The Washington Commanders brought a swift end to the kicking competition. After head coach Dan Quinn initially stated he planned to take it right through the preseason, it took just one preseason game to crown a victor.
Undrafted rookie Drew Stevens is the guy. Unfortunately for veteran Jake Moody, he was made surplus to requirements.
And he won't be the last.
General manager Adam Peters is a ruthless roster builder. He was part of the San Francisco 49ers' brain trust that spent a third-round pick on Moody, and he gave him another shot in Washington. But when the cracks began to show, the front-office leader had no problem cutting him loose.
This is the start of things to come for Peters. We are just a couple of weeks away from final cuts, where the Commanders have to trim their roster from 90 to 53. Some players will return to the practice squad, but for others, it will be the end of the road.
It's all part of the NFL's cutthroat nature at this time of year. Either you have the stomach for it, or you don't. But the only thing that matters to Peters and Quinn is moving forward with a roster capable of being competitive as pressure builds.
With this in mind, here are seven Commanders players who could be next to go as Washington moves into the business end of preparations for the new campaign.
Washington Commanders players who could be cut next after inevitable Jake Moody exit
Julian Good-Jones - Commanders OL
When Nick Allegretti suffered a calf strain on the first day of training camp, the Washington Commanders didn't hand the starting reps to sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin. Instead, they went with the experience of Julian Good-Jones while the first-year pro found his feet.
Allegretti is no sure thing, but the drop-off with Good-Jones was notable. There isn't much conviction in his ability to communicate and protect. Everything just looked out of sync, and things weren't much better during his reps in Washington's preseason opener.
Gulbin looked much more accomplished. He got to the second level quickly and made an impact in pass protection. Though nothing is confirmed, this swing should be enough for the Michigan State product to get second-in-line reps as the anchor with Allegretti returning.
The writing is on the wall for Good-Jones. He simply hasn't done enough to justify an extended stay, and it's starting to look like the Commanders will end up parting ways with the veteran when the time comes.
And it might be even sooner than final cuts.
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