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5 Commanders Who Helped — or Hurt — Their Roster Chances vs. Ravens

Washington's preseason finale exposed the roster's lack of depth while giving several players one final chance to help — or hurt — their case before final cuts.
Philip Hughes|
Aug 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn speaks with the defense during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn speaks with the defense during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Washington Commanders

Anytime a team loses a game 41-3 and is outgained 456-177, loses the first-down battle 26-7, and goes 1-for-12 on third down, it's a problem. This game was
effectively over by halftime, with Baltimore leading 24-0. There is no way to mask it by saying 41 players did not play for Washington; a ton of players on both sides didn't dress. Those who watched this game Friday witnessed why Commanders HC Dan Quinn has been preaching competition for the past few weeks. Not that it helped all that much. Washington's middle of the roster is weak and poorly constructed, the result of years of organizational instability. GM Adam Peters is cleaning things up, but for now, the roster is top-heavy and still needs work.

That said, below are five players who either hurt or helped their current roster situation against the Ravens.

Tyler Owens

Tyler Owens was one of the only players who stood out for a good reason in this game. He spent almost the entire time he was on the field flying from one side of it to the other, making five tackles, two of which were solo. On one play, he denied the Ravens a touchdown on the goal line. With a safety spot on the line, Owens delivered as much as he possibly could considering the score of the game.

Ale Kaho

Ale Kaho led all Washington players with seven tackles, four solo, and played quite a bit of the game in the process. Kaho plays a position that Washington is deep at, so his chances of making the team are slim outside of what he can bring on special teams. He certainly didn't hurt his situation Friday night, although he wasn't perfect, as shown below.

Luke McCaffrey

Normally, a night with only one catch won't earn good marks; this was no normal night. Luke McCaffrey was on the receiving end of Washington's only converted third down of the game, hauling in a 17-yard reception in the second quarter. Literally one of the only Commanders highlights of the game. McCaffrey later dropped a pass on a slant route.

Trent Scott

Generally, I don't comment on offensive linemen after games until I can see the All-22 film, trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. In Scott's case, I'll forgo that after seeing him get flagged for holding in the second quarter, then get beat on back-to-back plays that resulted in negative yardage by Ravens edge rusher Kaimon Rucker. On the first play, Rucker got around Scott, playing left tackle, and stopped rookie running back Robert Henry Jr. for a loss. The very next play, he sacked Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman. Scott's time in the Burgundy and Gold should be coming to an end after a disappointing training camp and preseason.

Jaden Bradley

Jaden Bradley was a player who receiver Terry McLaurin took under his wing early on in camp. The 6-4 receiver is like a sponge, based on what most of the receivers have said this summer when asked about the undrafted player. In this game, Bradley was flagged for a false start near the end of the first quarter, then fumbled a kick return that Washington was able to recover. Those are two mistakes that hurt his chances of making the 53-man roster, especially coupled with McCaffrey not making these mistakes.

Washington had several players play badly in this game, but it didn't hurt their overall situation because they were already going to get cut. Among those, the team needs to cut Julian Good-Jones the moment they find a player better than him on the waiver wire. He is not helping the roster or the system.

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Philip Hughes
PHILIP HUGHES

Philip Hughes covers the Washington Commanders with a focus on daily news, film analysis, roster construction, player development, and the fan culture surrounding one of the NFL’s most scrutinized teams. A longtime sports writer and content creator, Hughes has spent more than 20 years building football audiences across the interwebs and following the daily beat of the NFC East. email: hailbng+si@gmail.com

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