In a game against the Carolina Panthers late in the 2019 season, the last game the now-Washington Commanders won under head coach Jay Gruden, running backs Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson put on a show. They combined for 228 yards and three touchdowns, averaging just under 10 yards per carry. It was viewed by optimistic fans as a harbinger of future success.
The following year, during training camp, both runners were released. Guice’s came early after he was charged with domestic abuse. Peterson, who had spent the bulk of camp running with the first team, was let go just as camp was ending. Washington moved forward with a brand new crop of running backs.
That is just one recent example of the way unexpected storylines can shake up a training camp. That surprise took place under a new coaching regime. Entering 2024, it’s not just the coaches who are new. Almost everyone from the owner on down has turned over. More than 50 percent of the training camp roster is new to the franchise.
There are several obvious points of interest in this year’s camp. Jayden Daniels' performance is at the top of the list, but other issues - who will play left tackle, how much will Jamin Davis line up on the edge, and will any reliable boundary cornerbacks emerge - are common topics for discussion amongst fans.
With that in mind, here are five overlooked storylines fans should have their eye on during Washington's training camp in 2024.
Commanders' offensive line dynamic
The Washington Commanders appear to have four of their five starters along the offensive line locked in. They need to settle on a left tackle. They need to choose which players to keep for depth purposes. That analysis is complicated by the positional flexibility many of their linemen offer.
Veteran Michael Deiter and second-year player Ricky Stromberg are battling to see who will be Washington’s backup center. Both can play guard as well, as can projected starting right tackle Andrew Wylie.
Washington’s last two drafted offensive tackles - Brandon Coleman and Braeden Daniels - could also get some reps on the inside. Along with projected starters Nick Allegretti and Sam Cosmi, this gives the Commanders a wealth of options on the interior. That may be bad news for a player like Chris Paul, who thus far has only lined up at guard in the pros.
It also raises the seemingly moot question regarding Cosmi. On a team with so many potential guards, is it at all possible that a burgeoning star at that position could be shifted out to the edge - a position he played at a very high level in college?
Had Cosmi played on the left side in college, this might be a very tempting option. But he played on the right at Texas. Still, this coaching staff has already indicated it might be willing to shake things up to find the best possible lineup.
Paying attention to where players are lining up during training camp will give a clue as to how the Commanders' coaches are thinking about the line.
How will Commanders' tight ends be deployed?
In his prime. Zach Ertz was an elite flex tight end. He could line up outside and run a variety of patterns. His size and speed posed matchup nightmares. This resulted in a Super Bowl ring and two Pro Bowl appearances during a tremendous spell at the peak of his powers.
Ertz no longer shows that kind of athleticism. But he has been used as a traditional flex tight end throughout his career, including during his recent stint with Kliff Kingsbury and the Arizona Cardinals. Now, the pair reunite with the Washington Commanders to see if the previously established connection can flourish in a different environment.
However, when Washington selected tight end Ben Sinnott in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, new general manager Adam Peters noted the rookie's similarities to George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk. The front-office leader knows the two aforementioned veterans well from his time with the San Francisco 49ers. They also play more of a hybrid role.
How often does Kingsbury intend to line up a tight end in the backfield, or a traditional slot position? How experimental will he be during his critical second chance at re-establishing his reputation in league circles?
When the team signed UCLA’s Colson Yankoff to add to their tight end room, the speculation was that they were looking for more players who could fill that hybrid role. Young veterans Cole Turner and Armani Rogers have primarily been lining up as flexes during their time with the Commanders, but they may also get looks in the backfield.
How will a traditional in-line tight end like John Bates figure into the mix? Kingsbury did not regularly employ two-tight end sets during his time in Arizona. It will be interesting to watch where Sinnott and his potential backups are lining up throughout training camp.
The Commanders need more from their tight ends next season. Especially given the presence of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the need to make things easy during his first-year transition.
Who is the Commanders' fourth wide receiver?
You could also ask who the fifth, sixth, and even seventh wide receivers are for the Washington Commanders next season. But for now, we’ll focus on No. 4.
That is a crucial role because he is not merely a depth player. The fourth receiver should have some special packages designed primarily for them. He will be on the field in four-wide situations. He should offer something very specific - whether it is game-breaking speed, or reliable slot shiftiness to secure crucial medium-range first downs.
