5 biggest positives from Washington Commanders 2024 training camp
By Dean Jones
There was an enormous sense of anticipation heading into Washington Commanders training camp. A monumental offseason of changes from top to bottom raised optimism among the fanbase. This is the first year of a substantial rebuild, but there's a growing belief that something special could be brewing within one of the league's most storied franchises.
Dan Quinn and his staff put the players through their paces with two joint practices thrown in for good measure. It was a lot of information to take on and demands were extremely high. Everyone came through relatively unscathed, although the Commanders are dealing with a few slight injury concerns worth monitoring before Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Players have one final chance to prove their worth in Washington's preseason finale against the New England Patriots. It'll make a big difference for some. But general manager Adam Peters should have a good indication of where this roster is and what more is required to become more competitive in 2024.
That's for the not-too-distant future. For now, here are the five biggest positives to emerge from Washington's 2024 training camp.
Biggest positives from Washington Commanders 2024 training camp
Tyler Owens' surge
Every year there seems to be an undrafted free agent who emerges from obscurity into a roster spot. Tyler Owens is this summer's darling after a sensational training camp and preseason production.
The Washington Commanders made Owens one of their high-priority targets in undrafted free agency. The safety was eager to repay this faith, bursting onto the scene and making big plays aplenty throughout camp.
Owens went from an afterthought to almost a roster lock in just a few short weeks. He's got the physical profile Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. look for in their defensive backs. His explosiveness and instinctive approach went down extremely well, drawing praise from coaches and exciting fans along the way.
There's no way the Commanders can afford to stash Owens on the practice squad. He's got too much quality film to not get scooped off waivers by another team. More importantly, the former Texas Tech standout has earned the right to feature on Washington's initial 53-man roster.