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Chase Roullier

C Chase Roullier Announces Retirement

July 5th, 2023 at 1:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chase Roullier worked out for the Cardinals last month, but the veteran center is now giving up the prospect of continuing his career. After two injury-shortened seasons, the former Washington snapper announced (via Instagram) Wednesday he intends to retire.

Citing the injury issues and the rehab journeys they required, Roullier said he will end his career after six seasons. The Commanders released their former starting pivot in May, doing so less than a week after drafting Ricky Stromberg in the third round. Roullier had intended to play in 2023, per KTSP’s Darren Wolfson, but changed his mind recently (Twitter link).

Roullier, 29, suffered a fractured fibula in 2021, wrapping that season after eight games. A torn MCL sustained late during Washington’s Week 2 game last season led to surgery that ended Roullier’s comeback effort. Roullier played just 150 offensive snaps last season. Barring a change of heart, the two-game 2022 will wind up as the Wyoming alum’s last NFL action.

Washington previously followed through will Roullier-centric plans on its offensive front. The team gave the former sixth-round pick a lucrative extension — four years, $40.5MM — in January 2021. Rather than move ahead to free agency two months after that point, Roullier committed to stay in Washington. That deal came with $19MM guaranteed in total, and considering how Roullier’s 2021 and ’22 seasons played out, the security wound up being vital for the Burnsville, Minn., native. Although Roullier restructured that deal after his latest injury, he still secured a nice payday before injuries changed his career path.

Prior to the injury-plagued seasons, Roullier worked as Washington’s starting center for three seasons. He broke into the team’s starting lineup as a rookie in 2017, starting seven games. After that, Roullier anchored the position for the team through the end of the 2020 season. During Roullier’s last fully healthy season (2020), Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-five center. For his career, the two-time All-Mountain West Conference O-lineman played 69 games and started 63 of those.

The Commanders have since shifted course inside. Stromberg and ex-Giants center Nick Gates are now in the fold. Gates gives the team flexibility, having played center and guard in New York. Gates has not been a full-time player since a September 2021 injury in Washington halted his run as New York’s starting center.

Cardinals Work Out C Chase Roullier

June 12th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals got a look at a veteran center today. The team worked out free agent offensive lineman Chase Roullier, per Matt Lombardo of Heavy.com (on Twitter). Darren Urban of the team’s website passed along the news (via Twitter).

After being limited to only 10 games with Washington over the past two years, Roullier watched as the Commanders added Nick Gates in free agency and Ricky Stromberg in the third round of the draft. Shortly thereafter, Roullier earned his walking papers, with the Commanders saving a significant chunk of the player’s upcoming $8.3MM (2023) and $8.7MM (2024) base salaries.

When healthy, Roullier was one of the most dependable centers in the NFL. After starting seven of his 13 appearances as a rookie, the former sixth-round pick started all 46 of his appearances between 2018 and 2020. In each of those three seasons, Pro Football Focus graded Roullier as an above-average center, culminating in him being ranked sixth (among 36 qualifiers) in 2020.

The center inked a four-year, $40.5MM contract with Washington prior to the 2021 campaign, and he appeared to take it to another level after signing the deal. Through eight starts, Roullier was graded as PFF’s fourth-best center, but a fractured fibula ended his season prematurely. The 29-year-old managed to return for the start of the 2022 campaign, but a torn MCL ended his season after only two games.

Hjalte Froholdt is the most experienced of the Cardinals’ current options at the center position. Lecitus Smith could be an option after appearing in 10 games (two starts) as a rookie, while fourth-round guard Jon Gaines could also swing over to the center spot if needed. None of those options can probably match the upside of Roullier, assuming full health.

Commanders Release C Chase Roullier

May 5th, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders have made multiple additions at the center position this offseason, and they have resulted in the departure of a longtime starter. Chase Roullier is being released, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (Twitter link). A team announcement has since confirmed the move.

Roullier will be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which will generate a dead money charge of $4.05MM in each of the next two years. The Commanders will save $8.4MM in 2023 and $10.2MM in 2024 by taking this route, however. The 29-year-old was due base salaries of $8.3MM and $8.7MM for the next two years, but no guaranteed money remained on his contract.

That left his future in doubt heading into the offseason, despite his strong performances when healthy. Roullier started 63 of 69 games across his six-year tenure in the nation’s capital, but was limited to just 10 games over the past two seasons. The former sixth-rounder suffered a fibula fracture in 2021, then was only able to play the opening two contests this past campaign due to an MCL tear.

The Commanders reacted to Roullier’s situation by signing former Giant Nick Gates in free agency. The latter has experience at guard, but is expected to suit up at center with his new NFC East team. At the draft, Washington also added Ricky Stromberg in the third round, leaving he and Gates in place to compete for the starting snapping role.

