Commanders News: Sam Howell, roster cuts, Ron Rivera and Week 1
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the franchise gets set to make their initial 53-man roster official today?
This is arguably the most difficult day in the NFL calendar year. Roster cuts have already begun around the league and many more dreams will be crushed before today's deadline, with some tough decisions awaiting Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and his staff in the coming hours.
Until then, among the stories causing conversation include regret surrounding Sam Howell, Ron Rivera feeding off positive momentum, more strange opposition developments before Week 1, and the Commanders making their first batch of cuts.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Confusion surrounds Commanders' opponent in Week 1
The Washington Commanders begin their 2023 regular season commitments against the Arizona Cardinals at what promises to be an electrifying FedEx Field. It'll be the first game without Dan Snyder as owner for 24 years and the chances of success are high considering everything that's unfolding around their opponents.
Arizona released veteran quarterback Colt McCoy in their latest surprising move on Monday. Talk of deliberately tanking for USC quarterback Caleb Williams is rife across social media, with head coach Jonathan Gannon refusing to name a starting signal-caller between Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune until Kyler Murray is ready to return.
According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Commanders are 7.0-point favorites in Week 1. Given the doom and gloom surrounding the Cardinals, this could increase further once bettors begin truly focusing on their opening weekend wagers.