NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
After a summer of feeling good about all the things we have accomplished today, the Washington Commanders turn the page and get ready for the new season. A trip to the NFC Championship game was amazing, and although we didn’t get the result we wanted, we put the league on notice that these aren’t ya mamas Commanders.
The offseason saw some players leave and new ones join this rebuild headed up by Adam Peters and Dan Quinn. So, with the grass freshly cut and guys as healthy as they will be, what should we keep an eye on during training camp? Jayden Daniels has had an offseason to work on his game, and that alone has me very excited for the season. The Rookie of the Year is hungry for success and bringing a Super Bowl to the DMV.
53-man roster projection
QB (2): Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota
RB (4): Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jeremy McNichols
WR (6): Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Luke McCaffrey, Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup
TE (3): Zach Ertz, John Bates, Ben Sinnott
OL (9): Laremy Tunsil Jr., Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, Sam Cosmi, Josh Conerly Jr., Nick Allegretti, Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, Nate Herbig
DL (10): Dorance Armstrong, Daron Payne, Jer’Zhan Newton, Clelin Ferrell, Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., Von Miller, Eddie Goldman, Jacob Martin, Javontae Jean-Baptiste
LB (6): Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano, Nick Bellore, Dominique Hampton
CB (5): Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Marshon Lattimore, Noah Igbinoghene, Jonathan Jones
S (5): Quan Martin, Will Harris, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves, Tyler Owens
ST (3): P Tress Way, K Matt Gay, LS Tyler Ott
Big things are expected from Deebo Samuel, Larry Tunsil Jr,, Josh Conerly Jr., all brought in this offseason. Can Samuels stay ON the field and be the big-time playmaker and jack of all trades we saw in San Francisco? With a franchise QB in Daniels, any team worth its salt would protect him, which is what Tunsil and Conerly provide. Von Miller leaves Buffalo and looks to add some wisdom, along with sacks, to a defense that will have a ton of eyes on it.
With a full offseason under his belt to get healthy and learn the system, Marshon Lattimore will be looked at as CB1 and the leader of the secondary. This Commander’s team MUST stop the run ranking 30th last season, and 29th in a ton of other categories you do not want to be on the bottom for. The defensive line needs to create more push and collapse the pocket, along with stuffing running lanes. Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman, and Jacob Martin were all brought in to do all those things. If the defense doesn’t improve, it will be very hard to have the season everyone wants.
Overall, if I had to pick 3 things that I am looking at all camp, it would be:
Marshon Latttimore: Show us the player that we saw in New Orleans
Jayden Daniles: Avoid the CJ Stroud type sophomore slump, command the offense, and improve
Deebo Samuel: Stay Healthy and have an amazing revenge tour on the rest of the league
Look for more position group breakdowns and season-long coverage from me. SIGN Terry McLaurin!! Grab new gear for the season from our partners over at Fanatics!
