3 winners (and 2 losers) from Commanders' preseason win vs. Patriots
By Dean Jones
Loser No. 1
Brycen Tremayne - Commanders WR
Opportunity knocks in the wide receiver room after the Washington Commanders traded Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles. New general manager Adam Peters either has something else up his sleeve or he's pleased with the way things are developing with the options already at his disposal.
Brycen Tremayne is on the fringes. His exceptional start to training camp didn't transition to the preseason when targets came his way. Unfortunately for the 2023 undrafted free agent out of Stanford, this trend continued during Washington's last warmup outing before Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tremayne was expected by many to get a heavy workload as part of his ongoing assessment. This didn't materialize, with the wideout bringing in one of his three targets for minus three receiving yards.
This was a body blow - one Tremayne might not be able to recover from with no more chances to impress. He probably won't make the 53-man roster, but there's a good chance the Commanders bring him back onto the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Winner No. 2
Phidarian Mathis - Commanders DL
Phidarian Mathis was entering the last-chance saloon this offseason. It was a frustrating first two years in Washington for the defensive lineman, with injuries and poor production leaving many wondering whether his time with the franchise would end under the new regime.
Mathis has the physical tools, it's putting them together in a competitive setting that represents his biggest stumbling block. After a relatively pedestrian start to training camp, the light is starting to come on where the former second-round pick out of Alabama is concerned.
There was a lot to like about the way Mathis went about his business in Washington's preseason finale against the New England Patriots. The interior presence batted down a pass and pushed the pile frequently to further raise optimism. Based on this showing, he'll get another chance on the 53-man roster.
Just how much time Mathis sees on the field is anyone's guess. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and second-rounder Johnny Newton are ahead of him on the depth chart. Making the team was a bonus, but what comes next for the Neville High School product is much more important.