Commanders 53-man roster projection: Which receivers will make the cut?

New York Times

a day ago

ASHBURN, Va. — Dan Quinn really is just like us.
The Commanders' coach admitted earlier this week that he, too, does his own 53-man roster projections, just for fun. Sometimes he'll even take a snapshot of his projections with his phone for later reference.
'It makes you think,' he said. 'It makes you dig in a little harder. I like doing it. I don't put a lot of stock into it, but I do it because I like to compare what's changed. I want to have fresh eyes for when real competition presents itself and people take it. … But yeah, I do the same exercise you guys probably do.'
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Yet this year's exercise is a bit different from last year, when the Commanders' front office, coaching staff and roster were overhauled. Washington is less of a mystery now, and many of its starters are returning players who have at least a year in the team's systems. The focus instead is on depth and finding the right bottom-of-the-roster guys, who so often end up playing large roles down the stretch.
There are some positions at which the team is still hoping to find separation, and some spots that could be determined by special teams.
The Commanders still have two preseason games left, plus a joint practice with the Ravens — three critical evaluations that could change multiple spots. But after three weeks of training camp, including a joint practice and a sloppy preseason loss in New England, and an intrasquad scrimmage back in Ashburn earlier this week, Washington's initial roster is starting to become clear. Mostly.
First, a few notes:
Jayden Daniels
Marcus Mariota
Josh Johnson
The Commanders' seemingly annual tradition of holding a quarterback competition is still on. Only this year, it is for the third-string job. Johnson and Sam Hartman are in the running for the final spot, but it hasn't been much of a competition. Johnson has nine years and nine starts in the NFL, and Hartman has none. And the latter's inexperience and inconsistency showed in the Commanders' blowout loss to the Patriots; he went 9 of 19 for 64 yards, an interception and 33.7 passer rating. Hartman is a candidate for the practice squad again, since he knows the staff and system well.
The spotlight is and will always be (rightfully) on Daniels. He is the crux of the team; where he goes, the team will go. But the focus at this point in camp should be on Mariota — a reason the Commanders could keep three QBs on their initial roster once again. Mariota was a mentor to Daniels and the perfect backup for Washington last season, when he stepped in to close out two wins. But he hasn't participated in practice in weeks because of a lower leg injury, according to Quinn.
Jayden Daniels
Commanders
'I wish he was out here all the time, but I know that he's able to throw, he is working to the side and that we're getting closer,' Quinn said Monday. 'We're just not there yet.'
Terry McLaurin
Noah Brown
Deebo Samuel
Jaylin Lane
Luke McCaffrey
Ja'Corey Brooks
The good news is Samuel has had a really good camp and is in great shape.
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The bad news is Washington doesn't have anyone else, really.
McLaurin's contract dispute continues to drag on, with no indication the sides are any closer to finding a resolution. Brown has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered in minicamp — which came after he recovered from a kidney injury last season.
And the rest of Washington's receivers lack a clear leader. McCaffrey has received ample time with the ones and has struggled, and the group as a whole had a slew of drops in the preseason opener and throughout camp.
I'm keeping McCaffrey largely because he was a third-round pick last year, and Brooks because of his size (6-foot-3) and potential. He caught five passes on five targets for a game-high 59 receiving yards against the Patriots. But this is one group that could see turnover before Week 1.
Brian Robinson Jr.
Austin Ekeler
Jeremy McNichols
Jacory 'Bill' Croskey-Merritt
Bill has been one of the stars of camp, all but ensuring he has a spot on this roster — and likely much more. It wouldn't surprise to see him have a significant role in the offense. His explosiveness, vision and quick cuts could really jump-start Washington's run game and take a load off Daniels, who was the run game late last season.
Losing Chris Rodriguez Jr. isn't easy though. He showed a bit of what he's capable of late last season, and with each of Washington's veteran backs on one-year deals or in the last year of their contracts, he's one I think has a chance to earn a bigger role. The problem is, it may not be in Washington.
Zach Ertz
John Bates
Ben Sinnott
Colson Yankoff
All four are returners, so there's no real surprise here. Ertz is coming off one of his best (and healthiest) seasons in years, and Bates just re-upped on a three-year deal.
Daniels has a strong connection with Ertz, but the question at this point in his career will always be about his health. Can he play another full season at 34? And can Sinnott, who had little opportunity last season and hasn't done a whole lot in camp, step in if he can't?
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Bates is Bates — a solid blocking tight end capable of being a reliable pass catcher. And Yankoff gets the last spot because of special teams.
LT Laremy Tunsil
LG Brandon Coleman
C Tyler Biadasz
RT Josh Conerly Jr.
T/G Andrew Wylie
G Nick Allegretti
G Chris Paul
T Trent Scott
C Michael Deiter
Injured reserve: Sam Cosmi
