Second-year general manager Adam Peters has made plenty of personnel moves this week after the Washington Commanders suffered an ugly preseason loss to the New England Patriots. His latest puts one early offseason standout firmly on notice.
Peters and head coach Dan Quinn were not thrilled with the execution or application of the players who turned out at Gillette Stadium. The Commanders chose to rest no fewer than 30 for the clash, but more was expected of those who took the field.
Quinn made his thoughts to the locker room abundantly clear. Peters' actions did the talking, with underperforming young players once again replaced by veterans with more experience in a competitive setting. It's been his preferred approach throughout the offseason, which stems from the Commanders being in win-now mode after a sensational surge to the NFC Championship game in Year 1 of this ambitious project.
Commanders signing Daryl Worley places Robert McDaniel firmly on notice
The latest transaction saw the Commanders sign veteran safety Daryl Worley following a successful tryout. He's a well-traveled defensive back with nine seasons in the league. The player has had difficulty catching on somewhere in recent years, although he did rack up 52 tackles in nine games for the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
Whether Worley has a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster at this late stage remains to be seen. However, this does nothing to improve Robert McDaniel's chances of sneaking his way onto the squad.
McDaniel was acquired in undrafted free agency, and the early signs were encouraging. The versatile defensive back adjusted smoothly and even got some work with the first-string defense over voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Things have been a little quieter over training camp, but the former Jackson State standout flashed versus the Patriots with three tackles and one pass defense.
The gauntlet has been laid down to McDaniel in no uncertain terms. Washington might not have room for either player with Quan Martin, Will Harris, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves, and Tyler Owens all but guaranteed to make it. But there's no doubt Worley's late arrival further stacks the deck against the rookie.
It's starting to look like a place on the practice squad would be an achievement for McDaniel. He won't be giving up without a fight, but his situation isn't looking especially promising right now.
Worley might be nothing more than a camp body to raise urgency. Players in McDaniel's predicament need to hear this message loud and clear.