The opinions expressed in the article do not reflect those of the team.
Training camp is officially upon us, and football fans are breathing a sigh of relief that they're going to get coverage on their favorite teams for the next six months.
The Washington Commanders' first training camp practice is scheduled for July 23, and fans have questions. So, let's start answering them.
Brandon (@JayDanielsMVP): How do you see the depth chart for WRs after Deebo?
Hey Brandon. I'm always fascinated with the Commanders wide receiver battles during camp. I remember back in 2020 when we were talking about position battles with the likes of Isaiah Wright, Steven Sims and Dontrelle Inman (how about those guys for a blast from the past?).
Obviously, this year's group of wideouts is much better than that. It's murky business to predict roster spots this early, but I'll give it a shot. Let's say for the sake of argument that the Commanders keep six wide receivers on the initial roster, like they did last season. Terry McLaurin, Jaylin Lane, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown and Luke McCaffrey are locks, in my opinion. That leaves just one spot left, but my initial prediction is that Michael Gallup will find his way onto the roster (I also wouldn't rule out Chris Moore).
As for how that group looks on the depth chart after Samuel, I think McCaffrey has a strong chance of being the primary slot receiver, assuming he continues along the positive track he had during OTAs. He got some praise from several members of the staff and made some impressive catches. He'll likely be one of my top players to watch next month. I would put Lane behind him, mostly because I think he could make more of an impact on special teams this year, but I could also see him being a breakout candidate.
That leaves Brown and Gallup, and right now, I would put the former ahead on the depth chart simply because we've seen more of him and know how he can help the offense. We'll see how healthy he is, but I believe he will be fine for the regular season. I'm intrigued by Gallup's potential, and if he's still the player he was with the Cowboys, it would seriously elevate the position group's floor. I just need to see it in person before I predict anything more than him earning a roster spot.
Brandon (@B_Law703): Where is Kain Medrano lining up along the defense?
Hey other Brandon. I wouldn't call this the most important question the Commanders have to answer on defense, but it is one of the more interesting ones. I think it's also something the Commanders' coaching staff is looking forward to figuring out. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said as much back in June, alluding that he could either be an outside linebacker or safety.
Based on my conversation with linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., I assume they will start him at linebacker and see where he goes from there. Medrano was one of the most athletic players in his position group at the combine, and perhaps the Commanders see him as a successor to Frankie Luvu whenever he eventually leaves the team (hopefully not anytime soon). I could see Medrano's skill set fitting well with what the Commanders asked Luvu to do in 2024, although Medrano still needs to develop and clean up some of his technique before that happens.
However, don't count out the Commanders possibly moving him to safety if they think he is better suited for that role. They did something similar with Dominique Hampton, and now the former safety appears ready to have a bigger impact as a linebacker. Of course, if they do make that decision, it might take a while for Medrano to get on the field in a meaningful way aside from special teams. Hampton basically redshirted his rookie season to focus on learning his new position. It worked out, but it was a long play by the team.
Bobby Gould (@Smith4Gm): Will Bill be given a fair shake to win RB1?
I sort of answered this last week (you can find that answer here), but I'll sum it up for you. Like everyone else, Jacory Croskey-Merritt will have the chance to compete for any spot in the running back depth chart. I think he has some exciting qualities that he put on display in June, and if Croskey-Merritt does impress his coaches that much, then they will have gotten serious value out of a seventh-round pick.
However, I'm going to once again preach patience with Croskey-Merritt. He still needs to earn a spot on the roster, and as the last pick for the Commanders in April, he has a long way to go before that happens.
