Nick Bellore - Commanders LB
General manager Adam Peters made a concerted effort to bring in younger players this offseason. The Washington Commanders had the NFL's oldest roster by a considerable margin last season as they chased a Super Bowl. It backfired spectacularly, so there was no option but to shift course.
Things look much more promising in the short and long term now. There is more energy and explosiveness across the board. Speed and athleticism were coveted traits in Washington's new recruits, with the linebacker unit being a prime example.
Sonny Styles and Leo Chenal joined Frankie Luvu. Dan Quinn namedropped Jordan Magee and Kain Medrano as players who've had a strong offseason. There are only so many places to go around, so the stakes have been raised for Nick Bellore at training camp.
Bellore is among the elder statesmen in Washington at 37. He's never going to impact the defensive rotation, but his leadership and special-teams prowess have been praised by the coaching staff. That's sufficed over the last two years, but it may no longer be the case.
Medrano and Magee can fill Bellore's duties. They may not have the mileage in the regular-season pressure cooker, but the only way they'll get better is by playing.
Treylon Burks - Commanders WR
There are obvious concerns in the wide receiver room. Terry McLaurin's dependability is renowned and respected in equal measure, but there isn't much proven consistency elsewhere on the depth chart.
The Commanders haven't brought in another proven veteran as yet, though there is still time for that to change. Adam Peters wanted to give the young hopefuls aiming to break out a legitimate chance to stake their claim during OTAs and minicamp. Now, he'll have a much better assessment of the landscape.
Head coach Dan Quinn mentioned Van Jefferson Jr. and Dyami Brown as players who stood out at minicamp. Less was said about the others, but Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic noted how drops were an ongoing frustration that won't be overlooked.
Treylon Burks will make the squad. David Blough envisions a role for the 2022 first-round pick within Washington's new schematic concepts, and he's got the physical tools to make things happen when healthy. However, his situation remains precarious.
McLaurin is the top dog. The dynamic instantly changes if the Commanders sign Stefon Diggs or Brandon Aiyuk (or maybe both). Brown and Jefferson may be moving themselves up the depth chart. Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane are also looking for more responsibilities, while undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley is quickly becoming a story to watch.
Burks must meet fire with fire when training camp begins.
Add us as a preferred source on Google