Adam Peters is staring at one of the busiest decisions of his offseason as the Washington Commanders trim their roster from 90 to 53 before Sunday’s deadline. Some players are headed back to the practice squad. For others, this is the finish line.
With a roster this crowded, a few names could end up being more than just cut candidates. Peters has steered away from incoming trades this offseason and leaned into a more traditional roster-build, but if he can squeeze value out of players who may not be part of the final picture, that only helps Washington.
One of the names worth watching is Treylon Burks. The Commanders brought him in last season and he showed flashes of promise.
Washington signed him to a one-year deal that could reach $4 million with incentives, and his summer has been quieter than plenty of others fighting for jobs. Still, it would be a surprise if Burks wasn’t on the team, especially with offensive coordinator David Blough clearly believing in him.
Even so, there are plenty of unknowns hanging over his situation, and that makes him a possible trade chip if Washington decides to explore options beyond its plans.
Jordan Magee is another player whose future is not locked in. There have been growing murmurs in some corners of the media that his spot is not guaranteed.
He’s buried behind Frankie Luvu, Leo Chenal, and Sonny Styles for defensive reps, which puts him in a battle to carve out a role as a depth piece and special-teams player. That’s not out of the question, given the athleticism he brings.
But Magee is also working back from injury, and that has cost him valuable reps to make his case. The Commanders have Ale Kaho and Kain Medrano in the same mix, and both have impressed in the preseason.
There’s an opening after Nick Bellore’s retirement just before training camp, but with the competition tightening, Washington could end up weighing whether to move Magee on rather than keep the experiment going. If a suitor shows up, a trade wouldn’t be impossible.
In Other News...
Commanders Safety Decision Already Looks Worse Than Fans Feared
A preseason miscue was enough to push Will Harris to the edge, and the Commanders ended up cutting ties with the veteran safety after a performance that had already been raising concerns behind the scenes. Washington still has other options in the secondary it believes are better fits, so the move also gives the front office some salary-cap relief while it reshapes the back end of the defense.
Harris had one year left on his contract, which is what makes the decision feel like more than a routine roster churn move. The bigger question now is whether his time in Washington is simply over or whether he can land somewhere else and prove the Commanders moved on faster than they needed to, especially with the starting job conversation already looking shaky before the release. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Is Taking Washingtons Offense Into A Dangerous New Phase
The Commanders have spent this preseason pushing their offense into a more demanding and less predictable shape, with Jayden Daniels taking on more control at the line and more responsibility for steering the operation before the snap. The idea is to get beyond a tightly scripted approach and let the quarterback use his football IQ and passing ability to create answers in real time, while the rest of the skill group stays sharp enough to keep pace with what the defense is showing.
It is the kind of shift that can make an offense harder to defend, but only if everyone around Daniels is ready for the same level of detail. Washington is still working through issues up front, and the addition of Stefon Diggs gives the unit another piece to deploy as it tries to become more versatile and more dangerous. For now, the bigger question is how quickly all those moving parts can mesh once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Turn To Veteran Help As O-Line Concerns Keep Growing
The Commanders have turned to a familiar veteran answer as their offensive line continues to thin out, signing former Pro Bowl tackle D.J. Humphries, according to NFL Network. The move comes with Foster Sarell being released and gives Washington another experienced body at a spot where injuries have already forced the front office to keep looking for help.
Humphries brings plenty of mileage to the roster, with 101 starts and a Pro Bowl nod in 2021, which should at least help stabilize the room while the team sorts through the rest of its line concerns. For a Commanders team trying to keep its protection group intact, the signing is less about flash and more about trying to patch a problem that has not gone away. [Read more 🡒]