Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn’t exactly calm nerves Tuesday when asked about two key injured defenders, and the timing only made the answers feel heavier.
With Washington finishing its final home training camp practice before heading north for Wednesday’s joint session with the Baltimore Ravens, Quinn was asked about edge Odafe Oweh and cornerback Trey Amos and whether either could be ready for Week 1 at Philadelphia, still more than two weeks away.
“I’d say I’ll have a better answer for that into next week as we get ready for those practices,” Quinn said. “We’re fortunate that we have that space in between.
They’re both working hard and making progress, but I don’t know if I’d have a number to gauge it just yet. That would be kind of my time that I’ll have a better sense.”
For Oweh, who is dealing with a calf injury, the situation sounds less alarming. He was a force early in camp before getting shut down, and Washington appears to have a bit more breathing room at edge.
Amos is the bigger worry. His path has been much bumpier: he fractured his fibula in Week 10 last season, opened camp on the physically unable to perform list, then tweaked his ankle the day after he was activated.
Since then, he hasn’t practiced. At this point, he has effectively missed the entire summer with Week 1 closing in.
That leaves the Commanders staring at a real cornerback problem. The room already carried questions, and the injury situation hasn’t helped.
Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson are the current starters, with Rasul Douglas and Fabian Moreau behind them. Douglas didn’t arrive until July, and Moreau came in August after Ahkello Witherspoon suddenly retired.
And with Dallas waiting in Week 2, the concern only grows. Even if Amos manages to get back on the field next week, it’s fair to wonder whether Washington would feel comfortable throwing him into action that quickly against the Eagles, let alone with the Cowboys looming right after.
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Beckers college production and fit are the hooks here, especially for a team that has spent plenty of time trying to stabilize the WR2 spot. It is only a mock, of course, and far from a finished plan, but the thought of Washington landing a possible answer at receiver gives the franchise another early storyline to watch as the draft buzz starts to build. [Read more 🡒]