Tag: 2022 Commanders 53-man roster

Which Commanders might have played their last game for Washington?

Which offensive players may not be back in 2023?

Each NFL team will also begin to look through rosters and make film reviews,  helping them determine from which players they should move on next season.

Certainly there are already some players that come to mind that the Commanders will not invite back next season. It’s early, so no need for detailed explanations at this point. But here are some names to prepare yourselves that you might not be seeing in the Burgundy and Gold next season.

OFFENSE

The offensive line is the first place (I feel) the Commanders will need to bring in some new personnel Trai Turner certainly had his struggles at times. He is only age 29, but he appears to be the first that needs to be replaced. Nick Martin and Wes Martin did not impress. Andrew Norwell was up and down and at 31, his future may be up in the air.

Saahdiq Charles, a 2020 draft pick, has yet to establish himself in his three seasons. But will probably get at least one more season to prove why or why not they should keep him. Tyler Larsen is 31 and Chase Roullier is 29, both suffering bad injuries lately. Roullier was very steady, and very dependable until season-ending injuries came his way in 2021 and 2022. His play has been missed most by the Commanders.

Certainly, it did not work out for QB Carson Wentz. His salary is too high and his production too low. Might Ron Rivera be ready to move on from Taylor Heinicke and bring in another veteran?

Tight end Logan Thomas (31) makes good money, but his production was down this year. I certainly realize he was recovering from a December ACL injury and is to be commended for his efforts. However, the Commanders have gotten younger at TE this season with the additions of rookies Cole Turner, Armani Rogers and Curtis Hodges. Might the Commanders attempt to restructure with Thomas?

Kicker Joey Slye was at times excellent. Frankly, the Commanders don’t win in Philadelphia without the spectacular night Joey Slye contributed. But he also struggled at times this season. His final game certainly didn’t help his job security.

Running back J.D. McKissic re-injuring his neck a second consecutive year could be dangerous for him. Receivers Alex Erickson and Dax Milne might not have done enough.

Tomorrow: A quick glance at the defense

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Comparing Commanders rosters from 2021 and 2022

Comparing Washington’s 2022 roster to the 2021 version.

Looking at the 53-man roster, have the Commanders made progress from the 2021 season?

Of course, we can’t ultimately be certain because games have never been played on paper. A quick look at the 2021 and 2022 rosters does reveal a few significant differences. Remember, there is also a 16-man practice squad enabling teams to bring up a player on short notice in the event of injury.

Quarterback

Gone from 2021 are Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kyle Allen. Taylor Heinicke remains and the additions made are Carson Wentz and Sam Howell. Wentz brings six seasons of starting experience, and Heinicke gained 16 games of NFL experience in 2021.

Running Back

Antonio Gibson, J D McKissic and Jonathan Williams return, with the big addition being expected starter Brian Robinson Jr, the 2022 third-round selection. Robinson is out at least the first four weeks, recovering from a car jacking and gunshot wounds.

Offensive Line

Washington must replace both starting guards, Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers. New guards in 2022 are Andrew Norwell, Trai Turner and rookie Chris Paul. Tackles returning are Charles Leno, Sam Cosmi and Cornelius Lucas. Chase Roullier, Saahdiq Charles and Wes Schweitzer also return.

Wide Receiver

Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Cam Sims, Dyami Brown and Dax Milne return. Gone are DeAndre Carter and Adam Humphries. First-round draft selection Jahan Dotson is new to the position group.

Tight End

Logan Thomas and John Bates return. Ricky Seals-Jones departed via free agency. Free agent Armani Rogers and fifth-round draft choice Cole Turner are new additions.

Defensive Line

Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, James Smith-Williams, Casey Toohill, Daniel Wise and Shaka Toney all return. Chase Young is recovering from an ACL tear and will be out for at least the first four games. Free agent Efe Obada and second-round draft choice Phidarian Mathis are new additions. Gone are reliable defensive tackles Tim Settle and Matt Ioannidis.

Linebacker

Cole Holcomb, Jamin Davis, David Mayo and Jon Bostic return. Gone are De’Jon Harris, Jordan Kunaszyk and Jared Norris who appeared in 2021. Milo Eifler returns, having appeared in 3 games on special teams last year, taking no defensive snaps.

Cornerback

Kendall Fuller, William Jackson III and Benjamin St-Juste return from the 2021 squad. While seventh-round draft choice Christian Holmes and waiver-wire pickups Tariq Castro-Fields and Rachad Wildgoose are 2022 additions. Corn Elder, Danny Johnson and Darryl Roberts all took snaps in 2021, but are not on the roster. Troy Apke was on the 2021 roster, playing special teams.

Safety

Kamren Curl, Darrick Forrest, Bobby McCain and Jeremy Reaves return to the 2022 safety group. Gone are Landon Collins and Deshazor Everett. Fourth-round draft choice Percy Butler joins the position group in 2022.

Specialists

Cameron Cheeseman (long snapper), Tress Way (Punter) and Joey Slye (Kicker) all return. Dustin Hopkins, Chris Blewitt and Brian Johnson each took their turns kicking in 2021 but do not return.

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Commanders chose Toney over Bradley-King

Why did the Commanders choose Shaka Toney over William Bradley-King for the final defensive end spot?

William Bradley-King or Shaka Toney?

That was a decision the Washington Commanders’ brass was forced to make for the initial 53-man roster 4 pm deadline Tuesday.

The Commanders’ top 8 defensive linemen were already clearly established, while Chase Young is recovering from his torn ACL. Starting on the outside will be Montez Sweat and James Smith-Williams. On the inside, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are proven. Providing depth on the inside will be Phidarian Mathis and Daniel Wise, while Casey Toohill and Efe Obada conclude the top eight down lineman.

Keeping one more lineman who can be an extra pass rusher, the Commanders determined for now they would keep Toney (No. 58) on the active roster while placing Bradley-King (No.5 6) on the practice squad. So, how will the Commanders use Toney?

Both Toney and King saw time in the 2021 season for Washington. Toney appeared in 10 games and King played in 3. Toney appeared on 10.66% of defensive snaps; King on 5.33%. Toney was in on 14.84% of special teams snaps, while King was not used on the special teams’ units.

Toney was in on 2 solo tackles, 6 assists and one tackle was for a loss. He also contributed 3 QB hits and 1.5 QB sacks. King contributed 5 assisted tackles, 1 QB hit and .5 QB sacks.

Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen was confident Bradley-King had won the final defensive lineman spot, stating he had a more consistent training camp and preseason than did Toney. However, in fairness to Paulsen, he also had stated last week that though Bradley-King had been more consistent, it was Toney who possessed more athletic explosiveness that could be utilized in pass-rushing situations and coverage teams.

Lining up against 300-pound offensive tackles while weighing only 238 himself, Toney is at a huge disadvantage on running plays. Thus it is highly likely Toney would only see snaps (barring injuries) during definite passing downs.

In the preseason, Toney exhibited his pass-rushing ability (and agility) on some plays that one can’t help but notice how Toney can bend the edge with speed. His nice tackle on punt coverage against Kansas City demonstrated his ability in the open field. Yet, Toney was seen at times determined to head up the field, taking himself far out of some plays.

Bradley-King doesn’t exhibit the explosiveness of Toney, yet at 254 pounds brings more size than Toney. Bradley-King (Baylor) has not demonstrated the same explosiveness, yet he has been more consistent. He could again be brought up to the active roster sometime in 2022.

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