Training camp is already forcing the Washington Commanders to keep one eye on the field and another on the roster sheet.
After releasing OL Tyler Cooper yesterday to clear room for WR Stefon Diggs, Washington has reportedly added veteran offensive lineman Max Scharping as another body for the trenches.
Scharping brings a long NFL resume, even if the recent production has been light. A second-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2019, he opened his career with 33 regular season starts and two playoff starts in Houston before being cut during final roster cuts in his fourth season. The Cincinnati Bengals claimed him off waivers, and over two seasons there he logged just 43 offensive snaps, though he did start three playoff games in his first year with the team.
His path has since taken him through a few stops. Scharping had brief stints with Philadelphia and Washington in 2024 before heading back to the AFC North and signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There, he appeared in only two games over two seasons.
For Washington, the move fits the moment. Nick Allegretti’s calf injury has complicated the projected starting center spot and pushed the team to shuffle players around while adding another lineman to keep camp work moving. Sam Cosmi is set at right guard, while left guard remains a familiar competition between Brandon Coleman and Chris Paul.
The interior depth can always use help, and Scharping appears to be part of that insurance policy. At this stage, he looks like a camp addition first, with a practice squad path still possible down the line. In a hot Virginia training camp, teams tend to need exactly this kind of reinforcement when bodies start getting nicked up.
In Other News...
Why Commanders Are Betting Big On Odafe Oweh In 2026
Odafe Owehs path to Washington has been anything but ordinary. After coming into the NFL in 2021 out of Penn State, the edge rusher spent four seasons with the Ravens, where his athletic profile made him a first-round pick, and later landed with the Chargers before signing on with the Commanders. For a defense looking to keep building around young, disruptive talent, Oweh arrives with the kind of length and burst that can change a game plan on the edge.
The Commanders are clearly betting that his next chapter comes with a bigger role and a bigger impact in 2026. Owehs background already hints at why the organization is intrigued, from a late switch to football in high school to a career that has steadily moved him into more prominent spots. Washington does not need him to be just another piece on the roster, either. It is expecting him to become a meaningful part of the defensive backbone, even if the exact shape of that contribution is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Get A Big Secondary Boost With One Question Still Looming
The Commanders got a welcome midcamp lift with Trey Amos back on the practice field, as the second-year corner was cleared to return after spending the offseason on the physically unable to perform list. Washington also activated edge rusher Dorance Armstrong and punter Tress Way, giving Dan Quinn a little more room to work as the roster starts to take shape and the team continues its ramp-up toward the season.
Armstrong is expected to be eased back in with lighter practice work, which keeps the focus on how quickly the group can get all three players fully integrated. For Washington, the secondary boost from Amos matters, but the bigger picture is whether the team can restore depth and rhythm across multiple spots without rushing anyone along too soon. [Read more 🡒]