Cosmi, Charles putting Rivera’s ‘position flex’ idea to test

ASHBURN — Daron Payne was so fast coming off the line, it seemed certain he was about to destroy Sam Cosmi. 

But as the two Washington Commanders teammates collided, their pads violently crashing together with a thunderous “THUMP,” Cosmi more than held his own, locking up the 320-pound defensive tackle and using his own strength to drive Payne to the outside. 

Just another practice rep, but Cosmi had managed to win the battle against one of the better defensive tackles in the league. 

“He’s one of those guys that’s pretty quick and agile,” Payne said. “It’s hard to do kind of some of the things that I like to do against him.” 

Matching up against Payne has been a regular occurrence for Cosmi this offseason, but in the context of his three-year career, this is still new stuff for the 24-year-old. 

This year, the Commanders have moved Cosmi inside to right guard after playing him mostly at right tackle his first two seasons. 

The shift is the latest attempt by coach Ron Rivera and his staff to turn a tackle into a guard. Saahdiq Charles, the team’s projected starter at left guard, spent most of his college career as a tackle. 

Through his three-plus seasons with the Commanders, Rivera has put an emphasis on what he calls “position flex,” or positional flexibility. That idea has worked great with some players (Kam Curl, Benjamin St-Juste) and less well with others (Wes Schweitzer, Jamin Davis). 

But in his attempt to fix Washington’s offensive line after a disappointing 2022, Rivera is once again relying on a player’s versatility to be a cure. 

After briefly experimenting with the move last season, the Commanders shifted Cosmi to guard full-time after signing former Kansas City Chiefs lineman Andrew Wylie to be their right tackle. Charles is in line to be Washington’s starting left guard after the team released Andrew Norwell. 

The move arguably gives the Commanders more athleticism, youth and size inside — the 309-pound Cosmi is 6-foot-6, the 322-pound Charles is 6-foot-4. 

“I really have grasped the position,” Cosmi said. “I really feel comfortable at the position right now. I could be interchangeable between guard and tackle if they need me to. But I’m really, really enjoying that inside, being a guard, physicality stuff. I think it fits my style of play better, and I’ve been enjoying the transition for sure.”

When Charles and Cosmi were drafted in 2020 and 2021 respectively, they were brought in with the intention of playing tackle. 

Back then, Washington was searching to fill the void left by left tackle Trent Williams, who’d been traded to the San Francisco 49ers. 

Rivera’s staff saw Charles and Cosmi as potential replacements — even though some draft analysts saw both players as better fits at guard because of their measurables. (Analysts expressed skepticism about both Cosmi’s and Charles’ arm length.) 

After an injury-plagued rookie season, Charles became a fixture on the inside, while Cosmi spent time at right tackle, which he played in college and high school. 

But last season, the offensive line regressed after being one of the league’s best in 2021. 

Washington allowed 48 sacks (seventh-most in the NFL) and struggled to replace All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff and veteran Ereck Flowers. 

Norwell and Trai Turner — the replacements for Scherff and Flowers — looked old and slow, and defenses found success by attacking the interior. 

By turning to Cosmi and Charles — and signing center Nick Gates in free agency — the Commanders hope they’ve shored up the middle. 

“It gives us a chance to protect the quarterback,” Rivera said, “which I think is one of the most important things you gotta be able to do.”

One of the ways that Cosmi’s athleticism and Charles’ speed should help the Commanders is in their screen game. 

Both have the ability to get out in space and drive defensive linemen upfield. That skill set is what creates the room Washington’s playmakers will need to get out and run. 

New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s system also relies on an effective screen game — they were a staple of Kansas City’s offense when the assistant coach was there. 

For Cosmi, the type of play is another chance to do what he likes to do best: Inflict pain.

“That’s why we play o-line,” he said.