The Washington Commanders are heading into Wednesday with the kind of practice that can tell you a lot without looking like much on the surface. A joint session in Baltimore against the Ravens should be the final meaningful work for most of Washington’s starters before Week 1, and it comes at a time when every rep matters a little more than it did a week ago.
Dan Quinn has long valued these kinds of workouts because they let a staff script the situations it wants and get the exact volume of work it needs without putting starters in unnecessary preseason risk. That makes Wednesday a big deal for the top of the roster, while Friday’s preseason finale becomes the last stop for the players still trying to claw their way onto the team.
There should be some edge to it, too. There has historically been bad blood between the two teams, and the intensity figures to be higher than what Washington saw against the Dolphins. Baltimore also brings a more developed roster, which should sharpen the competition.
Some of the players talked about that energy on Tuesday. Amik Robertson put it this way: "Same intensity, but even more," while Dyami Brown called it a "Big opportunity to go out there and show what we can do."
Brown also made the roster reality clear when asked about Washington’s wide receiver room: "at the end of the day, you put tape out there for all 32 teams, not just one team. So you know, just go out there and do what you do."
For Washington, the biggest spotlight belongs on Jayden Daniels and the starting offense. The group has spent the summer learning David Blough’s new system without revealing much of what it might become once the games count. Wednesday gives Daniels one last chance to work against an unfamiliar defense, especially on protections, communication and the play-action concepts Washington has leaned on in camp.
The offensive line will be worth watching just as closely. Brandon Coleman sat out Tuesday, the team added D.J.
Humphries yesterday for depth, and Washington is still looking for a solution at center. Nick Allegretti’s health remains part of the picture, while Julian Good-Jones and Matt Gulbin are still trying to convince the team it doesn’t need to look outside for help.
Gulbin took most of the first-team snapping duties Tuesday.
The defense has plenty to gain, too. Daronte Jones has installed a system built around disguise, communication, pressure and turnovers, but those ideas are tougher to execute when the other offense has seen your looks every day for a month. Washington has already forced six takeaways through two preseason games, and Wednesday will show how that emphasis holds up against a different opponent in something much closer to regular-season tempo.
Friday still matters, but for a different part of the roster. The starters should get the work they need on Wednesday, while the finale against Baltimore turns into one last audition for the players sitting near the bottom of the depth chart. For Daniels and most of Washington’s established names, Wednesday may be the final time they line up against another NFL team before the Commanders go to Philadelphia for Week 1.
Quinn also made it clear that the fight for roster spots isn’t only about what happens at one position. When he was asked Tuesday about some of the deeper groups, he called special teams "critical," noting that the staff has to think about which players can actually help among the 48 active on game day.
That makes the final decisions more complicated than simply keeping the best player at each spot. Backup receivers, linebackers and defensive backs can boost their chances by contributing on kickoff, punt and return units. With just Wednesday’s joint practice and Friday’s preseason finale left, those players are running out of opportunities to prove to Quinn and Adam Peters that they can offer enough value beyond their listed position to earn one of the final roster spots.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Tackle Depth Concern Before Week 1
The Commanders have already made a quiet change to their tackle room before Week 1, moving on from Foster Sarell just months after signing him in March as a depth option. Sarell had arrived from the Chargers with limited NFL playing time and was buried low on Washingtons depth chart, but his departure still trims an already thin group at one of the most important spots on the field.
Now Washington is left with only two tackles behind Brandon Coleman and right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. on the roster, a setup that adds a little extra pressure as the season opener approaches. It is the kind of roster detail that can disappear in the shuffle of final cuts, but for a team trying to protect its quarterbacks and settle the line, the lack of experienced depth is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Big D-Line Decision To Make
Johnny Newtons torn pectoral changed the Commanders defensive front almost overnight, and it has pushed the team into a search it probably would rather not be making this early. Newton was expected to be part of the rotation, but now Washington has to weigh whether it can absorb the loss internally or whether it needs to look beyond its current room for help.
Gervon Dexter Sr. has surfaced as one name worth watching because Chicago is reportedly engaged in trade talks involving the defensive tackle, and his profile fits the kind of opening Washington suddenly has. He started every game last season and is in the final year of his rookie deal, which makes him an intriguing possibility if the Commanders decide they need a more immediate answer, though no trade involving Washington has been confirmed. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Draft Buzz Centers On A Potential Answer At WR2
The search for a reliable second receiver has lingered around Washington, and ESPNs Jordan Reid is already projecting that need into the 2027 NFL Draft. In his preseason mock, Reid has the Commanders using the No. 10 overall pick on Indiana wideout Charlie Becker, a move built around the idea that Washington could still be looking for a true complement to its top target by then.
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 🡒]