Position flexibility in Scott Turner’s offense helps explain recent Logan Thomas success

Logan Thomas has really started to produce for Washington over the past several weeks, and his time spent in the slot explains why.

At first, Washington’s Logan Thomas was seen as just a college quarterback who was converted to the tight end position in the NFL. Then, after some success there earlier this year, he became known as more than that disclaimer, solidifying himself as an NFL tight end.

Now, after Thomas turned in the best game of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with 98 yards receiving and 1 touchdown, Thomas may start to be reaching a tier of TEs that hold a label that is only for a handful of players: Slot Receiver.

When you think of a traditional tight end, you see someone lining up outside of the tackle, usually in a three-point stance, occasionally chipping an edge defender and slipping into the secondary for a route. However, when you get good enough, some players are lucky enough to be lined up in the slot, showing a position versatility that treats them more like a wide receiver than just a tight end. Look at players like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller, Mark Andrews — you can regularly find them split out in the slot with playmaking on their minds.

In Scott Turner’s offense in Washington, we’re starting to see that more and more for Thomas as well.

Week 13 wasn’t the first time we saw Thomas split out in the slot, but it was absolutely his most proficient game in that role, and Turner seemed to scheme up a number of plays that highlighted his ability to act as more of a route-runner and pass-catcher, rather than just a blocker. Thomas received 9 targets on Monday, all of which became catches, and solidified himself as one of Alex Smith’s top options on the offense.

Things can change week-to-week according to the gameplan, but you can expect to see Thomas split out wide a lot more going forward. He’s now proven he’s good enough to shoulder that role.

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