It was an offseason of major change for the Washington Commanders. Some changes — like Josh Harris becoming owner and rejuvenating a long-frustrated fan base — are all but guaranteed to be major positives. Others — like starting quarterback Sam Howell, a re-made offensive line and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy — are far less certain.
Washington released its initial 53-man roster Tuesday, three days after topping the Bengals in the preseason finale to finish 3-0 in the games that don’t really count. Ron Rivera said before the game that “probably six or seven” slots were still open, and injuries between then and Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline also muddied the picture a bit.
While this roster is the “final” roster in one sense — the Commanders can’t go over 53 until next offseason — it’s also the initial roster, and for good reason: Things can look very different between now and Sept. 10, when Washington hosts Arizona in the season opener. General manager Martin Mayhew even admitted it’s a “very fluid process” and that the team will scour the waiver wire.
Still, this is what the Commanders have for now, and here’s Washington’s projected depth chart for its current roster.
Offense
* Rookies
The Commanders’ decision to keep a combined 11 wide receivers (seven) and tight ends (four) was a bit of a surprise, considering that number easily could have been six and three, respectively. At wide receiver, the top four on the depth chart were never in doubt, and Pringle emerged as the fifth. Milne, meanwhile, made it for his special teams contributions, and Tinsley was perceived as right on the bubble. Rivera, however, said he liked the undrafted rookie from Penn State from “Day One,” and a three-catch, 89-yard, one-touchdown preseason finale didn’t hurt.
If Tinsley’s considered a mild surprise, Hodges is a big one, literally and figuratively. The 6’8″, 240-pound tight end went…
..
