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 NFL preseason in the books, it’s time now for teams to make tough decisions as they cut their 90-man rosters down to 53 for the regular season. Teams have until 4pm eastern on Tuesday to cut down to 53, but cuts and trades are happening all the time leading up to the deadline. While that is a significant cut down, many of the players cut will return to the team on the practice squad later in the week. Teams will also put in claims for players that opposing teams have cut, so the roster is fluid. Someone that makes the initial 53 will have to then be cut to make room for any new player signed after the initial waive of cuts. So there will be a lot of moves made over the next few days and the roster could change a fair bit.

But while it is subject to change, here is my projection for the Commanders initial 53-man roster, as well as a projected practice squad.

Quarterbacks (2): Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota

Practice Squad Candidates: Josh Johnson

Whatever criticisms or questions you can have about this team, it sure does feel good to be able to look at the quarterback position and see Jayden Daniels name at the top of the depth chart. If he can pick up where he left off last year, or even take a step forward, then the Commanders will always have a chance to win any game as long as he’s on the field. Marcus Mariota proved to be a valuable back up last year, both on the field when subbing in for Daniels, but also behind the scenes as a veteran mentor for Daniels to learn from. Having a similar skillset means the offense doesn’t have to change drastically if Mariota is required, which makes him an excellent back up option.

The only real question at quarterback is do they keep a third quarterback? Mariota has hardly taken a snap in training camp as he’s battled Achilles tendinitis. If they are concerned he might not be ready, then you need to have a third quarterback available. But the team seems comfortable with where Mariota is at and frankly, neither Josh Johnson nor Sam Hartman has earned a spot on the 53. Hartman has looked very poor in preseason, with multiple interceptions and his arm not looking up to the NFL standard. He did have a shoulder problem earlier in the offseason so that could contribute to it, but his struggles mean it’d be unlikely he would get claimed elsewhere and would therefore be available for the practice squad if they want to keep him around.

Josh Johnson played better than Hartman but that’s a pretty low bar. The 39-year-old made some nice throws and at least looked competent in preseason but again I’m not sure he did anything to merit a roster spot. The only reason I’d keep him on the 53 is if Mariota is still hurt. Even then, I can’t imagine any team is going to be desperate to sign Johnson if the Commanders cut him, which means he could be signed to the practice squad and be the emergency third quarterback there. I also wouldn’t be entirely against them calling in Jeff Driskel over both Hartman and Johnson after he spent last season with the team. But again, these are all practice squad options rather than potentially making the 53.

Running Backs (4): Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jeremy McNichols

Practice Squad Candidates: Demetric Felton, Kazmier Allen

Once the team decided it was moving on from last year’s starting running back Brian Robinson, the running back room was likely set. The two roles the team used last year consisted of a workhorse back that took the bulk of the carries and a third down back that caught passes out of the backfield. Ekeler remains in that third down back role and Jeremy McNichols will be his primary back up that can also back up the other role too. But it seems now as though Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are either competing for the workhorse back role vacated by Robinson, or will simply split time based on the hot hand.

Rodriguez provides a reliable natural runner that understands his tracks regardless of scheme, shows good patience and vision and provides some thump too. His ability to keep his legs pumping helps him break tackles and fall forward to maximize every run. But he’s always had questions about ball security that has held him back in the past.

Croskey-Merritt is a more explosive option with more short area quickness and a deadly jump cut that can make defenders miss in the hole. But he’s also an unproven seventh round rookie that hardly played football in 2024 due to the NCAA’s silly violation. So there’s an unknown quantity there about how he can handle a full NFL workload, which is only enhanced by the fact he picked up a small shoulder injury in his limited preseason work.

But those roles can be worked out during the season and will likely evolve over time. For now, the top four backs are pretty much set in stone in my eyes. Missing out are Kaz Allen, who failed to provide much spark as either a running back or return man, and Demetric Felton, who looked a more consistent rusher and could be a practice squad option should the team want a fifth back to call upon.

Wide Receivers (5): Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey

Practice Squad Candidates: Tay Martin, Ja’Corey Brooks, K.J. Osborn

The problem position of the summer was undoubtedly wide receiver. Terry McLaurin didn’t participate in training camp or preseason due to his ongoing contract dispute while Noah Brown missed significant time injured. That meant the Commanders had Deebo Samuel and a bunch of unproven receivers all trying to make their claim for a spot. For me, the only one that stood out from that group was rookie Jaylin Lane, who I think could contribute sooner rather than later, especially if Noah Brown continues to miss time. But outside of him, no receiver really made an exceptionally strong claim for a spot.

