Nobody is getting a free ride with the Washington Commanders these days. Everyone got a clean slate to impress all over again with Dan Quinn at the helm. Anyone not displaying the correct credentials was shown the door as part of Adam Peters' cold-blooded roster movement.
Previous reputation didn't matter. Peters didn't care if they were unheralded recruits or first-round picks. Everyone got the same treatment, and the Commanders started moving in a positive direction for the first time in decades.
This trend will continue for as long as Peters is running the show. Something that places one draft pick in peril after some significant additions to the offensive line throughout another busy offseason.
Chris Paul faces a fight to make Commanders' roster in 2025
Chris Paul was a seventh-round selection, so he's done well to make it this far. Things looked bleak for the interior lineman last summer, but he showcased enough to be taken onto the 53-man roster. That was a surprising positive for the player, but what came next was much more disappointing.
If Paul was hoping to force his way onto the rotation, he quickly got a rude awakening. The Tulsa graduate was active just six times during the regular season. He logged one offensive snap and 30 on special teams. Having another year of practice to aid his development should help, but he enters Year 4 of his professional career in an immensely precarious situation.
The Commanders haven't sat still on their offensive line during Peters' second recruitment period. Laremy Tunsil, Josh Conerly Jr., and Nate Herbig were acquired to strengthen the starting spots and improve depth. That makes it more challenging for Paul to retain his spot, so he might not be around to see out the final year of his rookie deal when it's all said and done.
Perhaps stud right guard Sam Cosmi's recovery from a torn ACL might be his saving grace, but there's just no telling for sure. Anything less than a meteoric surge forward could see him off the squad entirely. But in fairness, he's lasted longer than almost every high draft pick from Ron Rivera's disastrous four-year tenure.
That's something, at least.
It'll be interesting to see if Paul can turn the tide as the summer goes on. But it's not looking good right now.