Commanders roster battles: Left guard, wideouts among questions entering preseason finale

ASHBURN — The most notable training camp competitions for the Washington Commanders are already over. Quarterback Sam Howell earned the nod over Jacoby Brissett in what failed to be an actual battle. And kicker Joey Slye beat out Michael Badgley, who the team cut last week. 

But ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, plenty’s still at stake for others vying to make the roster.  

Left guard, wide receiver, tight end and the defensive line are among the most unsettled spots for the Commanders. Of those, the left guard competition between Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul is the only one with a starting gig up for grabs. The rest could come down to a numbers game. Does Washington want to keep seven wide receivers? Four tight ends? How about 11 defensive linemen? 

Coach Ron Rivera said those discussions will intensify after Saturday’s game. Teams have to cut down from 90 to 53 players by Tuesday. 

“Honestly, we’ll watch ‘em all,” Rivera said. “There’s not one group you have to see, but there are a couple of them that we do have questions on, and we’re going to keep (asking) the questions.” 

Here’s where the battles stand going into the Bengals.

Left guard, Saahdiq Charles versus Chris Paul: Rivera said this week that the Commanders weren’t ready to name a starter at left guard, but Charles appears to be trending toward winning the job. This is a vital year for the 2020 fourth-rounder as he enters the final year of his contract, but the big question with Charles is whether he can stay healthy. Even in camp, the oft-injured Charles missed 10 days with a calf injury. During that span, Paul — a 2022 seventh-rounder out of Tulsa — made a compelling case that he belonged with the starters. But ultimately, Charles’ advantages in athleticism and size have him on track to edge out the second-year lineman. 

It will be interesting to see how many offensive linemen Washington will want to keep on the 53. Last year, they kept nine but there’s a chance they could have 10 this year because rookies Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels are considered projects. That would seemingly bold well for a veteran like center Tyler Larsen. Then again, Stromberg has come on strong in the last week — showing flexibility that he can play guard and center for Washington. 

Wide receiver, Byron Pringle and Kazmeir Allen vs. Dax Milne, Mitchell Tinsley, Brycen Tremayne and Marcus Kemp: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown are all locks to make the roster. The last few spots could come down to this weekend. 

Pringle, a five-year veteran, has had a solid camp and played under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for three seasons in Kansas City. Pringle has popped more than Kemp, another Chiefs alum brought in this offseason to help with the transition to a new scheme. 

If the Commanders keep just six receivers, Allen appears to have a slight edge over Milne — who has been on the roster since 2020. While Allen is less polished as a route runner, the undrafted free agent’s edge in special teams could be the reason he secures the final spot. Specifically, Allen has flashed as the Commanders’ punt returner — a role that unspectacularly belonged to Milne last season. 

Defensive line, James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill vs. K.J. Henry and Andre Jones: This is the Commanders’ deepest position on the roster, and they’ll seemingly have some tough choices to make on cutdown day. At edge rusher, Smith-Williams and Toohill have been reliable starters when asked to fill in for Chase Young and Montez Sweat. But this summer, the Commanders drafted both Henry and Jones  — which could squeeze Smith-Williams, Toohill or veteran Efe Obada out. 

Despite their statuses as late-round draft picks, Henry (drafted in the fifth round) and Jones (seventh) have an inside track to make the roster because, under Rivera, the Commanders have rarely cut a rookie in Year 1. Rivera said Thursday that’s intentional as the team believes players need an opportunity to develop. The lone time that Rivera parted ways with a drafted rookie was in 2021 when the team let go of edge rusher William Bradley-King, who then signed to the practice squad. 

That said, Smith-Williams, Toohill and Obada could still all realistically make the roster — even with Henry and Jones. Complicating matters is how many defensive tackles Washington will look to keep behind starters Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Obada and Smith-Williams can shift inside, but they lack the size of backups Phidarian Mathis and John Ridgeway. 

Perhaps the best path is for Washington to keep 11 defensive linemen, but that then would affect other positions. 

Tight end, Alex Armah vs. Curtis Hodges: Armah has been on Washington’s practice squad in each of the last two seasons, but he stands to gain from the scheme change under Bieniemy. In training camp, Armah has been used as a fullback and as a blocking tight end. That could give him the edge over Hodges, a 2022 undrafted free agent who has been in the mix.