ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders tackle Brandon Coleman picked the right offseason to know that something needed to change. He wanted to improve his durability. He wanted to eat better.
And he wanted to train better -- so he convinced his wife they needed to spend time this summer, as he said, in the middle of Alabama working out.
Now he hopes those changes help him with another one: Coleman will shift from left guard to left tackle, replacing the injured Laremy Tunsil, who will undergo surgery to repair a torn triceps and miss a significant portion of the season. Quinn said they won't know the exact timetable until after the surgery.
Without Tunsil, Washington will have to at least alter part of its offensive approach. As coach Dan Quinn said, he was at the "top of his game."
The Commanders could use more tight ends to help Coleman -- Tunsil was part of a double-team pass block only 31.5% of the time; Coleman was part of one 42.1% of the time in each of his first two seasons.
Washington also will use more play-action passes from under center -- designed to fool coverages and slow the pass rush.
There's also quarterback Jayden Daniels, about whom one AFC executive said "covers up for a lot of sins." Indeed, in practice Daniels has excelled at sliding in the pocket to avoid pressure and find an open target. It helps, too, that Washington just signed receiver Stefon Diggs to pair with Terry McLaurin -- both of whom can create quick separation. And that would help offset the loss of a player such as Tunsil.
But Coleman's play will matter as well. He did post a 92.3% pass block win rate the past two seasons. He also had a run block win rate of 77.2%, above the league average of 72.3% in that same period.
That's why Washington trusts Coleman; after this offseason, he said he's learned to trust himself.
"I have the athleticism, I have the strength," he said, "and it's just to learn that I'm able to do whatever I want to. It's just about having the mindset."
Washington won't know how long Coleman will have to start at tackle until after Tunsil's surgery. He's expected to miss significant time. After an injury-filled season -- 10 projected starters or key backups missed at least seven games apiece -- it was a difficult development early in camp.
Tunsil's loss is a sizeable one for Washington. He was one of its impact players -- general manager Adam Peters has called him "one of the best, if not the best" players at his position. Washington traded four picks to Houston to acquire the five-time Pro Bowler in March 2025.
But the Commanders opted to promote Coleman rather than sign someone from outside the organization. They point to his athleticism, his experience with 18 starts at left tackle, including three in the postseason. They drafted him in the third round for a reason in 2024; now he has to fulfill that promise.
Offensive coordinator David Blough said Coleman's face "lit up" when they told him he'd be the starting left tackle.
"His speed, athleticism just flashes every time you turn that film on," Blough said. "We've seen a young man grow from having to [make] all those starts as a rookie and the different experiences last year. ... He has demonstrated everything that we're looking for to protect that side."
But Coleman also said he needed to become more of a pro in his approach. He was benched after two games at guard last season in part because of his durability, former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said at the time. He missed a month of training camp while learning to play guard then, after two games, he showed up in practice three days later in a black jersey signifying no-contact. He did not start at guard again.
Coleman missed time in his rookie training camp because of a shoulder injury. From Weeks 9 to 17 as a rookie, he played every snap but missed 18 in the regular-season finale.
"There's injuries that I've had in the past during training camp," Coleman said, "that fully could have been prevented if I would've just sacrificed a little more time in rehab and working on certain things."
To help, Coleman said he has taken more care to use preventative maintenance on his body -- from how he stretches to how he eats, to his daily recovery sessions after workouts. He hired a nutritionist. He worked out with Dominic Studzinski, a former Ole Miss strength and conditioning coach who has trained Tunsil for more than a decade. "Just taking care of myself a lot better," Coleman said. "There are priorities I didn't do the first couple years that I just have to reflect on and kind of be accountable on. I changed that last year, but then even more this year."
That included spending several weeks training with Tunsil in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this summer.
"I dragged my wife out there to the middle of nowhere," Coleman said. "What she understood is just really seeing how one of the greatest tackles ever does it. How do I need to live to give myself a chance to be like that guy?"
That will be difficult. The Commanders did not attempt to sugarcoat Tunsil's loss. Quinn pointed to his leadership -- he has mentored right tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who also worked out with him this summer. He also pointed to his skill, as a pass protector in particular.
"Game on the line you run behind a player like that," Quinn said. "Running game and pass protection, you don't [need] a lot of help."
But Washington did go 10-5 in his rookie year when he started, including 2-1 in the postseason. The Commanders still opted to trade for a premier talent in Tunsil after that season and moved Coleman to guard, where he was competing with Chris Paul this summer.
"He was off to a very good start at left guard," Quinn said. "To switch him outside, when you go through things you want to come out the other side stronger, harder, learn the lessons. Brandon and a couple guys are in that space, just maybe the resilience you have to show. Going through it sucks, but there is a [new] guy on the other side."