The objective was clear for Adam Peters during his second offseason at the helm. He wanted to solidify the protection in front of star quarterback Jayden Daniels. And the Washington Commanders general manager wasn't interested in half measures.
Trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil was proof positive of that. One NFL coordinator also believes this could be a game-changing transaction for the Commanders when push comes to shove.
The Commanders gave up decent capital to acquire the blindside enforcer from the Houston Texans. Tunsil skipped voluntary OTAs, which caused a stir after one analyst criticized the decision. However, he's highly motivated to repay the faith shown in him by Peters and others within the organization.
Tunsil is a tone-setter. He's an elite pass protector with alpha-like credentials. His mere presence completely changed the offensive line's demeanor, and this already showed up over Washington's mandatory minicamp.
NFL coordinator believes Commanders are getting a highly motivated Laremy Tunsil, and that's scary
Jeremy Fowler from ESPN is only hearing good things around the league about Tunsil's fit in Washington. One unnamed coordinator is among those who believe that the former first-round pick being motivated should be enough for the Commanders to get some significant returns from this investment immediately.
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.NFL coordinator via ESPN
Being so good that you're bored by the competition is a talent Washington hasn't had at the left tackle spot since Trent Williams. If being on a legitimate contender capable of reaching the Super Bowl keeps him laser-focused, the Commanders have an exceptional player on their hands.
Tunsil is a stone-cold killer on the field who takes no prisoners. If he reaches Pro Bowl or better production and first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. hits the ground running on the right-hand side, this has the scope to be a dominant tackle tandem for Daniels to depend upon long term.
There's just no telling what this extra security in the pocket will do for Daniels. He's already on a fast track to superstardom. If Tunsil and Conerly provide the base needed to flourish further, entering the NFL MVP conversation is a legitimate possibility in 2025.
Should this scenario come to fruition, Tunsil will be a big reason why. And nobody will remember whether the five-time Pro Bowler out of Ole Miss showed up to voluntary OTAs or not.
