5 Questions Commanders Still Must Answer Before Final Roster Cuts

The Washington Commanders have hit that part of the preseason between the end of camp and the last game that doesn't count. That final game will offer players still looking to make an impression on the staff one last chance before the roster is reduced to 53. While several competitions have become clearer over the last month, the joint practice session with Baltimore exposed and highlighted several areas where Washington still has significant work to do. The remaining decisions go beyond just finalizing the last few names on the roster. Washington still has to determine which combinations, depth options, and veterans it can actually trust when Philadelphia arrives for Week 1. Below are the five main questions the team still needs to address before the preseason ends.

1. Can the Offensive Line Become Trustworthy Before Week 1?

The offensive line has quickly become the biggest concern on this roster. Wednesday's joint practice against Baltimore was not pretty, with Washington's line struggling against a Ravens front that repeatedly generated pressure and disrupted the offense. This is no longer just about who wins the center competition. Laremy Tunsil is gone, D.J. Humphries has only recently arrived, Nick Allegretti has missed significant time, and Sam Cosmi, who has had a great camp, was unavailable Wednesday because of illness.

Brandon Coleman and Josh Conerly Jr. both acknowledged afterward that the performance was not good enough, which is probably the most important takeaway. No one tried to brush the afternoon aside as nothing more than a bad practice. Washington needs to find five linemen who can communicate, handle pressure, and keep Jayden Daniels upright when the games start counting. Humphries gives them another experienced option, but his late preseason arrival also shows how unsettled the group remains. Friday will provide one last game environment to evaluate combinations, but the larger question is simple: Can Washington find five offensive linemen it trusts before Philadelphia shows up?

Josh Conerly and Brandon Coleman talk the Commanders play again the ravens #raisehail #commanders

📸: @SkyMad03 pic.twitter.com/CUF3pRLcK3
— WINSports (@WINSportsDC) August 26, 2026

2. Which Wide Receivers Survive the Numbers Game?

Washington's wide receiver room has gone from being a major offseason concern to having more legitimate options than available roster spots. Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs are going nowhere, and Antonio Williams has done just about everything possible to strengthen his case throughout camp. Williams added another impressive afternoon Wednesday, including beating Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton during one-on-ones and catching the touchdown from Daniels that ended Washington's final two-minute period.

After those three, things become much harder. Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson bring NFL experience, while Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane can provide value on special teams that becomes increasingly important for receivers near the bottom of the depth chart. Washington has to decide how much it values the experience Brown and Jefferson provide versus younger players who can contribute in multiple areas. Friday may not mean much for McLaurin or Diggs, but for the receivers sitting closer to the cut line, every remaining opportunity matters.

TRENDING: Antonio Williams embarrassed TWO of the NFL’s top coverage DB’s today.

Both Nate Wiggins (Ravens CB) and Kyle Hamilton (Ravens S) reportedly “couldn’t guard” Williams.

One NFL scout reportedly believes “there’s some” Amon-Ra St. Brown to Williams’ game 😳

(Via… pic.twitter.com/nKDXP53PXu
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) August 26, 2026

3. How Many Running Backs Can Washington Keep?

The running back room became a lot more interesting once the preseason started. Jacory Croskey-Merritt showed up to camp with more muscle and ready to compete, but he has what Dan Quinn has described as a lower-body issue that he's working through. Kaytron Allen has continued strengthening his case, while Robert Henry Jr. went from being an afterthought in most roster projections to somebody Washington has to seriously consider after his performance against Miami. Jeremy McNichols looked fairly secure as the veteran fourth back entering camp before a quadriceps injury removed him from several important late-preseason opportunities.

Washington then signed veteran Craig Reynolds, initially because the team simply needed another healthy running back to get through practices and games. Still, every additional body adds another option. The decision here can't be made strictly by looking at rushing totals either. Pass protection, special teams, third-down reliability, and which backs can actually be active on game day will matter. Allen and Henry have made this a much harder decision than it seemed a month ago, and Washington now has to decide whether the young backs have done enough to change the original roster math.

Every Kaytron Allen rush in preseason Week 1

What do you see?🤔#RaiseHail https://t.co/O4H1LX4Px4 pic.twitter.com/NpOMUzrln3
— Full Command (@FullCommandShow) August 16, 2026

4. Has Washington Finished Rebuilding the Secondary?

The answer right now appears to be no. Washington made that clear Tuesday when it released veteran safety Will Harris and rookie Malik Spencer, then immediately signed safeties Joshuah Bledsoe and Quindell Johnson. Spencer had generated some positive momentum during the preseason, including an interception against Miami, but that still wasn't enough to protect his roster spot.

Those moves strengthened Percy Butler's position, but they also sent a pretty clear message to everyone else near the bottom of the secondary. Washington is still looking. Antonio Hamilton Sr. remains in a crowded cornerback room that already includes Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Rasul Douglas, and Fabian Moreau. Hamilton has experience and special-teams value, but Washington has shown it isn't afraid to exchange one option for another this late in the process. If the staff believes it can still improve the back end of the roster, Tuesday proved it will make the move.

5. How Many of the Late Additions Are Actually Here to Stay?

Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders running back Craig Reynolds (24) gets upended by Detroit Lions cornerback Avonte Maddox (29) after catching a pass in the first half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dan Quinn has talked about competition throughout the summer, and Washington has certainly provided plenty of it. D.J. Humphries, Krys Barnes, Carlos "Boogie" Basham, Craig Reynolds, Bledsoe, and Johnson have all arrived late enough in camp that the staff is still figuring out exactly what each player can provide.

Some of these additions were made because injuries created immediate needs. Others feel much more like Washington continuing to search for upgrades before the roster is finalized. Not every late signing has to make the initial 53 for the move to have value either. Some could become practice-squad options or experienced players the team knows it can call later in the season. The bigger issue for the players who have been here all summer is that familiarity no longer guarantees anything. They now have to beat out players with NFL experience who were brought in specifically to create more competition.

That leaves one final question heading into Friday: How many of these veterans were simply added to help Washington finish the preseason, and how many were brought in because the Commanders already believe they can take somebody else's job?

Final Answers Are Coming

Friday's game will not magically solve every concern Washington has before Week 1. The offensive line, in particular, may need considerably more work regardless of what happens against Baltimore. But this will be the final game evidence Quinn and Adam Peters get before turning months of practices, meetings, and preseason evaluations into actual roster decisions.

The Commanders have spent the summer talking about competition while repeatedly changing the roster around the players already here. Now comes the part where those words carry consequences. By the time Washington turns its complete attention toward Philadelphia, it needs to know not only which 53 players it wants to keep, but which combinations of those players it can actually trust.

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