As such, I’ve only gone with five receivers on the initial 53. Many people will look to keep a sixth but I’m not sure anyone has done enough to merit it. I do think a sixth receiver could arrive at some point in the next week as other teams make their cuts. The Commanders added Noah Brown after the Texans cut him at this time last year, and he became a significant contributor. I haven’t kept fully on top of the rest of the league’s wide receiver rooms to see who might become available, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Adam Peters has a few names in mind that he’d like to add if they were to be cut in the coming days.

On paper though, this receiver room isn’t bad, it just comes with a lot of caveats. Obviously the big one is Terry McLaurin. I don’t think anyone anticipates him missing any regular season games due to his contract issue, but I’m not sure anyone anticipated this thing dragging on this long either. If he were to hold out into the regular season, then the Commanders would definitely have a significant issue at receiver. But that really would be a shock and I’m fairly certain he’ll be on the field, probably with a new contract in hand too.

The other caveat is Noah Brown’s health. If he’s healthy, a top three receiver group of McLaurin and Brown on the outside with Samuel in the slot and moving around is a pretty good group. Add in a young, speedy Jaylin Lane that can play both outside and inside and suddenly it’s a pretty good group. But Noah Brown’s history tells us that he’ll likely miss time injured at some point this season, as he already has during training camp and preseason. If he does miss time, the Commanders don’t have a direct replacement that can do what he does. They don’t have another big, physical outside receiver that can run good routes, be on time and in sync with Jayden Daniels and provide help in the run game with his blocking ability. Luke McCaffrey would be the closest thing to that type but he’s yet to prove he can win reliably with his route running.

In that scenario, the Commanders would need to use Deebo more on the outside and rely more on different personnel groups like two tight end sets or even two running back sets. Alternatively, they could change the outside receiver role slightly and use Lane as a vertical threat with his speed. Neither would be ideal but both options could work if Brown only misses the odd game here or there rather than significant time.

While I didn’t think any other receiver did enough to make the team, there’s a few guys I would like to see back on the practice squad. Undrafted free agent rookie Ja’Corey Brooks had plenty of buzz in OTAs and early in camp, but seemed to fade a bit as camp progressed. He had some nice plays in preseason games but not quite enough to earn a spot on the full roster. I think he’d be a prime candidate for the practice squad to develop for a year before competing for a full spot next year.

Of the veteran receivers on the roster, Tay Martin was the one that impressed me most in preseason games. He was the only receiver that seemed to have a reliable set of hands and caught everything thrown at him, even if the passes weren’t always perfect. K.J. Osborn showed some flexibility to play both inside and outside, and is a solid blocker in the run game too. He doesn’t offer much of an explosive option, but he could be a solid practice squad candidate to keep around and call up if needed.

Chris Moore was praised by Dan Quinn a few times early in training camp as someone making the most of Terry McLaurin’s absence, but while he got himself in good positions a lot of the time, he dropped too many passes. He had a number of drops in preseason games and reports in camp suggest that was the case in practice too. Michael Gallup is another veteran that got some praise early in camp but did little in the preseason games to suggest he’s worth keeping on the active roster.

Tight Ends (4): Zach Ertz, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff

Practice Squad Candidates: Cole Turner, Lawrence Cager

I think some people might see tight end as a position to save a roster spot and only go with three. I know I’ve been in that position before but I think going light at receiver means they need to have a fourth tight end in case they want to lean more on that 12 personnel group (one running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers). The top two tight ends are obvious. Zach Ertz created a fantastic connection with Jayden Daniels last year and by all accounts, it has only grown in training camp this year. John Bates was re-signed to be the team’s leading blocking tight end and his value in the run game is huge, as seen by his efforts in the second preseason game against the Bengals.

I think the next two are also obvious after Ertz and Bates, but I guess the order of them on the depth chart could be up for interpretation. Ben Sinnott had an underwhelming rookie year as a pass catcher, but did develop well as a blocker and that shouldn’t be underrated in this system. Reports in camp suggest Sinnott hasn’t taken the next step as a receiver yet and the preseason film isn’t exactly great either. Colson Yankoff finished preseason on a high with a standout 52-yard catch and run up the seam against the Ravens on Saturday. His pass catching ability has generated more buzz than Sinnott in camp, but his blocking in the preseason games was still very up and down.

