Washington Commanders Initial 53-man Roster Projection

Projecting who makes it onto the Commanders initial 53-man roster ahead of the roster cut down deadline.

With the final preseason game in the books, it’s time for the Washington Commanders, and every other team in the NFL, to begin trimming down their rosters. Washington has some tough decisions to make in quite a few spots, which speaks to an improved depth of the overall roster. Here’s what I’m projecting to be the initial 53-man roster, which of course could change quickly if they see a player or two cut by another team that they like. 

Quarterbacks (2): Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett.

Sam Howell has earned the starting spot at quarterback and Jacoby Brissett will be a valuable back up option behind him. I don’t think there was ever really a true competition between these two, but I think Howell would have won it regardless. He showed in preseason that he’s got a solid understanding of the offense and displays a good mental process both pre and post-snap. He’s got far more upside than Brissett, who the league knows exactly what he is at this point, so expect Howell to have a long leash. 

The tough call here was whether to keep a third quarterback or not. With the number of injuries to quarterback position over the last year, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them keep three. Jake Fromm did himself no harm in preseason with some strong performances and showed he had a good grasp of Eric Bieniemy’s system. But ultimately I think Fromm is someone that the team will feel can make it through waivers and be available to sign to the practice squad. He was probably the last cut for me.

Running Backs (4): Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson, Chris Rodriguez, Alex Armah.

I’ve gone with three running backs and a fullback. Brian Robinson will be the workhorse back and Gibson will replace J.D. McKissic as the third down back. Those two are locks, as is rookie Chris Rodriguez, who showed he was capable in preseason, averaging over seven yards per carry over his three appearances. He’ll likely be the primary back up to Robinson to allow Gibson to stick to the passing role and could be a good option in short yardage situations. 

I thought about keeping Jonathan Williams as the fourth running back because he’s shown now that he’s a capable back that can offer something in the passing game, both as a receiver out of the backfield and in pass protection. But there is an excess of veteran running backs like Williams, so I suspect he’d make it to the practice squad.

Fullback Alex Armah might come as a bit of a surprise pick but I can see Bieniemy going to bat for a fullback on the final roster. With the Chiefs, Bieniemy had a fullback on the roster the last two seasons. As a former running back himself, Bieniemy will understand the value a fullback can add to the running game, but also what that personnel flexibility can bring to an offense. Armah may only play five snaps a game, but the role of the fullback has a part to play in this system and Armah has the flexibility of being able to fit in as a back up tight end or pass protecting running back. 

Wide Receivers (6): Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Byron Pringle, Dax Milne.

This was one of the tougher positions to cut down. The top three were always going to be locks and Brown has had an impressive offseason that has led to him solidifying his spot as the fourth receiver. With Terry McLaurin potentially missing some time early in the season, Brown could see some extra time as the primary back up X receiver. 

The fifth and sixth receiver spots weren’t quite so certain. I think Pringle was joined by Marcus Kemp and undrafted free agent Mitchell Tinsley in battling for the fifth receiver spot while Milne faced competition from Kazmeir Allen for the sixth receiver and return duties. Pringle is the better receiver out of the first trio right now and has the most experience in this system which gives him the edge over Kemp and Tinsley. Tinsley had an impressive camp and preseason after going undrafted and landing in Washington. He might have played well enough to catch on elsewhere, but I suspect he’ll make it back to the Commanders practice squad.

I think Allen might have had the edge over Milne as the return man and sixth receiver going into the final preseason game. As a returner, he’s much more explosive than Milne, who isn’t a particularly natural punt returner and lost kickoff return duties to Antonio Gibson last year. However, Allen made a significant error on Saturday night against the Bengals when he fumbled a punt at the 10-yard line. He did just about manage to recover it, but that muffed punt leads to more doubts about Allen’s hands. 

We’ve seen Allen struggle with his hands in preseason, dropping a few passes in the joint practices against the Ravens and that continued in the final preseason game against the Bengals. It’s easy to fall in love with his explosive athleticism, but if he can’t be trusted to secure the ball, then that explosiveness won’t matter. His speed and agility suggest there is talent to work with but his inconsistent hands mean he might need some time on the practice squad developing as a receiver and returner.

