Sam Cosmi had one goal for himself last season as he adjusted to playing guard for the first time in his career: be one of the best in the league at his position. He's being paid like it now, but nothing has changed about that mentality.

The Commanders announced on Wednesday that Cosmi had agreed to a contract extension that would keep him with the team for the foreseeable future. It was the culmination of talks that Cosmi said started weeks ago, and rather than let Cosmi, who was set to hit free agency next March, test his options with other teams, Washington decided to lock down someone general manager Adam Peters referred to as "a pillar of our offensive line."

All that sounds great, and Cosmi expressed his gratitude for the organization for wanting to keep him. However, Cosmi doesn't plan on relaxing now that he's gotten a new deal. He's more determined than ever to be one of the best guards playing today.

"That mentality will not change," Cosmi said. "That mentality will be even more motivation to be one of the best guards in this league. I'm grateful they were able to see that."

Cosmi's rise over the past season -- Pro Football Focus graded him fourth at his position in 2023 -- is even more impressive when considering how little he has played at the spot in his career. Prior to switching to the position full-time last year, Cosmi played just 34 snaps at right guard in 2022 against the New York Giants. He played well but sustained an injury that kept him sidelined for the next two weeks.

After the season, Cosmi saw then-head coach Ron Rivera in his office and asked him bluntly what role he saw him in for 2023. Rivera said right guard, and Cosmi committed himself to mastering the new position.

As someone who didn't play guard in high school or college, the practices were "huge," Cosmi said. Everything from his stance to the angles he took on run- and pass-blocking was different, so he worked hard every day to learn the concepts and techniques. He described himself as his biggest critic, and that mindset helped him improve each week.

The results showed up in games. Cosmi routinely graded as the team's best offensive lineman on a weekly basis, starting with a 71.1 in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. His best stretch was in Weeks 15-17, when he received a grade of at least 80 in that three-game stretch. He was the only starter who allowed just one sack last season.

"I just feel like my trajectory is going like this," Cosmi said while raising his hand in an incline. "I feel way more comfortable this year. You could see the tape from last year. As each game progressed, I felt like I was more and more fitting that role."

Cosmi carried that momentum into training camp with new head coach Dan Quinn leading the team. Quinn was familiar with Cosmi's skill set, as he was the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, but seeing Cosmi's work ethic in person led to him developing a deeper appreciation of it.

"Sam Cosmi has shown really consistent play," Quinn said during training camp. "You would've thought he'd been a guard for a really long time and in fact he wasn't, from moving from tackle to guard. I would say his ability to stay square, to pull. He's an athlete that's inside. He's somebody that has impressed me by the size of him, his movement to go."

Quinn, along with general manager Adam Peters, has spent the past seven months reshaping the roster to fit their vision. That has meant changes at multiple positions, including the offensive line. There will be three new starters in the lineup, including the entirety of the left side.

Cosmi was never worried about that, though. He believes that if someone works hard, everything will sort itself out. With Cosmi, that turned out to be the case.

"I put together a really good training camp," Cosmi said. "I felt great coming out of it, and I feel really good going into the season. So, I'm just excited for that."

Now that the contract talks are behind him, Cosmi can focus on what he views to be more important: preparing for the Buccaneers in Week 1. Cosmi expects it to be a fist fight at Raymond James Stadium, and it's his job to make sure quarterback Jayden Daniels is protected well enough to give them a chance to win.

And now that he's gotten a bigger contract, he's aware that more attention will be on him. That's fine by him, because he still feels like he needs to prove himself.

"It's not like I'm gonna [say], 'Hey, I've arrived,'" Cosmi said. "That's not the case. I still gotta prove it each and every day. Again, I take pride in who I am. The name on the back of my jersey is a huge thing for me."