Commanders sign UFL champion to compete at offensive tackle

The Washington Commanders rolled out one of the worst offensive lines in football during the 2023 season. Collectively, they gave up a team-record 65 sacks on the season, blowing by the previous team high mark of just 49. All that pressure led to former starting quarterback Sam Howell throwing 21 interceptions as the team sputtered to a 4-13 record and averaged just over 19 points per game .

The group of the 2024 team doesn’t inspire confidence that the results will be much better. As things stand today, they have a rookie third-round pick, Brandon Coleman, slated to be the opening day starter at left tackle, with veteran Cornelius Lucas battling with him for the starting spot. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' ability as a runner will likely reduce the sack totals on his own, but it's a harrowing position to put your rookie quarterback in.

The front office seemingly recognizes the precarious position they’ve put themselves in, and recently added some depth along the offensive line, coming from the UFL ranks. On Wednesday, the team announced they had signed former Birmingham Stallions offensive tackle Alex Taylor. Taylor was a key member of the Stallions’ offensive line as they won the UFL championship this spring.

Prior to joining the Stallions, Taylor started his career with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft . After one season in Cleveland, Taylor spent a portion of the 2021 NFL season with the Chicago Bears , before landing back in Cleveland to finish out the 2021 and 2022 seasons. From there, Taylor had a stint with the Dallas Cowboy from 2022 to 2023. Now, he finds himself back in the NFL after one season in the UFL.

Taylor, a mammoth of a lineman at 6’8” and 301 pounds, likely won’t compete with Coleman/Lucas for the starting job, but he does provide the team with some additional much-needed depth at the position.