Commanders roster analysis: Breaking down the initial 53

10-12 minutes 8/31/2023
During the NFL’s league meetings in March, Ron Rivera claimed that, in his fourth offseason as head coach of the Commanders, the team was “roster building for the first time” because it had a quarterback it felt confident could develop into a centerpiece.
The Commanders have pinned their future (for now) on Sam Howell, a 22-year-old fifth-round pick in last year’s draft who started one game as a rookie. Rivera tabbed him as the starter in January and set up the offseason and training camp so the starting job was Howell’s to lose.
In keeping the quarterback room relatively cheap, Rivera reasoned that the team had money to burn elsewhere — and it did. Sort of. It re-signed veteran defensive tackle Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million contract. But elsewhere on the roster, the team played it fairly conservative, signing second-tier veterans such as Nick Gates and Andrew Wylie to the offensive line, Cody Barton at linebacker and Byron Pringle at wide receiver.
Washington’s initial 53-man roster was built primarily with the draft picks of the current regime and the previous one, led by former team president Bruce Allen and former head of player personnel Kyle Smith. (All six of Washington’s Pro Bowlers last season were drafted or signed before Rivera arrived.) It is founded mostly on potential, with a deep receiving corps and a deep and versatile secondary. The starting defensive line is loaded with first-round picks, and the tight end group, health permitting, has a chance to be dynamic in Eric Bieniemy’s offense.
With a new ownership group, led by Josh Harris, the team is also in a one-year tryout, hoping to finally transfer its years of potential into production.
“I feel very comfortable about it. I really do,” Rivera said Tuesday of the roster. “I think we’re deep where we need to be. We’re younger. This is a pretty young roster. … It’s a physical group of guys.”
Offense (26)
Quarterback (2): Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett
This was always the most likely scenario. Howell impressed in last season’s finale against Dallas and showed consistent improvement throughout the offseason to keep a lock on the starting job. The biggest question is whether he can grow and become the guy at quarterback, ending a years-long carousel in Washington.
Unlike last year, the team is keeping two quarterbacks on its Week 1 roster. Jake Fromm was added to the practice squad and can be elevated for up to two games and not count against the team’s game-day active roster.
Wide receiver (7): Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Byron Pringle, Dax Milne, Mitchell Tinsley
Washington’s core four — McLaurin, Dotson, Samuel and Brown — were a lock from the start of camp, although McLaurin’s status for the beginning of the season remains unknown because of the turf toe he suffered in the second preseason game.
Pringle, who signed in late July, played for Bieniemy for four seasons in Kansas City and flashed enough talent to warrant a spot. The team retained Dax Milne mostly for his ability as a returner. And Mitchell Tinsley, an undrafted wide receiver out of Penn State, earned his way onto the roster with his play in the preseason. He still needs to develop, and his contributions on special teams will be paramount to earning playing time. But his route-running and catch ability offer plenty of intrigue and could get him time on offense.
Tight ends (4): Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner, Curtis Hodges
If there’s one thing working in Washington’s favor, it’s size: The four are an average of 6-foot-6 and 247 pounds, making them one of the bigger tight end corps in the NFL.
But size alone can’t lead to production.
Last season, 13 individual tight ends had more receiving yards than the Commanders’ tight ends had collectively (518). The position is heavily featured in Bieniemy’s offense, so their production this year should look significantly different. But the key for this group is and always has been health. Armani Rogers will miss the season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon in the spring, and Thomas dealt with a calf injury for much of camp, creating some doubt that he’ll be able to stay available for the full season.
Thomas remains the most complete tight end of the group and the biggest threat to an opposing defense with his physicality at the catch point and overall knowledge of the offense. (It helps that he’s a former quarterback.) But Bates has become more of a factor in the pass game, and the team hopes Turner will develop into a more physical pass-catcher and consistent blocker.
Running back (3): Brian Robinson Jr., Antonio Gibson, Chris Rodriguez Jr.
In Bieniemy’s system, Washington’s backs will be used more in the passing game, catching balls out of the backfield and picking up blitzes and blocking. The role suits Gibson, who converted from wide receiver, and throughout camp, Robinson showed his ability to adapt. All three backs have a mix of power and finesse and should still create trouble in the run game — if the offensive line can hold up.
