Chris Moore - Commanders WR
Concerns are growing around the wide receiver room. The Washington Commanders looked in good shape earlier in the offseason, but Terry McLaurin's ongoing contract standoff and Noah Brown's injury issues are exposing the lack of legitimate options.
Adam Peters made one minor change this week, but nothing extraordinary. The Commanders are giving those who underachieved against the New England Patriots another chance to impress. If they don't deliver this time around, they might not get a third opportunity.
Chris Moore will be under a bigger microscope than most. The veteran caught the eye over early workouts with some outstanding plays. Unfortunately, he was unable to bring this into a more typical game-day setting with two crucial drops at Gillette Stadium.
The Commanders aren't giving up on Moore just yet, but that time could be coming soon if he cannot maximize the opportunities that come his way versus the Cincinnati Bengals. He's further down the wideout depth chart than ever, which decreases the margin for error. Any more mistakes will not be tolerated.
Moore is now a long shot to make the 53-man roster. If he cannot fight back in the face of adversity, the former fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati might not even make it to cut-down day.
Ben Nikkel - Commanders S
Things are becoming clearer with Washington's safety dynamic. That's bad news for those still searching for ways to make an impression.
Quan Martin and Will Harris are the starting tandem. An exceptional summer from Jeremy Reaves has seen him surge into the No. 3 spot. Percy Butler is a solid depth piece and core special-teams presence. Tyler Owens should also make it as a versatile box safety who can also be deployed at the defensive second level when required.
That will be the five Washington takes through unless something drastic emerges in the coming weeks. This puts everyone else on the back foot, especially considering the Commanders recently signed former third-round pick Daryl Worley after a successful tryout.
Worley's arrival isn't exactly a vote of confidence in Ben Nikkel. The defensive back spent last season on the practice squad without doing enough to feature at any stage. However, the Commanders wanted to see if some untapped potential remained by giving him a reserve/futures contract this offseason.
Nikkel hasn't kicked on as some hoped. Unless there is a major upturn in production versus the Bengals and beyond, making the practice squad is probably the best he can hope for once again.
And even that isn't guaranteed with the likes of Robert McDaniel and Worley competing for spots.