3 mistakes the Tennessee Titans have to avoid in replacing Nicholas Petit-Frere
By Will Lomas
2. Moving Andre Dillard or Peter Skoronski to right tackle
I'm a big believer in not letting one mistake turn into more mistakes.
Having NPF out for six games is rough, and it hurts you for a crucial stretch of the season. However, expecting Andre Dillard or Peter Skoronski to throw away what they have learned up to this point so that they can learn a different position could hurt you for the entire season.
For Dillard, even if the move worked out it could make his transition back to left tackle more difficult when NPF finally comes back. Offensive linemen often compare flip-flopping from right to left, like they are trying to play while looking in a mirror or like they are trying to write with their non-dominant hand.
There is a reason why some offensive tackles can be Pro Bowlers on one side but look completely out of place on the other side of the line. While it sounds simple, it just doesn't work that way and Dillard is a guy who would feel more comfortable at left guard than he does at right tackle.
In Skoronski's case, the Tennessee Titans have to let him play left guard.
The majority of the snaps that he has taken since being drafted have been at left guard, and moving him from guard to tackle and from left to right, would make his life exponentially harder for very little gain considering that NPF should be back by Week 7.
No matter what anyone says, Peter Skoronski's development is more important than anyone else on the offensive line because there is a good chance that he is the only player on the line who will be here in three years. He has the talent to be a great offensive lineman in this league and his long-term growth is more important than putting a Band-Aid on the right tackle spot.