The Commanders used Tuesday’s practice to keep a few of their top players on the sideline, and the timing made sense. Washington had already gone through a long, physical padded session Monday, and Wednesday brings the first of two joint practices, this one against the Miami Dolphins.
That’s the kind of setting the Commanders want before Friday night’s preseason opener against the Dolphins at Northwest Stadium. Joint work raises the level of competition without the full-contact chaos of a game, giving frontline players a chance to stack quality reps they probably won’t get in the preseason.
It also serves as an early checkpoint for camp. The next one comes Aug. 26 against the host Baltimore Ravens, but Wednesday’s session should tell plenty about where things stand right now.
A handful of players are especially worth watching.
Bill Croskey-Merritt is one of them. Running backs still can’t be taken to the ground in joint practices, but this should still offer a clearer look at where he is than a preseason snap or two might.
The biggest swing point for him is the passing game. He’s spent the offseason working as a receiver and blocker, and that will matter Wednesday.
Ball security matters too, especially with drops already carrying extra weight.
Luke McCaffrey is another name to track. The team’s depth chart is unofficial, but it still says something that he’s listed as a first-team receiver alongside Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs.
McCaffrey has opened camp with strong moments, including big plays and contested catches in traffic. The receiver competition is crowded, with veteran talent and rookie Antonio Williams in the mix, so these joint practices are the kind of stage he needs to keep taking advantage of.
K’Lavon Chaisson has already made noise this summer as a disruptive edge rusher, and Wednesday gives him a new test against a different offense. That’s the real question now: can he keep bringing the heat when the opponent changes, and when the other side features a mobile quarterback in Malik Willis?
Jeremy Reaves is also firmly in the conversation. Dan Quinn said the veteran has “earned the right” to compete for a first-team defensive role, and he’s in the mix at free safety in a defense that leans heavily on three-safety looks. A strong joint practice would only strengthen his case for regular-season snaps.
Brandon Coleman’s spot is not up for debate - Quinn made it clear Tuesday that Coleman is the starting left tackle - but the job still comes with pressure. He’s stepping in for Laremy Tunsil, and every practice is another chance to show he can hold up and give Jayden Daniels reason to trust him.
Rasul Douglas is in that same category of player whose reps matter. Trey Amos has missed most of camp and is back on the sideline with an ankle issue, which opens more first-team work for Douglas. He signed with Washington in July looking for real playing time, and he’s still pushing to win a starting outside cornerback job.
Then there’s Chig Okonkwo. Like Croskey-Merritt, he may not see much preseason action, which makes Wednesday especially useful.
The Commanders will not be handing out much of the playbook, but this should still show how Okonkwo looks as both an in-line player and a receiver. Offensive coordinator David Blough won’t be revealing trade secrets, but the fit is worth watching as the offense keeps taking shape.
In Other News...
Commanders May Have Found A Surprise Answer To Their Pass Rush
Washington has spent the offseason trying to add more teeth to a pass rush that needs more reliable pressure, bringing in edge rushers Odafe Oweh and KLavon Chaisson while also using the draft to add linebacker Sonny Styles. The broader idea is clear: the Commanders want more disruption off the edge and more help making life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks, and camp has already started to sort out who fits into that mix.
One rookie has begun to stand out in that competition, even while he is still getting comfortable in Daronte Jones defensive system. As he works through the playbook, he has shown enough in training camp to get noticed, giving Washington another possible answer at a spot where it can use all the help it can get. The command now is simple enough, even if the path there is not: keep building the rush, and let the young players keep forcing the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Add A Familiar D.C. Name To Their Linebacker Room
The Commanders kept adding to their linebacker depth by signing Curtis Jacobs, a familiar name around the D.C. football scene after his run with the DC Defenders and his college career at Penn State. Jacobs entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Kansas City in 2024 and has spent time on practice squads with multiple teams since then, giving Washington another look at a player who has kept finding his way back onto NFL radars.
To make room, Washington also moved on from guard Sala Aumavae-Laulu and safety Rob McDaniel. The roster shuffle is the kind of spring and summer churn that often reshapes the back end of a roster, especially for a team still sorting out the right mix of depth pieces before the competition picks up in earnest. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Moody Is Putting Washingtons Kicking Decision In Real Doubt
Washingtons kicking picture has taken on an unexpectedly unsettled feel in training camp, and Jake Moody is right in the middle of it. The Commanders brought him in to stabilize a spot that can flip games in a hurry, but his accuracy has slipped in his second and third NFL seasons, leaving the staff to watch every rep a little more closely than planned.
Moody is trying to reclaim the consistency that made him a safer bet earlier in his career, yet the urgency around the job keeps growing. With his future in Washington far from settled, every practice kick now carries a little extra weight, and the Commanders are getting a reminder that even one of the least glamorous positions on the roster can become one of the most scrutinized. [Read more 🡒]