3 under-the-radar Commanders staking strong claims at 2024 training camp

Tariq Castro-Fields - Commanders CB

The San Francisco 49ers selected Tariq Castro-Fields in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was waived in August of the same season.

The Washington Commanders picked him up the first day after his release, potentially seeing how trouble was brewing at the cornerback position. Those in power determined that just because a kid is left off of one of the best defenses the NFL has known over the last few years, it doesn't mean that he couldn't find his way long-term.

With Adam Peters, a man who likely played a big role in the Niners drafting him, now in Washington, perhaps it could be a gust of fate that has brought the two together once more. And with the Commanders' 2023 secondary a horrendous sight to behold, maybe it's possible that this reunion could have come at just the right time.

Castro-Fields has been so impressive thus far in training camp, that he has even begun receiving some first-team reps. For a guy whose name has been pretty much invisible since his signing last year, this is an incredible step that is not just given to anybody.

However, it doesn't mean that he is going to be a starter. The hard work is just getting started for Castro-Fields.

The young defensive back has all the physical gifts that Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. look for in their hunting defense. But to keep a lid on the potential excitement, this move could only be to ensure the Commanders have a worst-case scenario in place. Just in case Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and others underperform once more.

With that being said, the fact that the Commanders have been giving him these important reps is an overall good sign for the former Penn State Nittany Lion. Hopefully, this means the new regime has already achieved more cornerback depth than Ron Rivera managed to accomplish during his four seasons at the helm.

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