Pressure mounting on Commanders' veteran after Dan Quinn’s quiet power play

The Washington Commanders have adopted a ruthless mentality under the new regime. They have the courage of their convictions and take sentiment completely out of the equation when making moves. The positive results speak for themselves, so it's no surprise to see the same trend continuing this offseason.

One notable development shouldn't go unnoticed. After all, it places a once-secure veteran player firmly on the chopping block if everything goes well.

Much has been made about the offensive line dynamic in Washington entering the 2025 campaign. The Commanders traded for Laremy Tunsil and spent the No. 29 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft on Josh Conerly Jr. This could be a prolific tackle tandem if the rookie adjusts smoothly, which involves some moving around for everyone else.

Commanders switching Brandon Coleman is bad news for Nick Allegretti's long-term outlook

Head coach Dan Quinn dropped the biggest clue yet about Brandon Coleman's outlook during an appearance on Chris Long's podcast. The second-year pro, who occupied blindside responsibilities on the edge last season, is switching to the interior. The Commanders are going to deploy him at the left guard spot thanks to his unique blend of power and athleticism.

We're going to move him inside to guard. He had experience at TCU playing inside and outside. We're going to keep him on the left side. As you know, screens and getting out downfield, and with our offense in no-huddle and spread it out, the linemen who can get to the second level, and get on people and stay on people, Brandon Coleman can do that. He's got the quickness of a tackle, but the size of a big guy. In this offense, having guys that get to the next level, like Sam Cosmi and Brandon Coleman can do at guard, that's a big deal.Dan Quinn

This is where Coleman's skills are best suited. He manned left tackle duties valiantly as a rookie, but Tunsil represents the biggest upgrade imaginable. The Commanders' placing him inside could be bad news for Nick Allegretti, who signed in free agency last year but struggled to find the consistency needed.

If Coleman hits the ground running, Allegretti will be on the outside looking in. However, there is one saving grace for the Super Bowl winner, albeit a short-term one.

Sam Cosmi is expected to miss a large portion of the 2025 season after tearing his ACL during Washington's divisional-round triumph over the Detroit Lions. Allegretti could be a leading candidate to fill that void until the former second-round pick out of Texas is ready to return.

After that, all bets are off.

Allegretti is a solid pro, but a guard partnership of Cosmi and Coleman has the scope to be a significant asset for the Commanders to depend upon long-term. He'll be of some use in 2025, but the Illinois graduate will need to perform exceptionally well to see out the final year of his deal in 2026.

The Commanders have made their decision on Coleman, and the ripple effects are there for all to see.

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