Ron Rivera explains decision to release Moses and Christian originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Up until a week ago, the idea of not seeing right tackle Morgan Moses with the Washington Football Team as it began OTAs seemed unrealistic. The veteran was coming off arguably one of his best seasons in Washington and had been a consistent piece in the lineup since 2015.
Yet, at a rapid pace, Washington released Moses after searching for a potential trade. At OTAs on Tuesday, the offensive line was without its most familiar face. Geron Christian wasn’t there either. He was let go the same day as Moses. That move wasn’t as surprising given Christian’s lack of production and injury history. Still, it was another player who Washington was moving on from.
Following OTAs, head coach Ron Rivera explained the reasoning behind the decision to release the two men. In the end, it just came down to wanting to evaluate other players.
“Nothing other than we’re just going in a different direction. We have an opportunity to get some young guys on the field,” Rivera said. “We went out and brought in a veteran left tackle. So, feel very comfortable with those decisions because of the players we have on the roster right now.”
Rivera is alluding to the likes of Sam Cosmi and Charles Leno Jr., specifically. Cosmi was drafted No. 51 overall in April from the University of Texas and has a chance to start from Day 1. He’ll take reps on both the right and left side. Leno Jr. was signed recently after his own surprising release by the Chicago Bears and has plenty of experience as a starting left tackle.
Adding that talent and having other options in the mix allowed Rivera to see Moses and Christian as expendable. There was no hidden meaning to the releases. It was just about giving other players a chance to compete for jobs along the offensive front.
As Rivera continues to build out his ideal team in Year 2 at the helm, Moses and Christian didn’t fit into the plan.
“They’re both very good players, they were good players for us and they’ll continue to be good players in the league,” Rivera said. “We just feel it’s an opportunity to get some young guys on the field.”