Regardless of how you order them on the depth chart, I think both make the team. Dan Quinn has spoken highly about the position group as a whole and repeatedly referred to it as one of the strongest units on the team. Cole Turner is another tight end that has received some buzz in camp for finally looking like a more developed blocker to go along with his pass catching ability, but I can’t say he’s particularly stood out in the preseason games. Lawrence Cager is one that has stood out in preseason to me as a receiving tight end. He’s a fluid athlete that catches the ball well, which makes sense as a former receiver that transitioned to tight end a few years ago. Both could be good practice squad options but I wonder if Turner will look to try his hand elsewhere after struggling to make much of an impression in Washington.

Offensive Line (10): Laremy Tunsil, Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, Sam Cosmi, Josh Conerly Jr., Andrew Wylie, Nick Allegretti, George Fant, Chris Paul, Trent Scott

Practice Squad Candidates: Tyre Phillips, Tim McKay

The offensive line is another position group where the team could potentially look to save a body and go with nine or even eight instead of 10. But for me, there’s been enough injury concerns to keep 10 and I think there’s good value in keeping a deeper offensive line group too. There’s also the possibility that Sam Cosmi either starts the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list and misses the first four games, or makes the initial 53 but then gets put on Injured Reserve until he’s fully recovered from his torn ACL earlier this year. So while this is 10 for now, it could easily be down to nine depending on Cosmi’s health.

I think the starting line has been fairly well set for a while now. Tunsil was brought in to be the star left tackle, enabling Brandon Coleman to shift inside to left guard. Tyler Biadasz was a fantastic free agent signing last year and continues at the heart of the offensive line at center. Sam Cosmi will resume the starting right guard duties when healthy and Josh Conerly was drafted to be the bookend tackle on the right side opposite Tunsil.

After that starting group is where it gets interesting. Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti were both solid starting lineman for this team last year, so seeing them become the top backups this year is encouraging for a team development standpoint. Wylie brings a ton of versatility as a back up swing lineman that can play both guard and tackle and also play both right and left side. I wouldn’t feel great about having to start Wylie at left tackle, but I think he’s probably the best back up option at left guard, right guard and right tackle.

The team absolutely loves Nick Allegretti’s leadership and he’s been entrenched at right guard in Sam Cosmi’s absence this summer. I think Wylie is the better player individually, but his versatility means he’s been playing in a lot of different spots this summer. One thing Allegretti has going for him if Cosmi is to miss time is that he has the most banked reps with rookie right tackle Josh Conerly. It would be tough to go into the opening game against the Giants with their strong pass rush and put Conerly next to a right guard he has no practice reps with. But I don’t think Allegretti will start for long once Cosmi is back.

After that, he becomes another back up swing guard with Wylie, but also the primary back up center. When Biadasz went down last year, Allegretti took on a bunch of his responsibilities from the left guard spot. He’ll need to work on his snaps, but he’s a better block than incumbent back up center Michael Deiter, who struggled both last season and in preseason this year. In fact, Deiter was even moved to right guard during the preseason, with Julian Good-Jones taking snaps at center instead of him before Good-Jones went down injured. So I think the team is looking for another center option to move on from Deiter, and for me Allegretti is the best option.

I mentioned I wouldn’t be comfortable with Andrew Wylie as the back up left tackle, which is where George Fant comes in. Fant was only signed recently and still has to get up to speed with the system, but he’s someone with enough experience that he probably wouldn’t have been signed unless he knew he was going to make the final roster. Fant can play both right and left sides, so he has flexibility should the team need him to fill in on either side.

You could make an argument that with Fant as the back up swing tackle, Wylie as the back up swing guard and Allegretti as the back up center, the team could go with just eight lineman, especially given that Wylie can also back up the tackle spot and Allegretti can back up the guard spot too. But while there’s uncertainty over Cosmi’s health, I’d want at least a ninth lineman on the roster. For me, Chris Paul has done enough to merit a spot and young lineman like him are worth keeping around as they develop. So he’s my ninth lineman, even though the team might use both Wylie and Allegretti at guard over him right now.

