NFL team needs: Preseason week 3

Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Washington Redskins offensive tackle Brandon Scherff (75) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Redskins- Offensive Line

The majority of the headlines for the Washington Redskins surround the struggles of Robert Griffin III. However, this past weekend was an example of why this is a team game. Griffin faced a ton of pressure and took some big hits.

Washington’s offensive line wasn’t able to keep Griffin upright nor provide him with enough time in the pocket go through is progressions. The Detroit Lions only recorded two sacks but made their presence know with punishing hits.

A lot of the pressure came from the middle of the field where rookie Brandon Scherff, Kory Lichtensteiger and Shawn Lauvao struggled to handle Detroit’s interior pass rush. Right tackle Morgan Moses also struggled to keep defenders out of the backfield.

It’s safe to say that only Scherff and Trent Williams are safely in the team’s long-term plans. If the current lineup continues to struggle some in-season changes can be expected.

The biggest move might be sliding Scherff to right tackle and moving either Spencer Long or Arie Kouandjio into the starting lineup at guard. Both Long and Kouandjio are younger players with the potential to develop into key contributors.

One solid candidate for the Redskins to target in next year’s draft is Michigan State’s Jack Conklin. He’s a hard-nosed player who excels at opening holes in the running game. Conklin is a similar player to Scherff in that he projects at as either a right tackle or guard in the NFL.

However, the combination of Scherff and Conklin would fit Jay Gruden’s run-heavy offensive preference.

Next: Tampa Bay Buccaneers