Roullier will wind up on the outside of that competition, but he could find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency. The Wyoming product has been a consistent performer in terms of PFF evaluation during his career, earning a personal best grade of 83.7 in 2021 and a 76.8 rating in his most recent full campaign. If he is able to recover from his latest major injury, he could find himself back in a starting lineup before long.

Commanders OL Nick Gates Expects To Play Center

March 26th, 2023 at 12:15pm CST by Rory Parks

New Commanders offensive lineman Nick Gates expects to line up at center for the club, as the player himself recently indicated (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). Gates signed a three-year, $16.5MM contract with Washington earlier this month.

The former UDFA of the Giants saw his first regular season action in 2019, appearing in 16 games (three starts) before becoming Big Blue’s full-time starter at center in 2020. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were not particularly fond of his performance that year, though New York thought highly enough of him to keep him at center going into the 2021 campaign and name him a team captain. Unfortunately, he suffered a career-threatening leg fracture in Week 2 of the 2021 season — after he was moved to left guard out of necessity — but made it back on the field halfway through the 2022 slate.

Gates’ contract value and length suggests that the Commanders see him as a starter, not as a backup. Which means that Chase Roullier, a former stalwart at center whose strong performance landed him a four-year, $40.5MM extension with Washington in January 2021, could be on the outs (though that is simply my speculation at this point). Due to multiple serious injuries — a fibula fracture in 2021 and an MCL tear in 2022 — Roullier has played in just 10 of a possible 34 regular season contests over the last two years, and his release would create $8.4MM of cap space if he were to be designated as a post-June 1 cut.

In related news, Washington plans to slide Samuel Cosmi to right guard, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Cosmi, a 2021 second-round pick, has taken most of his pro snaps at right tackle and has played reasonably well there. However, he has dealt with injury issues in each of his first two seasons in the league, and the Commanders recently signed Andrew Wylie to man the RT post.

Per Keim, the club is likely to add more O-line reinforcements in this year’s draft.

Commanders C Chase Roullier Likely Out For Season, Restructures Contract

October 9th, 2022 at 8:16am CST by Rory Parks

Commanders center Chase Roullier is likely done for the season, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported earlier this week (via Twitter). Roullier played in only eight games last season due to a fibula fracture, so this is an especially disappointing development for player and team.

It was the fibula injury, suffered in Week 8 of the 2021 campaign, that landed Roullier on the PUP list at the start of this year’s training camp. The Wyoming product was able to suit up for the 2022 opener, but he went down with a serious injury to his right knee — which John Keim of ESPN.com reports is a torn MCL — in the waning moments of Washington’s Week 2 loss to the Lions. He underwent surgery on the knee on Thursday.

A starter since his rookie year in 2017, Roullier established himself as a quality blocker over his first few professional seasons, with Pro Football Focus consistently awarding him high marks for his pass-blocking prowess. 2020 was his best year yet, and he earned a four-year, $40.5MM extension in January 2021. Unfortunately, after appearing in 46 of a possible 48 regular season games from 2018-20, it looks like Roullier will have appeared in just 10 of a possible 34 games from 2021-22.

He will, however, get a little extra financial security despite the injury. In order to carve out some much-needed cap space, the Commanders have converted $4.5MM of Roullier’s base salary into a signing bonus, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The transaction gives Washington an additional $3MM in cap room.

PFF graded Washington’s O-line as the sixth-best unit in 2020 and 2021, but that group is facing some serious hardship this year. The Commanders lost longtime right guard Brandon Scherff in free agency and tried to replace him with veteran Trai Turner. Turner, though, missed most of training camp with a quad injury and was replaced by Saahdiq Charles during the club’s Week 4 loss to the Cowboys due to poor performance.

Meanwhile, Roullier’s replacement, Wes Schweitzer, sustained a concussion one week after Roullier’s injury and has been placed on IR, so the Commanders will deploy recent acquisition Nick Martin at the pivot for at least a few games. Furthermore, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports that right tackle Samuel Cosmi underwent surgery on his right thumb on Tuesday and will miss an undisclosed amount of time.

Commanders C Chase Roullier Facing Extended Absence

September 19th, 2022 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

After an eight-game 2021 season, Chase Roullier is facing a second straight year with an extended absence. The Commanders center is heading to IR with what ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes (via Twitter) is a significant knee injury.

Roullier, who suffered a season-ending fibula fracture in Week 8 last year, will seek a second opinion on his latest injury, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. The veteran center left Sunday’s game with barely a minute remaining and exited Ford Field on crutches.

