Commanders confirm initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season

It was an emotional and difficult day for Washington Commanders players who were told their services would no longer be required. New general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn faced the daunting task of trimming down their roster from 90 players to an initial 53 before the deadline. Some decisions were straightforward. Others could have gone either way.

Peters has shown a level of ruthlessness to his roster building that was sorely lacking under the previous regime. His purge of Ron Rivera draft picks continued, which also included ascending young edge rusher K.J. Henry to the surprise of almost everyone.

The hard work is just getting started. Washington is armed with plenty of salary-cap space and the No. 2 waiver wire priority. Considering how many good players were released around the league with more to come, it promises to be an interesting few days for the Commanders before their squad becomes finalized heading into Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Washington's roster is far from perfect. There are holes in key position groups and not every complication is going to be solved in one offseason. Peters inherited an ungodly mess despite Rivera's claims to the contrary. Cleaning it up will take time, but he's got a clear plan in place and is sticking to it no matter what those outside the organization are saying.

The dream is not over for many. Washington must put together its practice squad, which consists of 16 players. They can be elevated any any stage during the regular season on any given game day - something that's become a useful tool in recent years for every team across the NFL.

Commanders confirm initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season

News filtered through during the day of individual cuts, although some will likely be brought back in some capacity. Finally, the Commanders officially released their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season.

• Quarterbacks (3): Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel.
• Running Backs (3): Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson Jr., Jeremy McNichols.
• Wide Receivers (6): Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Jamison Crowder, Byron Pringle.
• Tight Ends (4): Zach Ertz, Ben Sinnott, John Bates, Colson Yankoff.
• Offensive Line (9): Andrew Wylie, Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, Sam Cosmi, Nick Allegretti, Michael Deiter, Chris Paul, Cornelius Lucas, Trent Scott.
• Defensive Line (9): Jamin Davis, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, John Ridgeway III, Dorance Armstrong Jr., Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Johnny Newton, Phidarian Mathis, Clelin Ferrell.
• Linebackers (5): Frankie Luvu, Mykal Walker, Bobby Wagner, Dante Fowler Jr., Dominique Hampton.
• Cornerbacks (5): Mike Sainristil, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Benjamin St-Juste, Michael Davis, Noah Igbinoghene.
• Safeties (6): Jeremy Chinn, Quan Martin, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves, Tyler Owens.
• Special Teams (3): Tress Way (P), Cade York (K), Tyler Ott (LS).

This will change before preparations for Washington's regular-season opener gather pace. Peters was engaged in trade conversations throughout the day according to reports. He'll also scour the waiver wire and examine any established veterans looking for work who could assist in the short term.

Every spot was earned. Those who held strong positions previously were cast aside with little fanfare attached. Some who performed well at camp but fluffed their lines in the preseason were also shown the door. That shows the remaining value of warmup games.

Hopefully, the Commanders won't come to regret any decisions. But the jury is still out on that one.

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