Loser No. 1
Jordan Magee - Commanders LB
Jordan Magee's offseason has followed a similar pattern to his first with the Washington Commanders. The athletic linebacker built some significant momentum over early workouts, with defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. proclaiming his desire to get him more involved in the rotation. Unfortunately, this positivity was halted by injury once again.
Magee missed a large portion of training camp due to an undisclosed issue. The Commanders were right to err on the side of caution with the player, but he's once again missed valuable reps both in practice and preseason games.
Whether this alters the Commanders' strategy with Magee remains to be seen. Getting him back to 100 percent is the primary objective. After that, the coaching staff will probably bring him along gradually before his confidence increases.
It's not ideal, but Magee needs to display the correct resolve. And when he gets the all clear to resume football activities, he's got to hit the ground running.
Winner No. 2
Deebo Samuel Sr. - Commanders WR
All eyes were on Deebo Samuel Sr. following his high-profile trade to the Commanders. Criticism was fierce and unfair around the wide receiver after the move became official, but the former second-round pick is well on his way to emphatically silencing doubters.
Samuel showed up to camp in shape and fully focused. His speed and explosiveness were nothing short of outstanding. The wideout's chemistry with quarterback Jayden Daniels blossomed without Terry McLaurin. That's the biggest silver lining above all else regarding his holdout.
After hearing all the hot takes and backlash, Samuel is letting his football do the talking. The South Carolina product is as advertised, and he'll be tasked with huge responsibilities from the moment he steps onto the field in a competitive setting. Judging by his camp showing, putting together a bounce-back campaign looks more than feasible.
And if this scenario comes to fruition, sending a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Samuel will be a masterstroke.
Loser No. 2
Luke McCaffrey - Commanders WR
Hopes were high heading into the summer that Luke McCaffrey could finally break out and firmly establish himself as an important part of Washington's passing attack. There have been a few flashes once again, but the consistency remains subpar.
McCaffrey was always going to be a work in progress. He converted to the wide receiver spot from quarterback in college, but his athleticism was enough for the Commanders to use the No. 100 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to secure his services.
The Rice product got plenty of reps but very few targets last season. McCaffrey needs to show more in Year 2, and concerns are starting to emerge about whether he'll be on the fringes once again.
Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jaylin Lane moved ahead of McCaffrey in the pecking order. The fact that he was a non-factor in Washington's first two preseason games only raises more doubts around his outlook.