The Washington Commanders have one more week to figure things out before finalizing their 53-man roster. Of course, that won't be set in stone either, with general manager Adam Peters sure to scour the waiver wire and the trade market for any potential upgrades available.
Washington's preseason defeat to the Detroit Lions opened up some concerns. The main problem centers (literally) on the offensive line, especially given that quarterback Jayden Daniels was constantly under duress during his extremely brief time in the lineup.
There are other areas to worry about, but the Commanders still have time to work out the kinks.
The defeat isn't important. Results are not the main objective at this time of year, though building some semblance of momentum is nice. The summer is all about separating the strong from the weak, and there were several players who caught the eye.
Others weren't so lucky, which is all part of the NFL's cutthroat business at this time of year. More than 1,100 players will be cut before the deadline, and even though some will get reprieves on the practice squad, it's an extremely uncertain time.
But for the Commanders, business is all that matters.
With this in mind, here are four Commanders players who may have secured their roster spots against the Lions, and three who could now be in serious trouble.
Washington Commanders players who booked roster spots in preseason Week 2, and some in serious trouble
Booked spot:
Javontae Jean-Baptiste - Commanders OLB
The Commanders' defense once again produced some positive signs in Detroit. One of those was the ability to generate pressure consistently, with coordinator Daronte Jones' packages causing untold problems for the Lions' offensive line.
There were a few lapses, and this was versus Detroit's second- and third-string groups. However, after how things unfolded during the previous campaign, this notable improvement is encouraging nonetheless.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste continues to make his presence felt at the best possible time.
He's long, fast, and has enhanced his hand placement when rushing the passer. The 2024 seventh-round pick missed most of the previous season through injury, but he's clearly growing as an edge force. And another sack at Ford Field only improved his chances of forcing his way onto the roster once again.
The Commanders have a pretty crowded defensive edge. K'Lavon Chaisson, Dorance Armstrong Jr., and big-money signing Odafe Oweh will lead the charge. Fifth-round rookie Joshua Josephs isn't the finished product, but he's also been among the summer standouts and will comfortably make the squad.
That doesn't leave much room for the rest, but one could make a strong case for Jean-Baptiste being next in line. And if this scenario becomes reality, he'll have earned it.
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