Last year’s injury required extensive procedures, leading Roullier to begin Washington’s 2022 training camp on the active/PUP list. He joined Chase Young and Logan Thomas as notable Commanders needing additional rehab from injuries sustained last season. Roullier, 29, returned to work and was good to go by Week 1, beginning his sixth season as Washington’s center starter. Now, the Commanders will need to make another adjustment.

Wes Schweitzer will take over for Roullier at center, Keim adds. One of many veteran presences on Washington’s O-line, Schweitzer began his season as the team’s starting right guard. The Commanders signed longtime Panthers starter Trai Turner this offseason. After not cracking Washington’s starting lineup to open the season, Turner will become the team’s full-time right guard. He did line up with the starters in Detroit due to a Schweitzer hamstring injury.

This is a tough blow to a team that lost perennial Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff in free agency. Pro Football Focus has rated the Washington O-line as the league’s sixth-best blocking unit in 2020 and 2021. While injuries have regularly hit this position group, Washington not having Scherff to anchor this year’s front five will make for a more difficult task replacing Roullier. Washington gave the former sixth-round pick a four-year, $40.5MM deal at the end of the 2020 season. That accord ranks as the NFL’s sixth-most lucrative center contract. Roullier (63 career starts) has been a first-unit presence since his rookie year.

A former Falcons starter, Schweitzer is in Year 3 of a three-year, $13.5MM Washington deal. The 29-year-old blocker has made 18 starts with Washington and 51 over the course of his seven-year career. The ex-sixth-rounder has almost exclusively played guard, however. Turner, 29, is even more experienced, having lined up as a starting guard 107 times.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/22

July 28th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/22

July 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions, including a handful of notable names landing on the physically unable to perform list and the non-football injury list as teams open up camp:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released with NFI designation: WR Cody Core

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Injury Notes: Murray, Ravens, WFT, Rams

November 1st, 2021 at 7:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison landed on the reserve/non-football Injury list today after being shot in the leg by a stray bullet, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

The 23-year-old was shot outside of a Cleveland nightclub on Sunday night. According to the report, Harrison was struck by a stray bullet; four men were arrested following the shooting, and it sounds like Harrison was an innocent bystander. The linebacker suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a Cleveland hospital. The Ravens were on their bye week, and Harrison was scheduled to return to Baltimore today.

“I don’t think it’s severe at all,” said coach John Harbaugh. “I’m optimistic that it’s going to be OK … Happy that he’s OK and very grateful that he’s OK and not hurt worse. Anything can happen. It’s just a tough situation.”

Harrison was placed on NFI, meaning he’ll have to sit out three games before he can return to practice.

More injury notes from around the NFL:

  • Kyler Murray was seen limping after tossing a game-deciding interception late during the Cardinals loss to the Packers. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the quarterback suffered a serious injury. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Murray suffered a sprained ankle that could take one to three weeks to get better (h/t to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). However, if swelling goes down, the QB could be good to go for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.
  • Washington Football Team starting center Chase Roullier suffered a fractured left fibula during yesterday’s loss to the Broncos, reports Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Roullier is set to get a second opinion on Tuesday, but the initial diagnosis could be hinting at a season-ending injury. The 2017 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career with Washington, and he’s started all 54 of his appearances over the past three-plus seasons.
  • Rams rookie receiver Tutu Atwell will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, head coach Sean McVay told reporters (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry on Twitter). The second-round pick has seen time in seven games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. He’s returned 10 punts for 54 yards and five kicks for 87 yards.
  • The Buccaneers are getting healthier. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that wideout Antonio Brown will likely return after the team’s bye. The veteran has missed the past two games while dealing with foot and heel injuries. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting are also recovering well from their respect injuries and could be back on the field for Week 10.

Washington Extends C Chase Roullier

January 2nd, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of the final game of Chase Roullier‘s rookie contract, Washington finalized a deal to keep its center long-term. Roullier is now signed through the 2024 season.

The team announced the fourth-year center’s four-year extension Saturday. He joins right tackle Morgan Moses as WFT blockers signed to veteran deals beyond 2021. Roullier’s deal is worth $40.5MM, $19.5MM of which being guaranteed at signing, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).

Moving into Washington’s starting lineup midway through his rookie season, Roullier took over for previous pivot Spencer Long. Washington found Long in Round 3; the franchise nabbed Roullier in the 2017 sixth round. Roullier has started 52 games, including 15 this season.

This season, Roullier took a step forward. Blocking for four quarterbacks, Roullier has graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 overall center — a noticeable jump from his previous work. This level jump certainly instilled faith in Washington’s new regime. Moses is signed through the 2022 slate. It will now be interesting to see how the Ron Rivera-led operation handles Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, who is finishing up a season on the franchise tag.

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