Chase Roullier May be One of the Most Underrated Centers in the NFL

I have been one to consistently sing the praises of Redskins center Chase Roullier, and I feel my praise of him is justified. Part of this has to do with the fact that the Redskins have struggled to find talent and consistency at the center position for decades, which Chase has indeed provided. The other part is that Chase was a sixth round pick from a non-Power 5 conference, who flew under the radar of many scouts prior to the 2017 NFL draft. He ended up starting seven games as a rookie, and since then, he’s been one of the constants on a revolving offensive line unit.

To put it in layman's terms, Roullier has far exceeded his draft position, and deserves some respect; not only from our organization, but from the league itself.

When you look at Roullier’s 2017 combine, you may come away uninspired. At 6’4” 312 pounds, he ran a pedestrian 5.54 40, had a 26” vertical, jumped 8 feet in the broad jump and did just 19 reps at 225 pounds.

Thank goodness the game of football is not played in tee-shirts and shorts!

What you may not have noticed about Roullier is that his 3-cone drill(7.60) and short shuttle(4.47), which show short-area quickness and the ability to redirect, were some of the best of any interior lineman at the combine.

Then you study his tape, and these traits JUMP out!

Below you see Chase get out and lead on this outside zone. There are not many centers in the league able to execute a perfect snap, then get out in front of a lightning-quick back and led him downfield. Again, you see vision, control and his ability to operate in space.

Here is another example of Roullier pulling from his center spot. He is an elite puller from the interior.

For those who love offensive line stats, here are some that may open your eyes.

College(Wyoming)

- Allowed just 28 total pressures on the 1,277 pass-blocking snaps he accumulated over his college career(both at G and C).

NFL:

- In 2018, Roullier was the only Redskins offensive lineman to play 100% of the teams snaps on offense.

3 years(37 games started):

- Penalties: 3

- Sacks allowed: 2.5

In early April, I did an article about Chase being voted as the best offensive linemen in Wyoming Cowboys’ History. You can read that here.

Here is a blurb from the Wyoming Cowboys’ football site on Chase winning the vote:

Roullier became the first Wyoming offensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft since Steve Scifres was chosen in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1997 NFL Draft. Roullier was named to the 2016 USA Today Sports Second Team All-America squad as a center, making him one of only 10 offensive linemen in the nation selected to the USA Today All-America First and Second Teams for 2016. He was voted a First Team All-Mountain West selection as a senior in voting by conference head coaches and media.

Roullier earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at UW in December 2016. He was a four-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference selection in 2013, ’14, ‘15 and ‘16.

In the fall of 2016, he was named one of the national semifinalists for the 2016 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy. The Campbell Trophy is recognized as college football’s premier scholar-athlete award. He was also named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in the spring of 2017.

Roullier was also selected to both the Outland Trophy Award Watch List and the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List in 2016. He was invited to and played in the 2016 East-West Shrine Game, and was invited to and participated in the 2017 NFL Draft Combine.

The Savage, Minn., native played in 46 career games and started 40 during his Wyoming career. He was voted a team captain by his teammates both his junior and senior seasons.

Despite the fact that Chase Roullier may not be a household name yet in NFL circles, this should in no way diminish the value he holds for the Redskins. Not only is Chase one of the best offensive linemen on the team, he’s one of the best overall players the Skins have.

If the Redskins were smart, they would extend Roullier before the 2021 offseason, making him a Redskins for the foreseeable future, and locking up one of the most underrated interior offensive linemen in the league.