The Ravens routed a Washington team that rested 41 players.
In their preseason finale, the Washington Commanders fell, 41-3, to the Baltimore Ravens on Friday — not that the listless performance particularly mattered.
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The Commanders rested 41 players, including all of their starters and many key backups. The most significant players who suited up were centers Matt Gulbin and Julian Good-Jones, who are competing for the backup job behind Nick Allegretti.
The cautious strategy was nothing new. While various key contributors on Washington’s first-team defense got notable reps in the first two preseason games, the frontline offense hardly saw the field. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and the rest of the starters played just three snaps against the Detroit Lions in the second week of the preseason.
Coach Dan Quinn focused on using the joint practices against the Lions and Ravens to simulate gamelike situations rather than put his starters at additional risk of injury. Given how beat-up the team is right now, it’s hard to argue with that approach.
The Commanders have until 4 p.m. Sunday to trim their roster to 53 players. Once the period to claim players from the waiver wire passes at 1 p.m. Monday, they will be able to sign up to 16 players to their practice squad. They could also have access to a 17th spot to keep defensive end T.J. Maguranyanga through the international player pathway program.
Here’s my final roster projection:
Quarterback (3)
Running back (4)
Wide receiver (6)
Tight end (4)
Offensive line (9)
All eyes are on center. Allegretti is still sidelined with a calf strain, and the uncertainty around when he’ll be ready to return has bred plenty of anxiety among the fan base.
It’s a two-man race between Gulbin and Good-Jones to determine who will back him up. Gulbin served as the starting center while Good-Jones rotated at right guard during Wednesday’s joint practice against the Ravens. That seemed to indicate Gulbin was ahead in the race, but neither he nor Good-Jones performed well in that session.
The preseason finale provided another opportunity for someone to pull ahead as Gulbin got the start. Ultimately, I decided to give the rookie the nod. I still would expect General Manager Adam Peters to explore an addition on the waiver wire.
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At quarterback, Kaliakmanis breaks through to make the roster. He has shown progress, and it could be too risky to subject him to the waiver wire. The Commanders hope Mariota will be ready to return from his MCL sprain by Week 1, but that’s not guaranteed. If he’s unable to go, Kaliakmanis — who went 7 for 13 for 45 yards Friday — would be the backup.
Wide receiver is another spot where I’ve gone back and forth, but I’m going to stick with Brown. He has been the better player to close out training camp, and he provides the room with some more experience.
Defensive tackle (4)
Defensive end (1)
Outside linebacker (4)
Inside linebacker (5)
Cornerback (5)
Safety (5)
Wise is still rehabbing from the torn quad he suffered last September, and it seems unlikely that he will return from the PUP list before the start of the season. If he remains on that list on roster cut day, he will have to miss at least the first four games.
“He had a good evaluation recently. He’s certainly getting closer, but they haven’t given us a time frame,” Quinn said Monday. “He looks good. I’m pleased with the work that he’s put in. For him, this has been a long rehab. It’s a serious injury. To see him on the other side of that, knowing the light at the end of the tunnel is nearby, that’s exciting.”
With Armstrong also set to miss Week 1 because of a suspension for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the defensive end group will be thin against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13. That probably will lead to more playing time for players such as Josephs and Jean-Baptiste.
Kicker: Drew Stevens
Punter: Tress Way
Long snapper: Tyler Ott
There’s no suspense here in terms of who makes the roster, but it will be interesting to see how Stevens (who converted from 39 yards and missed from 62 on Friday) performs early in the season. If the rookie struggles, the Commanders may have to seek outside help.
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