released offensive tackle Morgan Moses following the announcement he would be granted access to request a trade. The release of the veteran will now save WFT $7.75 million in salary-cap space and will only cost $1.9 million in dead cap room. 

The hope is now that Comsi can come in and take over in place of Moses prior to the start against Los Angeles come September. By all inclinations, Ron Rivera did not draft the former Longhorn to sit on the sidelines when other needs could have been addressed in Round 2. 

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Comsi was highly regarded for his athletic frame and superb footwork coming out of Austin. He will have the opportunity to earn first-team reps under the direction of veteran offensive line coach, John Matsko. 

Initially, some believed that Comsi would fight for snaps against Cornelius Lucas for the left tackle role while Moses held down the right side. Instead, the two likely are battling to be the replacement for Moses instead. 

Washington signed veteran Charles Leno Jr. following his release from the Chicago Bears earlier this month. He made 94 starts as a seventh-round pick in 2014 and stabilized the Bears' left side for nearly seven seasons. 

Lucas has more experience over Cosmi and played better overall than Leno in 2020. According to Pro Football Focus, Leno ranked 32nd among all offensive tackles while Lucas finished 23rd. No matter the formula though, it's clear Rivera sees Leno as the superior option. 

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As a three-year starter for the Longhorns, Cosmi also has experience playing the right side. During his first season in Austin, then-Texas coach Tom Herman played him at right tackle to help him transition to college speed and better become situated on the left side the following season. 

Cosmi only got better over the next season on the Forty Acres. He finished the 2020 season with a 90.7 pass-blocking grade, third-highest among all tackles in college football. His 86.4 run-blocking grade also is better than most right tackles already in the NFL. 

Could Rivera see the same thing as Herman? A season at right tackle before transforming as the blindside proctor of the future?  

After the first few snaps, Cosmi looked the part of rookie camp, but anyone can seem fit when playing against air. The pressure will be on once training camp is underway and the snaps count towards the depth chart. 

With Moses now looking for a home, the expectation is for Cosmi to come in right away and contribute. Although a win on paper, the hope is it will also be a victory when it comes to production.  

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