Milne is a much safer option as a returner, though far less exciting, but also offers a lot more as a receiver. He’s a strong route runner and has reliable hands. He also offers some flexibility to play both in the slot and outside, whereas Allen would have been exclusively a slot receiver. 

Tight Ends (3): Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner.

With Logan Thomas battling some injuries this preseason, I considered keeping a fourth tight end, but there wasn’t a standout option in my eyes. Armagh’s flexibility at fullback means he could likely fill in as a fourth tight end if needed and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Commanders keeping an eye on tight ends on the bubble around the league. 

The trio on the roster were all pretty much locks. Thomas, when healthy, is the team’s top tight end and Ron Rivera has spent the entire offseason praising Thomas as someone that can have a big impact when healthy. Bates has established himself as the top blocking tight end on this team, but he doesn’t offer a huge amount as a receiver. Turner has a nice preseason, getting plenty of reps with the first-team offense as Thomas missed some time and didn’t look out of place. He’s still developing as a receiving tight end and I’d like to see him use his size to protect the ball on tight catches over the middle, but there is certainly plenty of talent there. 

Offensive Line (10): Charles Leno, Saahdiq Charles, Nick Gates, Sam Cosmi, Andrew Wylie, Cornelius Lucas, Chris Paul, Tyler Larsen, Ricky Stromberg, Braedon Daniels.

There’s been some speculation that Washington might go with just nine offensive lineman to make room elsewhere on the roster, but given the injuries they’ve had across the line these last few years I’d be shocked if they didn’t keep 10. Honestly, I nearly had them at 11. Leno, Gates, Cosmi and Wylie are locks. Charles and Paul are still in a competition for the starting left guard spot, but regardless of who wins the job, both are also locks. Cornelius Lucas has proven to be a valuable back up swing tackle and the team loves Larsen as a veteran back up center. 

With eight players locked in, there’s only really space for two more. Third-round pick Ricky Stromberg was going to make it tough for Washington as he entered camp playing purely center. But having shifted to guard during the Ravens joint practices, Stromberg impressed and now offers some flexibility at both center and guard. Long term, I think he’s still a center, but while he’s a back up, being able to fill in at both center and guard in a pinch is valuable. 

That left just one spot open which for me had to be a fourth offensive tackle. A number of interior lineman had solid preseasons. Undrafted free agent Mason Brooks, along with veteran lineman Alex Monteiro and Nolan Laufenberg all had strong moments in preseason and all could be strong candidates for the practice squad if they make it through waivers. But with Lucas as the only back up tackle option I felt they had to use the 10th offensive line spot on a tackle. 

Trent Scott outperformed four-round rookie Braedon Daniels. He filled in with the starters at right tackle when Andrew Wylie missed some time and also is able to flip from right to left like Lucas. However I went with the upside of Daniels given Lucas is likely to be the priority back up at both right and left tackle. Daniels probably isn’t ready to play yet. He’s a strong run blocker, particularly with zone scheme runs, but his pass protection needs some work. Cutting a fourth-round pick to try and stash him on the practice squad is unlikely, especially with that fourth-round pick is a young athletic offensive lineman, which are hard to find. Ideally Scott makes it to the practice squad so Washington can keep both. 

Defensive Line (11): Chase Young, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, Efe Obada, Phidarian Mathis, John Ridgeway, Casey Toohill, James Smith-Williams, Andre Jones, KJ Henry. 

This is the spot where I found it hardest to cut down. The starting defensive line is obviously the strength of the team, but the depth behind it is strong too. Obada has proven to be a valuable piece with the flexibility to play end or shift inside to tackle in certain situations. Mathis and Ridgeway are solid back up rotational defensive tackles and both can play nose tackle when the Commanders use their five defensive line package. 

