NFL
The preseason is officially over for the Washington Commanders. We’re finally getting a clearer picture of the team we’ll see when the games start to count.
Washington finished the preseason Friday night with a 41-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. It wasn’t the prettiest way to end August, but the score doesn’t tell the full story. The Commanders held 41 players out of the game, including several starters and key contributors. So, Friday was really one last opportunity for players fighting for a roster spot to make their case.
A few days later, we got our answers. Washington cut the roster to 53, began assembling its practice squad, and made a few more moves as injuries opened additional roster spots. There has also been some good news on the injury front, with a few players returning to practice.
Now, with 11 days until the Commanders travel to Philadelphia, there isn’t much time left to think about the preseason. It’s time to start looking at the team Washington is actually taking into Week 1.
The Roster Takes Shape
One of the questions I had throughout camp was whether Washington would keep two or three quarterbacks. The Commanders decided on three, with seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis earning a spot behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota.
Kaliakmanis making the team shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after the preseason he had. He continued to take advantage of the opportunities Washington gave him. Kaliakmanis did enough to make the Commanders want to keep him around rather than risk losing him after roster cuts. Sam Hartman didn’t make the initial 53. However, Washington brought him back to the practice squad. So, the team can continue developing both young quarterbacks.
Wide receiver might be even more interesting because Washington decided to keep seven. Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs lead the group. They are followed by Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Jaylin Lane, and Dyami Brown.
I’m interested to see what keeping seven receivers looks like once the season starts. We know McLaurin and Diggs will be a major part of the offense. However, Williams continued to make a name for himself throughout camp. McCaffrey, Burks, Lane, and Brown also give Washington different options, whether that’s on offense or special teams.
It’s one thing to make the roster. Now it’s about finding out who Daniels starts looking for when he’s not throwing to McLaurin or Diggs and which players can carve out consistent roles.
Jaden Bradley didn’t make the 53 after having some good moments throughout camp and the preseason. Still, Washington managed to bring him back to the practice squad. Hartman, Julian Good-Jones, Robert Henry Jr., Ale Kaho, Byron Cowart, Craig Reynolds, and Trent Scott are among the other familiar names Washington kept around.
I like that Washington was able to keep several players we’ve been watching all summer. Not everybody will make the 53, but the practice squad gives the Commanders a chance to continue developing some of those players rather than completely moving on from them. With the way injuries have already affected this roster, there’s also a good chance we’ll hear some of those names again during the season.
The initial 53 didn’t stay the same for long either. Washington placed Laremy Tunsil and Jer’Zhan Newton on injured reserve, which opened roster spots for cornerback Fabian Moreau and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle to return after initially being released.
Both moves address positions where Washington could use some extra depth. Newton is going to miss time after suffering a torn pectoral, and Trey Amos will also begin the season on injured reserve. Bringing Moreau and Tuttle back gives Washington experienced options at two positions that have already been affected by injuries.
There could still be more movement before Week 1, but at least we finally have a better idea of what this roster looks like.
Getting Healthy at the Right Time
After spending so much of August talking about injuries, Washington finally got some encouraging news this week.
Nick Allegretti returned to practice after missing most of training camp with a calf injury. It may not be the flashiest update of the week, but it’s one of the most important.
The offensive line has been one of my biggest questions since Tunsil went down with a torn triceps. Brandon Coleman has moved to left tackle. Chris Paul has worked at left guard, and Washington spent part of camp evaluating other options at center while Allegretti was unavailable.
Getting Allegretti back allows the Commanders to get some consistency in the middle before facing Philadelphia. Rookie Matt Gulbin still earned a spot on the 53, and Good-Jones returning on the practice squad gives Washington additional depth. However, having Allegretti back taking snaps with Daniels is a much better situation than trying to figure out the position days before the season starts.
I’m still going to be watching the offensive line closely against Philadelphia. Coleman is stepping into an important role without Tunsil, and this group hasn’t had much time together in its current form. Washington doesn’t need everything to be perfect immediately, but Daniels must be protected if we’re going to see what this offense can really become.
There was some good news on defense, too. K’Lavon Chaisson returned to practice Wednesday after dealing with a knee injury and is working his way toward being available for Week 1. That’s especially important because Dorance Armstrong won’t be available for the opener due to suspension.
Odafe Oweh is another player to watch over the next week. He’s been dealing with a calf injury, and the Commanders are hoping he can return to practice next week. Whether he’ll be ready for Philadelphia is still something to watch. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has also been working his way back from a lower-body injury.
Washington still isn’t completely healthy. Tunsil and Newton are on injured reserve, while Amos and Jeremy McNichols were placed on injured reserve with designations to return. Deatrich Wise Jr. will begin the season on the physically unable to perform list.
But compared to where things were a few weeks ago, seeing Allegretti and Chaisson back on the field is a good sign. The Commanders have 11 days to get as healthy as possible before the Eagles, and every practice between now and then matters.
Now It’s About Philadelphia
The attention now completely shifts to Philadelphia.
Washington will open the regular season against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m. Starting the season on the road against an NFC East opponent means we won’t have to wait long to see where this team stands.
The person I’m most ready to see is Daniels.
We barely saw him during the preseason, which was probably for the best. Washington’s priority was getting him through August healthy while giving him as many useful practice reps as possible in David Blough’s offense. Dan Quinn said Daniels took more than 500 practice snaps during training camp, so he’s been getting plenty of work even if we haven’t gotten to watch most of it.
Now I want to see what all that work looks like in a real game.
We’ve heard about Daniels taking more snaps under center and getting more comfortable operating from the huddle. We talked about the weapons Washington added around him. We’ve discussed what Diggs could add opposite McLaurin and what this offense could look like with more options.
Against Philadelphia, we get to see it.
The offensive line is probably going to be the first thing I watch. Getting Allegretti back helps, but Coleman will have a big responsibility at left tackle without Tunsil. If Washington can keep Daniels comfortable and give him enough time, I’m excited to see how Blough uses all of the receivers the Commanders decided to keep.
I’m also ready to get a real look at the defense. Quan Martin had an impressive preseason, and Washington had stretches when the defense generated pressure and forced turnovers. That’s encouraging, but there’s only so much we can take from preseason games when starters are playing limited snaps or not playing at all.
Philadelphia will be different. We’ll finally get to see Washington’s starters together for four quarters, and we’ll start getting answers about what this defense can be.
That’s really where the Commanders are right now. A few weeks ago, we were watching more than 90 players compete for jobs. Now that the roster has been cut down, the practice squad is coming together, and the focus is on getting the players here ready for Philadelphia.
There are still things I’m watching. I want to see:
- How the offensive line holds up without Tunsil
- How Blough uses all of the weapons around Daniels
- Which receivers separate themselves behind McLaurin and Diggs
- If the defense can carry some of the playmaking we saw in August into the regular season.
But that’s what makes these next 11 days exciting.
We’ve spent the entire summer talking about what this Commanders team could look like. Against Philadelphia, we finally start finding out.
