Commanders' Dan Quinn provides injury updates on two key starters

· Yahoo Sports

Before the Washington Commanders' practice on Saturday morning, head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media and gave a quick update on the injury status of tight end John Bates and center Nick Allegretti.

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Bates is nursing a strained hamstring, and Allegretti is nursing a strained calf.

The implications of Bates' injury are far less problematic than Allegretti's. Bates' role as a blocking tight end can be accomplished with different players, but the depth behind Allegretti is limited. Currently, Julian Good-Jones is the direct backup, with sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin behind him. Neither of whom instills confidence in what the offensive line would look like if they replaced Allegretti.

It's also worth remembering that the Commanders cut last year's starting center, Tyler Biadasz, before free agency. While Allegretti has NFL center experience, he's mostly played guard in his career.

Quinn's assessment that Allegretti's injury doesn't have long-term concerns also misses the mark. We've seen an increase in torn Achilles tendons over the last few years in the NFL, and calf problems can absolutely increase the risk of that happening. The last thing the Commanders need is for their starting center to be lost for the season before the season even starts, so while it's a good thing he's being held out of practice, there is definitely cause for concern.

The Commanders have signed a handful of backup linemen in the last few days: Nicholas Petit-Frere, Daniel Brunskill, Trey Hill, and Max Scharping are among the newly signed players, some of whom have experience playing center.

The main thing Dan Quinn & Co. hope for is that Allegretti will recover and be back on the field without sustaining further injury.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn provides injury updates on two key starters

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