The Commanders are building toward a season where tight ends could matter in a big way, and the early camp buzz points straight to how offensive coordinator David Blough may want to use them. Ben Sinnott has already talked through the possibilities with ESPN’s John Keim, and head coach Dan Quinn has been just as direct about what free-agent addition Chigoziem Okonkwo can bring.
“Long play-action passing, over routes, pylon routes, things that are down the field, crossing routes that are catch-and-run to use some of his speed,” Quinn said.
That vision fits into a broader plan Washington appears ready to lean on: heavy personnel, especially 12 and 13 looks. The Commanders are expected to use 12 personnel often this season, with one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers.
The idea is simple enough. Put more versatile pieces on the field, stress the defense in more than one way, and make coverage decisions uncomfortable.
Okonkwo gives Washington a new kind of weapon in that setup. Last season with the Titans, he caught 56 passes on 79 targets for 560 receiving yards.
Next Gen Stats says most of that work came close to the line of scrimmage, with 62 targets coming in the first 10 yards. The Commanders seem intent on moving him around more, and Quinn’s description of the route menu suggests Blough wants to stretch his usage beyond the short game.
A useful comparison comes from Detroit, where Ben Johnson used Sam LaPorta in 12 personnel with the Lions in 2023. Blough was on that practice squad then, so there’s at least a clear line of familiarity there.
Johnson’s approach wasn’t about flash. It was about creating mismatches, using LaPorta’s size and agility to make life harder on cornerbacks and linebackers.
Later, after becoming Chicago’s head coach, Johnson kept leaning on 12 personnel in a run-heavy system.
Washington could be headed in that direction too.
The more intriguing stuff may come in 13 personnel, where the Commanders can load the field with tight ends and still threaten defenses in the passing game. One example comes from a breakdown by The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen of the Rams in 13 personnel on second down with four yards to go.
Terrance Ferguson is split wide, Davis Allen is the H-back, and Davante Adams is aligned on the opposite side. The defense sells out to stop the run, but Sean McVay calls a pass.
Allen goes in motion, runs a vertical sail route, Ferguson takes a deep fade, and Adams works a deep dig. Nguyen points out that the defense’s run reaction opens the door for the completion to Adams.
That same shape could work for Washington with Okonkwo split outside, Sinnott in the H-back spot and Bates in-line. The point would be to create a shot for Terry McLaurin, but the formation also gives Okonkwo a chance to win outside and Sinnott a chance to work the seam. If the Commanders keep a multidimensional back in the backfield, the defense has to respect the run and the passing answers that come with it.
There’s another 13 personnel example that shows how flexible this can get. In last season’s NFC wild-card game, Ben Johnson and the Bears used a 13 personnel look for a 2-point conversion.
Colston Loveland lined up in-line on the left, Cole Kmet was in-line on the right next to a third offensive tackle, and Durham Smythe was at fullback. Before the snap, all three tight ends motioned out, turning it into a spread look as described by Chicago Bears analyst Coach Usayd Koshul.
The result was Loveland isolated on a linebacker outside and an easy conversion. Washington could use the same idea with Okonkwo in Loveland’s spot, Bates in Kmet’s, and Sinnott shifting out from the fullback position. Blough could also keep the formation intact and hand it to a power back like Kaytron Allen behind the heavy look.
None of it works without players who can wear multiple hats. Right now, the Commanders have three in Okonkwo, Sinnott and Bates.
Each has a different specialty, but all three can handle more than one role. Depth matters too, and with blocking specialist John Bates on the shelf with an injury, Colson Yankoff and Lawrence Cager are getting extended looks.
Yankoff already filled in last year when Ertz went out for the season, and he finished with 12% of Washington’s offensive snaps while lining up both in-line and at fullback. The converted quarterback also had the catch of the day during Thursday’s training camp session. Undrafted free agent Quentin Moore is in the mix as well.
In Other News...
Terry McLaurins Praise Put A Commanders Receiver Battle In Focus
Terry McLaurins return to the Washington Commanders offseason program and training camp has carried a noticeably different feel this summer. After a difficult previous season shaped by contract disputes and injury, the veteran receiver has been healthy, motivated and active in helping bring along a young passing-game group, including an undrafted rookie who has started to draw attention for his approach and ability.
McLaurins praise has only sharpened the competition around the back end of the receiver room, where every rep matters and every practice answer gets weighed against the bigger roster picture. The Commanders are also still operating with the possibility of adding Stefon Diggs, a move that would ripple through the depth chart and leave even less room for players trying to carve out a place in camp. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Face Serious Competition In The Stefon Diggs Race
Stefon Diggs has been on the Commanders radar, with general manager Adam Peters reportedly keeping tabs on the veteran receiver as Washington looks at ways to reinforce its offense. The interest is real enough to have put Diggs into the conversation around the team, but for now it remains just that, a conversation, with no concrete signing in place.
The plot has gotten a little more complicated because the Chiefs are now said to be in the mix as well, and their need for help at receiver has only grown with injuries thinning that room. For Washington, that means the chase for Diggs may not be a simple waiting game, and the next move could hinge on how aggressively Kansas City decides to pursue its own answer. [Read more 🡒]
Odafe Oweh Is Giving Commanders Fans Real Reason To Believe
The first week of Commanders training camp has offered an early look at what Washington hopes is a faster, more disruptive defense, and Odafe Oweh has been right in the middle of it. Signed to a four-year, $96 million deal, he arrived as one of the biggest pieces of the overhaul and has already shown the burst the team expected, turning quick wins off the edge into multiple sack chances as the pads start to come on.
For a defense that added several younger faces, Owehs immediate impact matters because he is supposed to help change the shape of the pass rush, not just fill a role in it. Training camp production only tells part of the story, but the early signs are enough to give Washington reason to think this group can create more pressure and make life a lot tougher on opposing quarterbacks once the games count. [Read more 🡒]