Commanders’ cuts begin as team pushes toward 53-man roster

The Commanders’ path to a 53-man roster began in earnest on Monday with six cuts. Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday to make 32 more moves to trim the 91-man offseason squad for the upcoming season opener.

Cornerback Essang Bassey, center Nick Harris, tackle Tyre Phillips, defensive tackles Norell Pollard and wide receivers Michael Gallup and Braylon Sanders were the first players called into Quinn’s office with bad news on Monday. 

The coach and general manager still need to release more than two dozen players on Tuesday.

“This is a challenging time for us,” Quinn said after Saturday’s preseason finale. “You have to make difficult decisions, but we’ve been meeting a lot leading up until now.”

This year’s offseason didn’t feature the wide-scale turnover of last summer, but Quinn and Peters have delicate choices to make as they look to improve on last year’s run to the NFC championship game. 

Here is a projection for the initial 53-man roster ahead of the Commanders’ season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 7. 

Quarterbacks: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Josh Johnson.

Neither Daniels nor Mariota attempted a pass in this year’s preseason exhibition. Daniels, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, ran for a touchdown in his lone series against the Cincinnati Bengals, while Mariota has recovered from Achilles tendonitis. 

Johnson, a 39-year-old journeyman who has played with an NFL-record 14 teams, will likely sneak onto the roster as the third quarterback. He’ll be an insurance option behind Daniels and Mariota after outdueling second-year passer Sam Hartman throughout preseason and training camp. 

Running backs: Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jeremy McNichols.

This group impressed enough during training camp that Peters and Quinn felt comfortable shipping former starter Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick, a move that became official on Sunday. 

Ekeler and McNichols, the veterans of the group, are projected to take most of the third-down and pass-catching responsibilities out of the backfield. Rodriguez and seventh-round rookie Croskey-Merritt will likely take the bulk of runs between the tackles after an impressive offseason. 

Wide receivers: Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey.

McLaurin finally agreed to a contract extension after missing the summer’s training camp and minicamp activities. The group behind him has lacked depth.

Lane, a fourth-round rookie from Virginia Tech, could quickly find a starting role after flashing rapid development during training camp. McCaffrey has received praise from the coaching staff — and a likely spot on the active roster — thanks to his versatility on offense and special teams. 

Tight ends: Zach Ertz, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff.

This group is unchanged from the first roster of 2024. Ertz, 34, is another year older, though. The Commanders will hope to see improvement from Sinnott after the second-round pick endured a quiet rookie campaign last season. 

Offensive linemen: Laremy Tunsil, Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, Andrew Wylie, Josh Conerly Jr., Chris Paul, George Fant, Nick Allegretti, Michael Deiter.

Guard Sam Cosmi will rejoin this group when he recovers from an ACL tear he suffered in last season’s playoff game against the Detroit Lions. Though Quinn has expressed optimism about his rehab, Cosmi could start the season on injured reserve. 

With Tunsil anchoring the blind side, second-year lineman Coleman moves to left guard. The right side of the line could see a similar shift. Conerly, this year’s first-round pick, has competed at right tackle and could force Wylie to shift to right guard.

Defensive tackles: Daron Payne, Jer’Zhan Newton, Javon Kinlaw, Carl Davis.

This season will be Washington’s first since 2016 without former first-round pick Jon Allen. Instead, the Commanders will look to Kinlaw. The District native was Washington’s biggest free-agent acquisition this offseason, signing a three-year, $45 million contract to anchor the defense’s interior.

Defensive ends: Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, Clelin Ferrell, Von Miller, Javonte Jean-Baptiste.

Edge rusher may be the Commanders’ weakest position group entering Week 1. The team lost Dante Fowler, who led Washington in sacks last season, in free agency. Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt will look to replace him in the aggregate with 36-year-old Von Miller — who will be limited to clear passing situations — and the steady Deatrich Wise, who joins the Commanders after eight seasons with the New England Patriots. 

Linebackers: Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano, Ale Kaho, Nick Bellore.

Wagner and Luvu represent the heart of the Commanders’ defense. Behind them, second-year linebacker Jordan Magee and rookies Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho will look to make an impact on special teams. Bellore, 36, has already established himself as a staple in return coverage.

Cornerbacks: Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, Noah Igbinoghene, Jonathan Jones.

Once a liability, the Commanders’ secondary is rapidly becoming a strength. Sainristil flashed Pro Bowl potential as a rookie. Amos has done the same throughout a promising first offseason in Washington. If Lattimore — a four-time Pro Bowler — can return to form, the Commanders’ corners could become an elite unit. 

Safeties: Quan Martin, Percy Butler, Will Harris, Tyler Owens, Jeremy Reaves.

Reaves and Owens were special teams aces last season who worked their way into the defensive lineup throughout the offseason. But Martin, now in his third season, has emerged as a key voice in the Commanders’ secondary. 

“He has quietly also become really one of the leaders around here and you’ve heard us talk about developing leaders. I think Quan might be up near the top of that,” Quinn said last week. “He is definitely becoming a voice here that is really strong and very well heard in the locker room.”

Specialists: long snapper Tyler Ott, kicker Matt Gay, punter Tress Way.

Gay signed a one-year, $4.33 million deal to stop the Commanders’ kicking carousel this summer after the team fielded four different kickers last season. Washington hasn’t brought in competition for Gay, but the 31-year-old made just three of his five preseason field goal attempts.