Ben Sinnott and 2 Commanders who must get more post-bye week reps

The Washington Commanders are a revamped team. There are several young, inexperienced players looking to make their way. This could be their time to shine after the bye week.

Adam Peters went out and brought in new players to fill out almost half of the 53-man roster. Nine of those came from the 2024 NFL Draft.

Peters and Dan Quinn believe in building a culture and developing young players. That is exactly how you should approach a team that has been in darkness for the past two decades.

However, with the regular season coming closer to ending, it might be time for some of the new developing players to get more snaps. Here are three potential candidates as the Commanders return from their bye week.

3 Commanders players who must get post-bye week reps

Ben Sinnott - Commanders TE

Ben Sinnott was one of three second-round picks for the Commanders in 2024. The other two were Johnny Newton and Mike Sainristil. Thus far, the tight end has made the least impact.

It is not Sinnott's fault. He hasn't gotten the chance to shine. He has acted as the TE3 on the depth chart and has logged the third-most tight-end snaps with 251.

Zach Ertz acts as the team's starting tight end. The veteran Pro Bowler has served as the safety blanket for Jayden Daniels. They've developed trust that's served the offense well.

The problem isn't entirely Ertz. He can still be the starting tight end, but the Commanders should see what Sinnott can do with more targets in the passing game when the situation dictates.

Luke McCaffrey - Commanders WR

Luke McCaffrey is another rookie pass catcher who was taken on Day 2 by Peters. He profiled as a slot wide receiver coming out of Rice, and that is where has gotten the majority of snaps this year.

According to Pro Football Focus, 283 of his 354 snaps have come out of the slot. With Noah Brown going down with a possible season-ending injury, the offense desperately needs a second option after Terry McLaurin to step up. Giving McCaffrey the full-time role and more targets could help enormously down the stretch.

There have been countless times when Daniels either does not see McCaffrey open or just doesn't possess the trust to pull the trigger. No matter the case, the first-year wideout needs to get the ball more.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Commanders RB

Chris Rodriguez Jr. has been active for three games this season. In two of those, he got a chance to show what he has. He shined in both.

With Austin Ekeler's unfortunate concussion that could sideline him for the rest of the season, Rodriguez's emergence into a valuable role in the offense should come. Brian Robinson Jr. should continue as the lead back, but keeping his legs fresh will be important. The former sixth-round pick out of Kentucky has displayed the powerful rushing needed to step in and immediately contribute.

Jeremy McNichols could get a chunk of the Ekeler role with Robinson, which leaves Rodriguez open to take over a lot more of the short-yardage situations.

Give Rodriguez a chance.

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