Commander Country

Colts Center Ryan Kelly in Trade Rumors; Commanders Interested?

The Washington Commanders are monitoring the interior offensive line market. Could Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly be an option?

Jeremy Brener

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The Washington Commanders are expected to make an upgrade at the center position this offseason.

Whether through the draft or free agency, the Commanders need to improve at the position after the lack of stability in 2022.

According to ESPN, one of the league's best centers could be available. Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly, who is due to make $12.4 million this season, is available for a trade or release this offseason.

Kelly, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Colts, has missed just four games for Indianapolis in the last four seasons combined. He would be an ideal plug-and-play fit for the Commanders, who struggled to find consistency at the center spot in 2022.

The season started with Chase Roullier, whose campaign ended after two games with an MCL tear in his right knee. Then, the Commanders utilized a committee of backups, Tyler Larsen, Nick Martin and Wes Schweitzer, to shoulder the load.

Roullier, who turns 30 this offseason, is the ideal candidate to return to the starting lineup. However, after signing a four-year extension in 2021, he has seen the past two seasons end with a massive injury, adding cloudiness to his productivity moving forward.

Replacing Roullier with Kelly would give the Commanders a solid foundation in the trenches and the opportunity to sign a clear upgrade at the position.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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