3 burning roster questions Commanders must answer before Week 1

2. Who’s the Week 1 Starting TE?

The Commanders tight end room is admittedly one of the deepest position groups on the roster, but it’s currently in shambles due to injury.

Logan Thomas is unlikely to suit up Week 1 as he finishes his ACL rehab, Cole Turner is expected to be held out another week or two as he recovers from a hamstring injury, John Bates has been limited with a calf issue and undrafted free agent Curtis Hodges recently joined Turner and Bates on the side field.

That leaves Armani Rogers and Eli Wolf as the only healthy tight ends. While Rogers has impressed during camp and the preseason, is he really ready to start a regular season game, when the intensity climbs several notches?

In a perfect world, Turner will be back in practice next week and assume the starting role. The fifth-round pick has popped as a pass-catcher and Washington keeping him shelved another week could indicate he’s the favorite to start.

While Turner offers plenty of promise as a weapon in the passing game, his blocking technique needs major improvement. Will Bates, a people-mover in the run game, be healthy by Week 1 to make up for Turner’s blocking deficiencies?

All these questions need answers before Week 1.