3 biggest winners from Commanders OTAs and minicamp

The Washington Commanders are currently enjoying summer vacation before they return to Ashburn in the final week of July for training camp. In other words, we’ve entered the doldrums of the offseason, so content is no longer at a premium.

The next several weeks will largely comprise of potential free-agent interest, training camp invites and Terry McLaurin’s contract, which finally seems to be on the right path, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Luckily, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp was enough to fill our content appetites. With multiple weeks of practices in the books, we thought we’d highlight the biggest winners from the Commanders’ offseason.

Full disclosure: Carson Wentz did NOT make the list. While the newly-minted quarterback impressed during spring practices, he’s 29 years old and entering his seventh season. These should be a breeze for him at this point. Yes, he’s learning to play with new teammates, but the real test will come at training camp.

3 biggest winners from Commanders OTAs and minicamp

3. Antonio Gandy-Golden

We considered a plethora of players for the No. 3 spot, including Jeremy Reaves, Marken Michel, and rookie tight end Cole Turner. Michel almost got the nod, but we gave it to Gandy-Golden due to the fact that he’s changed positions.

A fourth-round pick by Washington in 2020, Gandy-Golden managed one reception for three yards over his first two seasons before the club approached him about converting to a tight end on a permanent basis this offseason.

The early returns are encouraging for Gandy-Golden, whose minicamp highlights included an impressive touchdown grab over Kam Curl, a one-handed catch on a pass from Taylor Heinicke and showing promise as a run-blocker.

The Commanders waived Gandy-Golden during roster cuts last offseason before re-signing him to the practice squad. The 24-year-old was elevated for four games and played 20 snaps on offense before he was cut again in January.

The fact Gandy-Golden has seemingly already re-shaped his image makes him a huge winner from OTAs and minicamp. He’ll still have to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, but this position switch might’ve saved his NFL career.