What were some crtical observations to take from Day 5 of practice at the Washington Commanders training camp heading into the 2023 season?
After the Washington Commanders gave their players a well-deserved rest, Week 2 of training camp began in earnest on Monday. There were no fans permitted to attend, but that won't be the case in the coming days and there is an enormous sense of intrigue attached with the pads set to start popping.
The energy was a little more subdued without thousands of fans in the stands, which is understandable. However, there was still plenty to take from the session based on reports emanating from the media in attendance.
With this in mind, here are four critical observations from practice Day 5 from Washington's training camp in 2023.
Commanders splitting reps at LG
Although the Washington Commanders have seemingly locked up four of their starting five offensive linemen, there remains some debate about who'll fill the left guard spot in Week 1. Saahdiq Charles has been getting prominent starting reps throughout camp and early workouts, but Chris Paul is also rotating in often during drills as he looks to win the job.
Paul came in for significant praise from head coach Ron Rivera earlier this offseason for his encouraging progress. The Commanders also remain high on Charles' physical attributes despite flattering to deceive throughout his time in the league so far.
This is quickly emerging into one of the most intriguing position battles of this year's camp. And the winner is going to have a critical role to play on an offensive line that must provide the consistency needed for this offense to thrive in 2023.