Cutting down the remaining defensive ends was tough and in the end I defender to keep them all. Toohill provides a nice alternative option as a former linebacker that has experience dropping into coverage. His ability to play the edge and then drop into coverage to allow rushers to blitz from elsewhere gives the Commanders something nobody else on the roster really offers. James Smith-Williams is similar to Obada and therefore probably the most likely to be cut out of this group, but he’s a little more stout against the run than Obada and that gives Washington another option to play both inside and out and stay strong against the run. 

Rookies KJ Henry and Andre Jones have both flashed positive plays and traits so far this preseason. Jones has probably grabbed more attention as he saw some time practicing with the starting defense against the Ravens when Chase Young was hurt. His athletic profile gives him a huge upside with a strong combination of speed, burst and length, but he’s also probably the most raw player of the group. Having had a solid preseason and given his traits, I doubt the Commanders would risk losing him on waivers. Henry hasn’t flashed as often as Jones but did have a few nice rushes against both the Ravens and Bengals and he’s more reliable against the run. Given none of the defensive ends bar Jones and Henry are under contract beyond this season, I think Henry sticks around if anything for his potential as a future back up.

Linebacker (4): Jamin Davis, Cody Barton, David Mayo, Khaleke Hudson.

To keep 11 defensive lineman, I had to cut down somewhere and linebacker is where I opted to do it. It’s unusual for a team to keep just four linebackers, but the Commanders rarely play a base 4-3 defense with three linebackers on the field. The vast majority of the time they’re in some form of nickel package with just two linebackers. They’re more likely to go to a package with just one linebacker, either dime or their five defensive line package, than they are to use three linebackers. 

With that in mind, there’s only really two linebacker positions in this defense, meaning they only really need to keep four players. Davis and Barton will start, with Mayo backing up at the Mike spot while Hudson backs up the Will position. Milo Eifler and De’Jon Harris could be an option as a fifth linebacker, especially as Eifler has been a key special teams player in the past. But hopefully some of the extra defensive ends I’m keeping (Jones, Henry, Toohill) are athletic enough to fill in for Eifler on special teams. 

Cornerback (6): Kendall Fuller, Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, Quan Martin. Danny Johnson, Christian Holmes.

Fuller and Forbes have always been the most like to start on the outside and it appears the Commanders are ready to try St-Juste in the slot again this year after he struggled at the start of last season. Rookie Quan Martin had some ups and downs in preseason but he’s been tested at a lot of different spots. He’s played corner, nickel, big nickel, free safety and I wouldn’t be surprised if they try him at dime linebacker at some point. I think he’ll ultimately settle in as the nickel corner with the flexibility of being able to cover slot receivers while also having a history at safety that helps him match up against bigger tight ends and fit the run too. 

There were potentially two spots up for grabs at corner going into the preseason, but Danny Johnson appears to have taken a step forward and offers the flexibility to play both outside and inside. Holmes is a key special teams player and has also shown some signs of progress as an outside corner in a zone coverage scheme. 

Rachad Wildgoose and Tariq Castro-Fields were claimed off waivers this time last year and both could end up on the roster, but I think Wildgoose is a bit limited as a purely slot corner. Castro-Fields offers some upside at corner but Johnson outplayed him and Holmes offers that key role on special teams. I suspect one or both will be back on the practice squad if they make it through waivers. 

Safety (4): Kam Curl, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves

Had Martin struggled so much at corner and nickel that he was deemed just a safety, then this could have been a slightly different picture. But I think Martin will ultimately stick in that nickel spot which makes the safety position rather straightforward. Curl is one of the Commanders best players and merits a new contract. He fills so many different roles on the defense and it was obvious how much the team missed him when he was injured last year. 

Forrest will start at free safety alongside Curl it appears, but Percy Butler should see plenty of time when Curl shifts into other positions in different defensive packages. Butler could even replace Forrest in certain situations that suit him a little more. But Forrest has come on strong since his rookie year and merits his spot on the starting defense. Reaves brings another versatile option with the flexibility to play both strong and free safety, which makes him an ideal back up. His ability on special teams earned him a pro bowl selection last season, so expect some big contributions from him again this season.