I’m also projecting a 10th lineman in Trent Scott. For me, I probably wouldn’t go with Scott. Yes he filled in admirably last year when called upon, especially when he slid inside to guard when he’s typically a tackle. But I don’t think he’s as good as the other lineman on this list. I’d probably lean more towards Tyre Phillips over him, but the team does seem to really like Scott. He’s been on their starting lines throughout preseason, so they have a lot of faith in him and clearly they value his willingness to fill in at whatever spot they ask him to. So I think they will keep him around even though I’d be willing to move on personally.

Offense Total: 25

Defensive Line (10)

Edge (6): Deatrich Wise Jr., Dorance Armstrong, Von Miller, Jacob Martin, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jayln Holmes

Interior (4): Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Johnny Newton, Eddie Goldman

Practice Squad Candidates: Carl Davis, Sheldon Day, Andre Jones Jr., Clelin Ferrell, T.J. Maguranyanga (International Player Pathway Program)

The Commanders made a clear emphasis on improving in the trenches on both sides of the ball this offseason and that’s reflected in the fact that I’m projecting them to keep 10 lineman on both sides of the ball. Instead of a 50-50 split of interior lineman and edge rushers, I’m going with four tackles and six edge rushers, while I’ll explain shortly. The four interiors I’ve gone for are fairly obvious. Payne, Kinlaw and Newton are the top three and should see the bulk of the workload. I wasn’t exactly blown away by Eddie Goldman’s film from 2024 when they signed him, or his film on this team in preseason, but I get the impression they quite like him. Carl Davis and Sheldon Day miss out but both could certainly return on the practice squad, as they did last year.

On the edge, I’ve gone for six players, but many of them have the flexibility to kick inside, especially in rush packages but also in different fronts too. Deatrich Wise and Dorance Armstrong will likely be the starting edge defenders and both have proven capable of shifting inside too. Armstrong has done it more in rush packages as a stand up rusher working inside against guards, while Wise is a big enough body that he could be considered a slightly undersized defensive tackle or even a 3-4 defensive end. Both can kick inside when the team wants to use three-man fronts if needed.

Von Miller was brought in to be a situational pass rusher on the edge. I don’t think he or Jacob Martin will move around too much as both are more edge rushers with speed to bend the edge and turn the corner. Perhaps we’ll see them shift inside in rush packages to use their quickness on slower guards, but I think both will primarily play the role Dante Fowler was meant to play last year, as a situational edge rusher that stayed primarily outside.

Then we have Javontae Jean-Baptise and Jayln Holmes. Jean-Baptiste impressed for a seventh round rookie last year and has good size and length for the position. He’s another player that fits that mold of potentially being someone that can shift inside and use his length to give smaller, shorter guards some problems. I’m not sure he ever develops into a top edge rushers, but his play last year was enough to merit another look this year to see if he can continue his development and become a solid rotational piece.

Holmes was someone that stood out as a strong run defender last year. The team really struggled against the run, especially on the edge. When they had issues down the stretch, they resorted to moving Payne to defensive end on one side with Holmes playing end on the other. He was stout and looked like he filled that role well. At 6-foot-5, 283 pounds, he’s another one of those flexible body types that could potentially kick inside to tackle in some different fronts and packages too.

With the likes of Wise, Armstrong, Jean-Baptiste and Holmes all having the ability to kick inside and play some tackle in different fronts or packages, I think the Commanders can justify going with six edge defenders and just four interior lineman. Even with keeping six edge defenders, there’s no room for Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell was signed last year to be a starter that was stout against the run and then subbed out for Fowler in obvious passing situations. He got injured last year and struggled to make much of an impact as a result. He hasn’t exactly received much buzz in training camp and was still playing during the second half against the Ravens on Saturday. That alone suggests he’s on the bubble and I don’t think he’s done enough to make it.

Linebackers (5): Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano, Nick Bellore

Practice Squad Candidates: Ale Kaho, Duke Riley

The top four here are easy. Wagner and Luvu are the starters and played exceptionally well last year. Jordan Magee is loved by the coaching staff and should be the primary back up if he can stay healthy. Kain Medrano was a draft pick this year and while that alone shouldn’t guarantee him a spot on the team, he showed he didn’t look completely out of place at linebacker in preseason despite starting his college career as a wide receiver. On top of that, his athleticism should make him a good contributor on special teams.

