'Dude's still as good as anyone' — NFL coach loves Commanders' decision to make blockbuster trade for Laremy Tunsil

We are officially in the NFL's dead period, which means it's time for a little bit of reflection in the form of looking at what the Washington Commanders have done since the season ended at the doorstep of Super Bowl LIX.

The Commanders made some really important/headline-worthy moves during the offseason and the biggest of them all was the trade for stalwart left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The five-time Pro Bowler is an immediate upgrade at one of the key positions in football and he should help boost an already lethal Commanders offense led by Jayden Daniels.

And part of said boost will be keeping Daniels upright as much as possible, which is the most important aspect of the entire situation.

Acquiring Tunsil didn't come cheap when talking draft capital, but that's OK. When also factoring in his current contract, it's easy to love the move because the Commanders got a top-5 LT for less than $22 million per year. That's huge when considering the top-5 tackles get paid an average of about $26 million per year.

One NFL coordinator recently told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler just how much he loved the move when talking with the insider:

"Dude's still as good as anyone. 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."

A scout directly mentioned he believes Tunsil is still a top-3 tackle, as well.

"He's still a top-three tackle for me," an AFC scout said. "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."

With Tunsil at left tackle, the Commanders have three spots locked up with very-good-to-elite players when adding center Tyler Biadasz and a healthy Sam Cosmi into the mix. If Brandon Coleman can plug in at left guard and Josh Conerly Jr. can play well in Year 1 at right tackle, then you better believe Daniels and Co. will take a huge step forward in 2025.