Terry McLaurin is the clear No. 1 receiver. Youngsters Jahan Dotson and Luke McCaffery will be on the field a lot, whether they are ready for it or not. Those players will be expected to run all the routes and make plays in any situation.
The fourth receiver should emerge from the next group of players - veterans Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Damiere Byrd - along with the undrafted free-agent darlings of the last two summers - Mitchell Tinsley and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.
Brown has mostly filled this role in recent seasons for the Commanders, but his production has been sporadic at best. This is almost certainly his final chance in Washington after underachieving as a third-round selection so far.
There is also an unlikely but possible scenario. If the Commanders' coaches don’t find anyone amongst the current crop of wideouts to trust with this role, they could get creative and again begin experimenting.
They could either try lining up Austin Ekeler wide. This is similar to how the previous regime would sometimes move J.D. McKissic to the outside, or even see if the supremely athletic Armani Rogers could line up at receiver.
Rogers has already transitioned from college quarterback to tight end. Such a move might not be as outlandish as it seems. It would also provide the Commanders with a physical threat that's sorely missing right now.
Commanders' return game situation
This competition is wide open. And the Washington Commanders are giving several players a shot at staking their respective claims to become the team's kick or punt returner next season.
Jamison Crowder was the punt returner in 2023 and was entirely adequate. Antonio Gibson and Byron Pringle, neither with the Commanders this time around, handled kickoff returns. The need for a fresh injection of energy is obvious and not going unnoticed by Dan Quinn's coaching staff.
Last year, Washington only had 24 kickoff returns on the season. This year, new rules are designed to increase that number.
The Commanders would probably like to find one player who can handle both kickoffs and punts. However, they could easily split the job up if necessary.
Crowder has not returned many kickoffs in his professional career but could get a tryout. His main competition at this point would seem to come from another veteran receiver with return experience - Damiere Byrd. It is hard to envision both players making the final roster, so it'll be interesting to watch things shake out during the team's training camp.
As with most positions on the roster, there are wild cards galore. Former undrafted free agent wide receiver Kazmeir Allen should be in the mix along with the veterans. In one of the biggest surprises of the summer thus far, the Commanders have had second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. field some kicks in practice.
Forbes has undisputed open-field talent, but his slender frame would have many fans holding their breath during the high-speed collisions common to both kickoff and punt returns. The Commanders invested too much in the former Mississippi State star to put him in harm's way like this. Or so you'd think.
Another twist could come from fellow defensive back A.J. Woods, who returned some kinks early in his career at Pittsburgh. He has excellent speed and was very productive when he had the ball in the open field at the collegiate level. Don't rule out the player catching the eye when camp commences.
Dominique Hampton's early development
None of the Washington Commanders 2024 draft picks may have been a bigger surprise than Dominique Hampton. Johnny Newton in round two was unexpected but was seen as too good a prospect to pass up. The safety, however, had stayed below his projection.
Before the draft, he was seen as a late-round dart throw. That’s essentially what Washington did in the sixth round. The surprise was that they did not make that gamble at a position of need, like cornerback or offensive line.
The Commanders may not have the best safety room in the league. But with Jeremy Chinn, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler, and Jeremy Reaves, as well as the versatile Quan Martin, the deep-end cupboard was not exactly barren.
I speculated initially that Dan Quinn may be seeing the second coming of Kam Chancellor in Hampton. He was an oversized, late-round draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks when the Commanders' new man at the helm developed him into a top-tier safety.
Chancellor could hit like a truck but had the speed and athleticism to perform in coverage. Early indications suggest Hampton might be that kind of player.
Washington probably has its starting safeties in place with Chinn playing in the box and Forrest occupying a deeper role. But the free-agent signing from the Carolina Panthers has been more effective throughout his career staying closer to the line of scrimmage in a hybrid linebacker-safety role.
Both Butler and Reaves could fill in as a traditional strong safety, but Hampton may surpass both rather quickly. If he takes to the role, it would allow Joe Whitt Jr. a great deal of flexibility in trying Chinn, and perhaps other defenders, in different positions.
Plenty of other questions are yet to be resolved. Will the team sign a veteran at left tackle and/or cornerback? Who is the kicker? Should we start buying our Brandon Aiyuk Commanders jerseys?
Those are major issues. But some of these smaller questions may turn out to be just as interesting, and just as important.