After those four, the question becomes how many more linebackers should the team be keeping. I’ve got them keeping one more, with that being veteran special teams ace Nick Bellore. Bellore has long been one of the best special teams players in the NFL and he was a large part of the success the team had on special teams last year alongside other special teams standouts like Jeremy Reaves, Tyler Owens and Colson Yankoff. Bellore probably won't see the field on defense. If the team were to suffer enough injuries to get to that point, they’d likely call up a linebacker from the practice squad or sign somebody else to do that role and leave Bellore as a special teams ace.

To me, five linebackers is enough given how little teams are in base defenses in the modern NFL. Duke Riley was signed after the team struggled at linebacker in the preseason opener and he played pretty well for the next two games, but he’s also not someone I think they’d need to keep on the 53. I think he’d make it to the practice squad and could be called up if needed. Similarly, undrafted rookie free agent Ale Kaho made some nice plays in the preseason finale on Sunday, showing some growth from a rough outing in the preseason opener. But I don’t think he’s done enough to merit a roster spot and would probably make it to the practice squad too.

Cornerbacks (5): Marshon Lattimore, Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Jonathan Jones, Noah Igbinoghene

Practice Squad Candidates: Antonio Hamilton Sr., Car’lin Vigers

If you just watched the preseason, you’d be forgiven for thinking the cornerback position is one of huge need for the Commanders. But the likes of Lattimore, Amos, Sainristil and Jones hardly played throughout the preseason. The only corner that is likely to make the roster that did play in each game was Noah Igbinoghene, who largely did well despite shifting between playing both outside and in the slot.

The truth is, there is a lot of potential in this group of corners, but there are still questions to be answered. Lattimore appears to have had a quiet but solid camp. He’ll probably not get back to his prime, but if he can get back to being a consistently above average corner then he can be the leader of the group. Trey Amos has had nothing but good things said about him all offseason since he was drafted. In his limited preseason snaps, he looked very comfortable and every bit the player they thought he was when they drafted him. We’ll obviously have to see how he handles the real lights of the NFL when he faces up against receivers like A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb and Malik Nabers, but every report on him so far has been extremely encouraging.

Mike Sainristil is moving back into the slot and will have to show he can improve on areas he struggled with at the start of last season before shifting outside. I back him to get it right but like Amos, it is another thing we need to see happen before we can count on it. But while all three of the top corners have some questions around them, on paper it’s a pretty strong trio. Behind them, Jonathan Jones is a steady and reliable veteran that can play both inside and out, while Igbinoghene could consider himself slightly unfortunate to not be a starter after how well he played in the slot last year. He’s still a little too inconsistent, but there are times Igbinoghene flashes the talent that got him drafted in the first round by the Dolphins back in 2020, then he’ll occasionally have a play that reminds you why he’s on his third team going into his fifth year in the league.

Overall though, it’s a pretty solid group with depth and flexibility. If this group plays up to its potential, then the whole defense could take a big leap forward compared to last year. However, the negative of this group is that there was nothing much behind it in preseason. Now it’s again worth mentioning that the top four guys hardly played in preseason, but the rest looked pretty poor. I’ve listed Car’Lin Vigers as a practice squad candidate, but he had a really rough preseason and would only make the practice squad as a developmental option with intriguing traits. The only corner that stood out in preseason was Antonio Hamilton Sr., who was signed after the Patriots game. He’s a vet that could offer some experience and special teams ability from the practice squad.

Safety (5): Quan Martin, Will Harris, Jeremy Reaves, Tyler Owens, Percy Butler

Practice Squad Candidates: Robert McDaniel, Ben Nikkel, Daryl Worley

Dan Quinn has consistently praised the safety group as one of the strongest units on the team. Quan Martin looks set to have a breakout year as the starting free safety. He played well last year despite two shoulder injuries, but he’s now fully healthy and should be ready to take a step forward and establish himself as one of the key components of this defense. Veteran Will Harris was signed to start opposite Martin at strong safety. While Harris gives up some size and run stopping ability compared to the outgoing Jeremy Chinn, he does offer more coverage ability while could see him as a better fit for this defense.

