The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team unless specified by a direct quote.

We have reached an important time for the Washington Commanders and the rest of the NFL. After a month of practices and preseason games, the team must now trim its roster down to 53 players before their Week 1 opener against the New York Giants, which is less than two weeks away (I'm going to channel Monty Python's "Holy Grail" and say there was much rejoicing).

Naturally, fans have a ton of questions they want answered between now and when the initial roster is finalized today (Aug. 26) at 4 p.m., and I'm here to provide some answers. Before I do, however, this edition of Hail Mail warrants an extra emphasis on the note at the top of this article. These answers are based on my opinion with no inside information from the front office. There are several moments when I'm glad I don't have Adam Peters' job, and this is one of them. Peters could do something completely different from how I view things, so don't take my views as gospel.

With all that said, I was at practice every day, so I feel like my answers won't come from complete ignorance. So, let's get to it.

-- @SadeghiStu21366: With practice and everything you see, will c-rod or ekeler be the number 2 rb behind bill (assuming he is rb1)

I have preached caution to fans on buying the Bill hype, not because I believe he is untalented (on the contrary, I was quite excited and intrigued by his skill set), but because I wanted to see him earn a spot as a seventh-round pick. I think it's safe to say he has done that over the past few weeks.

I still don't see Croskey-Merritt as the starting running back, because I don't believe the Commanders are setting the room up that way. Sure, there will probably be a No. 1 player on the depth chart, which I assume would be Ekeler, but the Commanders seem to be using the committee approach to the position. All the running backs I think will be on the roster have some level of overlap in traits. Croskey-Merritt might get the bulk of the carries one week, but Ekeler might take that role in the following game.

So, I don't mean to dismiss the premise of the question, but I could see all the running backs filling the starting and backup roles.

-- @JayDanielsMVP: Based on the three preseason games, what areas of depth do you expect to be addressed?

Someone responded to this question by saying they believe the quarterback position could be addressed, and I think it's hard to dispute that after what he saw in the preseason games.

Neither Sam Hartman nor Josh Johnson stood out enough from my perspective to make choosing between them an easy decision. I could see the Commanders sticking with two quarterbacks on the roster, but if they want to keep three, which I believe they are at least interested in the idea, then it's possible whoever fills that role isn't on the roster right now. It also wouldn't be hard to get Johnson or Hartman on the practice squad if that's the route they want to take.

The receivers are in a similar position. I'm assuming the Commanders want to keep six on the initial roster, but if they didn't, I wouldn't blame them. There are some players who had great days sprinkled throughout camp, like Ja'Corey Brooks and Chris Moore, but none of those players stood out among the rest to claim that sixth spot. I think it will depend on who becomes available. If a player of the same caliber as Noah Brown gets released, I think they could take a chance. If not, they might just roll with the five they have, which isn't a bad group.

-- @AmatorLudis: Izzo seems to have been experimenting in preseason games (& that's the best time to do so), but special teams also operated below team's standard, especially the kick-off return unit. How will special teams units improve in less than two weeks?

I understand people being disappointed in the special teams unit. It certainly didn't perform up to the high expectations head coach Dan Quinn has for the group. I don't like taking this approach because it undermines a little of the nuance of how to play special teams, but I think the special teams unit is going to be fine, mostly because the players who made that unit special (no pun intended) weren't on the field.

The Commanders took a different approach to the preseason compared to other teams. They rested most of their starters in favor of letting their depth try to earn a spot. There are different philosophies on how to get the most out of this time of year, but the Commanders have developed a strong reputation for doing what's best for their players, so I'm not going to question it.

But back to the point I'm trying to make. Take that kickoff return touchdown they allowed against the Patriots. Neither Jeremy Reaves nor Nick Bellore were on the field for that play. I think things would have gone differently had they been there to make a play. It's the same situation with the kickoff return unit that you highlighted. On top of that, their primary kickoff returners were not on the field, and I believe they could have one of the best duos if both Ekeler and Deebo Samuel do end up on the field together.

To be fair, I could be totally wrong here. There could be bigger problems, but I just find it hard to truly judge the group when most or all of their top options weren't playing for most of the preseason.

-- @CommanderFandom: Do you think Mikey will be playing more in the slot this year? Even tho he's proven to be a great outside CB?

I do! Sainristil has been a clear hit for the Commanders since he was drafted in the second round. As defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said, Sainristil didn't approach the game like a rookie, and that wisdom beyond his years led to him playing on the perimeter when the team needed a clear answer there. Now that Trey Amos -- another player who stood out in camp -- is on the field and the apparent starter opposite Marshon Lattimore, I believe Sainristil will go back to being the primary nickel corner, where he can keep up with quicker slot receivers.

-- @subslovetrunks: Should we sign another powerback to complement ekeler ?

I'll keep this one quick. I don't think so, because the Commanders feel good about what they already have in the running back room. Chris Rodriguez Jr. could be that powerback player you want, as he had good performances against the Bengals and Ravens. Again, perhaps their perspective will change if the right player becomes available, but I could see a world where they keep four running backs with Rodriguez as the player sent out to get the offense those tougher yards.