Commanders Praised for Addition of 'Motivated' Laremy Tunsil

The Washington Commanders' offseason saw the team move aggressively to build up its supporting cast around star quarterback Jayden Daniels. These pursuits included the addition of weapons to the passing attack, notably from the trade for Deebo Samuel. 

But the Commanders also kept their trenches in mind. They spent their first-round pick on Josh Conerly Jr., an offensive tackle from the Oregon Ducks, after making a trade to bring in veteran tackle Laremy Tunsil. 

Among all the moves of Washington's offseason, Samuel and Tunsil have been the unquestioned two biggest gets. However, the acquisition of Tunsil has caught the attention of scouts and coaches across the league. 

Tunsil faces some questions after the Houston Texans showed no hesitancy to offload him through trade. One coach tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that could be a motivating factor for him with his new team. 

"Dude's still as good as anyone," the coach told Fowler. "Honestly, I think he just gets bored and loses focus sometimes but I'm guessing he will be highly motivated in Washington, and when he is he's among the very best."

That level of elite protection is what the Commanders are investing in with Tunsil. And while the goal for the next few years for Washington centers on capitalizing on Daniels during his rookie contract years, there is also a vested interest in protecting him for the long haul into his prime years. 

"He's still a top-three tackle for me," an AFC scout told Fowler. "And anything you can do to protect Jayden Daniels and load up while he's on his rookie deal is smart. They gave up a little more than I'd like but I trust AP [general manager Adam Peters] that he knows what he's doing here."

Washington showed last season they had enough pieces around Daniels to become a dark horse threat in the NFC. The additions of Tunsil and others are meant to move the needle on this front, solidifying the Commanders among the conference's title contenders. 

Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowler, makes a perfect example of that dynamic on this offensive line. And if the Commanders get what they bargained for out of Tunsil their dreams of title contention become even more attainable.