Behind Martin and Harris is a trio of safeties that are all key contributors on special teams, but all also have something to offer on defense. Tyler Owens has been tried and tested in multiple spots this summer. He’s been used as a big strong safety in the box, shifted outside to nickel cornerback in the slot and played some dime linebacker too. Percy Butler shows some strong man coverage traits whenever he’s on the field on defense, though his tackling is still an issue. Jeremy Reaves brings the play style and mentality that the team loves and values so highly. All three could make cases for more reps and I think we could see an increase of three-safety packages from the Commanders this year as a result.

I’d be very surprised if undrafted free agent rookie safety Robert McDaniel doesn’t find himself on the practice squad. The team met with him at every point of the pre-draft process, showing a ton of interest in him. They then made him one of their priority signings after the draft and gave him a significant signing bonus to make sure he landed in Washington. He flashed some ability both playing deep and matching tight ends in man coverage during the preseason. He’s not quite ready yet but I’m sure they’d love to have him develop on the practice squad for a year. Ben Nikkel is another that was an undrafted free agent last year and hung around. I think he’ll likely end up on the practice squad too. Veteran Daryl Worley was signed only a few days ago and flashed in the preseason finale. I doubt he can crack the 53-man roster, but his versatility to play both cornerback and safety could be valuable to have on the practice squad.

Defense total: 25

Specialists (3): Tress Way, Punter. Matt Gay, Kicker. Tyler Ott, Long Snapper.

Tress Way continues to be one of the premier punters in the NFL and one of the best guys in the locker room. Tyler Ott secured the long snapper position last year after a few years of bad snaps from Cam Chesseman. The only question entering this offseason was at kicker. The team jumped on the chance to sign Matt Gay after he was released by the Colts in April, giving him more than $4million in guaranteed money, the highest guaranteed money on a one-year deal for a kicker in NFL history. Clearly they put a lot of faith in him and didn’t even have another kicker in camp for a kicker competition as a result. Unfortunately, Gay has been inconsistent. Reports suggest he’s missed a fair few kicks in camp and we’ve seen him miss a couple in preseason games too. I doubt the team are ready to move on from Gay already, but I’m sure Adam Peters will have a list of potential targets that could get cut in the next week just in case.

Projected Practice Squad: Josh Johnson, QB. Ja’Corey Brooks, WR. Tay Martin, WR. K.J. Osborn, WR. Lawrence Cager, TE. Tim McKay, OL. Tyre Phillips, OL. Carl Davis, DT. Sheldon Day, DT. Andre Jones Jr., DE. Duke Riley, LB. Ale Kaho, LB. Antonio Hamilton Sr., CB. Daryl Worley, DB. Robert McDaniel, S. Ben Nikkel, S. T.J. Maguranyanga (IPP)

The practice squad has become a very valuable resource for NFL teams since it expanded during the covid season. It’s now up to 16 players allowed, plus a 17th player from the international player pathway program (IPP). The Commanders have pass rusher T.J. Maguranyanga from the IPP so he’ll likely make the practice squad as the 17th player. Elsewhere, I’ve got them keeping Johnson as the emergency third quarterback, though as I said earlier, I wouldn’t be against them calling up Jeff Driskel from last year instead. I would typically have a running back but as they’re keeping four I’m going to pass on an extra back here, instead opting for three receivers in Martin, Osborn and Brooks.

I’d probably lean Turner over Cager as the practice squad tight end, but I think it’s probably time for Turner to see if he can catch on elsewhere at this point in his career. McKay feels like a practice squad lock based on the signing bonus he received as an undrafted free agent. I said earlier I would have kept Tyre Phillips over Trent Scott but I don’t think the team will see it the same way, so I’m putting Phillips on the practice squad. Carl Davis and Sheldon Day both played quite well in spots last year after initially signing with the practice squad and getting called up. I’d look to bring both back this year in the same capacity. I went for the upside in young Andre Jones instead of Ferrell as the practice squad defensive end, hoping to continue his development as a pass rusher.

Keeping both Riley and Kaho on the practice squad feels like a smart move. I think if they were to have injuries at linebacker, I’d trust the veteran Riley to step in right now far more than the undrafted free agent Kaho. But developing Kaho for a year could pay off in the long run, so I’m keeping both. Antonio Hamilton edges out Vigers as the practice squad CB. Hamilton is the much older player but Vigers had a really rough preseason and Hamilton received plenty of praise from Dan Quinn after both the Bengals and Ravens preseason games. Worley also makes it as a versatile defensive back that can play both corner and safety, while young McDaniel and Nikkel can both continue their development on the practice squad too.