Washington upgraded the left side of its line significantly by acquiring Tunsil and moving Coleman inside to guard. When the front five is fully healthy, it could be a very good group. But it might take some time before it reaches that point.
Cosmi has been recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in the playoffs and could begin the season on IR, meaning he'd miss at least the first four games (in this projection, he'd be one of the allotted two players who can go on IR when the 53 is formed).
Wylie and Conerly have been competing for the starting right tackle job, and so far Wylie has been the more consistent of the two. The Commanders could rotate them until Conerly is ready to start full-time, much like they did with Coleman and Cornelius Lucas last season at left tackle.
If Wylie is outside, Allegretti would likely assume Cosmi's job until he's healthy.
DT Daron Payne
DT Javon Kinlaw
DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
DE Dorance Armstrong
DT Jer'Zhan 'Johnny' Newton
DT Eddie Goldman
DE Clelin Ferrell
DE Jalyn Holmes
The Commanders set out to get bigger up front to have a better chance against the run. It was a clear weakness last season, with much of the damage done by Saquon Barkley, who collected 414 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in three meetings (playoffs included) with Washington.
Washington certainly beefed up, with additions such as Javon Kinlaw and Eddie Goldman. But whether it achieves the desired effect remains to be seen; the starting line has faced outside competition only once, in the joint practice against the Patriots.
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The team also needed to improve its pass rush, so it added another veteran to the edge in Deatrich Wise Jr., and later signed Von Miller, the league's active sack leader. (Miller is listed as an OLB primarily because he chose jersey No. 24).
But don't sleep on Armstrong. The seven-year veteran is having an impressive camp. So, too, is Johnny Newton, the Commanders' second-year defensive tackle who had three tackles, including a strip sack, in 15 snaps against the Patriots last Friday.
'He was always quick for a 300-pound guy … and now you're seeing the hand use, the skill that goes with that, and that's oftentimes why that big jump takes place,' Quinn said.
The final spot — maybe even the final two spots — could still be up for grabs, leaving an opening for Javontae Jean-Baptiste to grab one if he can get healthy.
LB Bobby Wagner
LB Frankie Luvu
OLB Von Miller
OLB Jacob Martin
LB Nick Bellore
LB Kain Medrano
Injured reserve: LB Jordan Magee
The Commanders have star talent at this position, but the drop-off from the starters to reserves is significant. To be fair, few can play at the level of Wagner, Luvu and Miller, but consistency and sound tackling are priorities and neither were on display when the Commanders' backups faced the Patriots.
Martin should be a help in the pass rush, but the team needs Medrano to be a quick study. Magee, whom the Commanders have high hopes for, has a chance to earn a sizable role after playing only 15 defensive snaps as a rookie — but only if he can stay healthy.
And Bellore earns his spot here because of special teams.
Marshon Lattimore
Trey Amos
Mike Sainristil
Jonathan Jones
Noah Igbinoghene
It's early and Washington has seen promising rookie corners disappoint when the regular season begins. But so far, Amos has shown he can not only start right away, but be one of the more consistent players on the field. He gets his hand on the ball regularly and, perhaps more impressive, plays with patience.
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The X-factor for this group, and maybe the team as a whole, is Lattimore. Washington's trade for him last November was the first real sign the team's timetable was expedited because of their quarterback. Lattimore's hamstring injury made for a tough transition with the Commanders. But in camp this summer, he's looked more like the cornerback he was a few years ago.
'I feel like I can run now and I can get out of my breaks,' he said after the joint practice in New England. 'I can do everything I want to do.'
FS Quan Martin
SS Will Harris
FS Jeremy Reaves
SS Percy Butler
SS Tyler Owens
Quinn believes this group is one of the Commanders' deepest positions. It's certainly one of the more versatile ones.
Martin has been a staple of the defense since his rookie season in 2023. Harris, who signed after Washington lost Jeremy Chinn in free agency, has experience playing all over the defensive backfield. Reaves, Butler and Owens all double as vital special teams contributors.
Reaves, the team's special teams ace, could get more time on defense this year. He's had a strong camp, was a standout in the preseason opener against the Patriots and got ample time with the first-team defense during Washington's intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday.
P/H Tress Way
K Matt Gay
LS Tyler Ott
Quinn preaches competition, but not here!
Way is still Way, and Ott has been steady since he arrived
Gay is the eighth kicker to sign with Washington since March 2024. He was consistent for the first couple of weeks, but missed his first attempt against the Patriots and another in practice two days later. Quinn said they team is not considering bringing in kicking competition, but another miss or two could change that.
'We've got a lot of faith and belief in Matt, and there's a lot for us to get better at,' Quinn said. 'And at that position, it's technical and you've got to make sure [you're] really strong and really capable, and I'm certain he'll do that.'
(Photos: Paul Rutherford / Imagn Images)
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