Offensive line (10): Charles Leno Jr., Saahdiq Charles, Nick Gates, Sam Cosmi, Andrew Wylie, Chris Paul, Cornelius Lucas, Tyler Larsen, Ricky Stromberg, Trent Scott
The Commanders remade the interior of their O-line by signing Gates, elevating Charles and moving Cosmi inside from tackle. They also signed Wylie, who played previously with the Chiefs, to take over at right tackle. The early going of camp offered little optimism the new starting group or its backups had the talent or depth to not hinder the offense. But it improved throughout the preseason.
The team re-signed Larsen a day after cutting him to form the initial 53. He gives Washington three centers, a priority after injuries ravaged the position the past couple of years. Lucas and Scott add additional veteran presence to spell Leno and Wylie. Stromberg, a center who trained at guard in the preseason, offers some versatility inside, but he lacks pro experience.
Defense (24)
Defensive line (10): Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, John Ridgeway, Andre Jones, K.J. Henry, James Smith-Williams, Casey Toohill, Anderson Abdullah
It’s still not certain when the starting line will finally get to play together again. Young is dealing with a stinger he suffered in the preseason, and Allen dealt with plantar fasciitis in camp. Whenever it’s healthy enough to play, the group, on paper, is one of the more formidable in the league, and the competition at defensive end could motivate Sweat and Young to play to their potentials. Both are set to be free agents in March, and whoever impresses the most could get the bag.
The line has depth, too, especially with the return of Ridgeway, and it will get deeper when Phidarian Mathis (calf) and Efe Obada (patella) return from injured reserve. Both will miss a minimum of four games. The emergence of Jones as a pass-rusher bears watching. So do Smith-Williams and Toohill, backups who spelled Young last year but could be used differently this year.
Linebacker (4): Jamin Davis, Cody Barton, David Mayo, Khaleke Hudson
The linebackers generally have been Washington’s weakest link over the past few seasons. The Commanders let Cole Holcomb sign with the Steelers in free agency and replaced him with Barton, who has one year of starting experience on defense; he was primarily a special-teamer the past four seasons in Seattle.
Washington has adjusted its defense over the years to account for a lack of talent at the position and to better counter pass-happy offenses, using a match-zone scheme and a collection of defensive backs who can play multiple positions. The team’s best linebacker is really safety Kam Curl, who dropped down in the box often last year.
The ceiling for this group depends on Davis, a 2021 first-round pick who struggled for much of the past two seasons but started to show growth at the end of 2022.
Cornerback (5): Kendall Fuller, Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, Danny Johnson, Christian Holmes
Brent Vieselmeyer, the Commanders’ defensive backs coach, said he has never worked with a group this deep on players who can play multiple spots. Position flexibility has become the hallmark of Washington’s secondary, and it starts with its corners. Fuller can play inside and outside, but he has been his most productive in recent years outside. Forbes, taken 16th in the 2023 draft, was a ballhawk throughout camp, quashing any doubts about his slender frame. St-Juste is the team’s top slot corner — a position deemed a starter in this defense — but he can shift outside, drop to the box and be used on blitzes. Johnson and Holmes round out the group; they’re both versatile and familiar with the scheme.
Safety (5): Kam Curl, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves, Quan Martin
If the defensive line is the crux of the defense, the safety corps is a close second. Curl, a 2020 seventh-round pick, has developed into one of the team’s top players and a do-it-all defensive back who can play almost anywhere: the post, strong safety, big nickel, slot, linebacker and even on the line. Forrest, a 2021 fifth-rounder, is Washington’s thumper at safety and also has the cover skills to chase down wideouts for deflections. Butler has a year of experience in coordinator Jack Del Rio’s system; he and Reaves give Washington plenty of depth as Martin gets more comfortable.
Specialists (3)
Punter/holder: Tress Way
Kicker: Joey Slye
Long snapper: Camaron Cheeseman
The most consistent unit on the Commanders’ roster remains intact, despite a kicking competition in camp and a couple temporary punters who spelled Way while he experienced lower back tightness in preseason.
The kicking operation raised a few concerns during the summer — multiple snaps were low or botched — but they dissipated in preseason. Coupled with a more efficient Slye (25 of 30 on field goals last season), Washington’s specialists have a chance to be the team’s most reliable unit this season.