The Washington Commanders conducted more back-to-back sessions of training camp this week. Several players were out with injuries sustained during the team’s first preseason game versus the Miami Dolphins or the joint practice before it, while others returned from extended absences.
Receiver River Cracraft and running back Jerome Ford went on the team’s injured reserve list while quarterback Marcus Mariota, defensive lineman Johnny Newton and linebackers Jordan Magee and Ale Kaho all sat out with
new injuries. Edge rushers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson also missed time with injuries this week. The team welcomed back starters Nick Allegretti and John Bates on Tuesday — more on Allegretti’s status in a bit — and several additional bodies were also added to the roster to conduct offseason activities.
In seeming deference to the team’s injury status, head coach Dan Quinn opted to go shells only on Tuesday instead of full pads, but the injury news for the Commanders only got worse on Wednesday. Newton has undergone surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and will miss a good portion, if not all, of the regular season. Allegretti headed to the medical tent and was shut down early Wednesday and sat out Thursday. Running back Rachaad White was also revealed to have a hamstring injury, but returned on a limited basis Thursday. Both will miss Saturday’s preseason game at Detroit. Daron Payne also sat out Thursday’s session with a minor injury. There is plenty to cover, so here are the top associated storylines from the week.
Jayden Daniels gets extended reps in camp, but is it enough?
Marcus Mariota is sidelined with a sprained MCL, but the team is optimistic the veteran backup quarterback will be available for the season opener. On Tuesday, the coaching staff decided to give starter Jayden Daniels additional practice reps, which allowed the quarterback an opportunity to gel with the second-team wide receivers. Daniels threw his first interception of camp, a tipped ball to Amik Robertson, but bounced back to finish the day strong. First, he hit Jaylin Lane for a big completion, then Daniels shredded the defense in a one-minute drill, once again drawing the “surgical” tag.
While this is good news, the big storyline revolves around if Daniels should play in Saturday’s preseason game. On Thursday, the decision still hadn’t been made with Quinn simply stating a “good amount of starters” will get playing time on Saturday. Regardless of perceived necessity, Quinn may choose to keep Daniels on the bench all preseason given the team’s recent rash of injuries. The camp reports of Daniels’ performance have been glowing up until this point, but there are more than a few people that think Daniels could benefit from live competition.
Joshua Josephs continues to have a strong training camp
Both Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson sat out this week’s sessions and fellow edge rusher Joshua Josephs used the additional reps to continue to build on his strong training camp.
Josephs has looked good both in the pass rush and run defense while working with the first team. He played some SAM linebacker this week, which shows the team has faith in his off-the-ball ability. Josh’s potential role this season continues to grow.
A roster battle is being waged at the defensive tackle position
DJ Davidson abruptly retired last week, and since the announcement there has been no clarity regarding the identity of Tim Settle’s backup. The lossof Johnny Newton late Wednesday creates further opportunity in the defensive tackle room. Shy Tuttle made some plays in the first preseason game and last year’s undrafted free agent addition Ricky Barber also had a good game. Barber even played some zero technique and looked good while doing it. Quinn praised both players in his pre-practice presser Tuesday. The team also added Byron Cowart last week, and new defensive tackle brought some pressure of his own in the second half of the game.
All three are undersized for the nose tackle position, while undrafted free agent Jeffrey M’Ba has prototypical size. He has had a quiet camp but did dent the stat sheet Friday with one tackle, two assists and a quarterback hurry in 18 snaps against the Dolphins’ second and third teams.
The room became even more crowded when the team added another defensive tackle in veteran Maurice Hurst II, but he is most likely a camp body. Settle started his return to the lineup Tuesday but, with Newton’s injury news, there is still an opportunity for another player to step up. Barber appears to be the first one given an opportunity to benefit from his absence.
Should the Washington Commanders trade for more interior OL help?
The latest on Nick Allegretti is that he experienced calf tightness during Wednesday’s practice and left early for an imaging check of his injury. The results came back clean, and he will continue his rehab, but Allegretti will miss Saturday’s preseason game. He is unlikely to play in the team’s final preseason matchup versus the Ravens, which would make his first game action the opening snap versus the Philadelphia Eagles. The offense has been struggling to generate movement in the interior run game and guard Chris Paul seems like a less than perfect fit for the new scheme. Dan Quinn has mentioned the guard position several times, including working rookie Matt Gulbin at the position.
While Gulbin may be a fit at guard — the Commanders want to expand his versatility — that leaves the center snaps to Julian Good-Jones and newly acquired Daniel Brunskill. Other recent additions, Max Scharping and Trey Hill, seem like camp bodies. There is a clear need for an upgrade and fans have begun to wonder if Adam Peters could make a move ahead of final roster cuts. Following the addition of Tyler Linderbaum, Raiders 2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson may fit in a possible trade scenario.
UDFA Watch
Drew Stevens was named the team’s starting kicker Monday. If all goes according to plan, he will be the eighth kicker to start a regular season game for the Commanders since the 2024 season opener. Stevens validated his promotion on Tuesday going 6-for-6 with a 60-yard “doink” clearing the bar while struggling somewhat during Wednesday’s session.
Jerome Ford’s move to the reserve/injured list ends his season with the Washington Commanders and creates an opportunity for undrafted free agent Robert Henry Jr. to win a roster spot. The running back looked to build on his strong performance in the team’s first preseason game this week. Henry had both good and bad moments but remains locked in on winning a roster spot.
Jeffrey M’Ba seems to realize there is an opportunity with Newton sidelined. He was first on the field for both the Wednesday and Thursday sessions.
