While Morgan Moses and Brandon Scherff impressed during the 2015 season, both believe they can only get better as a pair as they hold down the right side of the Redskins' offensive line.
Perhaps no position group in football is more affected my chemistry than the offensive line. An offensive lineman must understand just when and where his fellow linemen are moving. One small slipup could result in a quarterback sack, a rushed play or even a tackle for loss.
Last season, the Washington Redskins enter the regular season with the right side of the offensive line accumulating a total of one NFL start.
Tackle Morgan Moses started against the San Francisco 49ers his rookie season, the only time he cracked the starting lineup. Guard Brandon Scherff, meanwhile, was in his first NFL season in 2015.
But being that neither had much experience, it actually allowed the pair to grow together.
"We were in pretty much the same situation, so we were able to learn together," Moses said. "Now, being out here and having a season under our belt of starting and being able to play together again is good. We're growing together every year and every day we're out here working on techniques. Like Brandon said in the first three days of OTAs, we probably communicated more than we did all season so that's a good sign."
The constant learning side-by-side goes well past the field, too, as they sit together in meetings.
"Their relationship on and off the field is imperative, and to have a strong sense of what each other can do and how they can play off of each other bodes well for them," Redskins offensive line coach Bill Callahan said. "The communication and the nuances of adjustments they have to make during the course of a series or a play itself. The communication has got to get echoed out and that's all important information and obviously they do a great job with it."
As the only two offensive linemen to start all 16 regular season games last season, Scherff and Moses helped anchor a unit that allowed just 27 sacks, down from 58 sacks during the 2014 season.
Check out the top photos of Brandon Scherff from the 2015 season.
Their protection also allowed quarterback Kirk Cousins to set single-season team records for completions (379), passing yards (4,166) and 300-yard passing games (seven).
"They've done a great job," Cousins said during the team's mandatory veteran minicamp. "Coach [Bill] Callahan is excellent and – I think I mentioned this last week – the more reps you get together with the same guy next to you is very beneficial. And the more times you see the same play over and over again against different defenses – the movement and how you handle it – the better you're going to be. Both of them are big, strong, athletic guys that the more they see, the better they're going to get and we expect great things from that side for a long time."
In late July, Moses and his teammates will return to the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center for training camp.
Unlike last year where Moses entered camp working with the second-team before his play merited more playing time, he's a solidified started now.
"Definitely can't wait," Moses said.