Washington Commanders camp opens with plenty of new faces on and off the field

Published Jul. 23, 2024 2:06 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Nearly everything about the Washington Commanders is new.

The old turf field with the old logo is being torn up and replaced, and their practice facility is abuzz with construction projects all over.

Josh Harris' ownership group has been in charge for just over a year now, and the organization's transformation is now fully on display. When training camp opens Wednesday, new coach Dan Quinn will oversee a team almost totally remade by new general manager Adam Peters.

Only a third of the camp roster was around last summer, and the fresh faces from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner give the franchise a much-needed clean slate.

“I love each of the years because not every year is exactly the same,” Quinn said at a camp-opening news conference Tuesday. “But you only get one first shot with a whole new group, and we’re not going to miss that shot.”

Not missing starts with Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in the draft who has become the centerpiece of this latest rebuilding effort. Unlike Chicago with top selection Caleb Williams, the Commanders are not yet anointing Daniels their Week 1 starter, with Quinn said, “When he's ready, we'll know."

They are ready to let that process play out in the coming weeks, with Daniels sharing snaps on the practice field and in preseason games with Marcus Mariota.

“It’s not one-size-fits-all,” Peters said. “You don’t want to fast-track it. You don’t want to slow it down. You just want to let it happen naturally.”

What Peters also hopes comes naturally is teamwide competition, the result of signing more than a dozen free agents with no prior connection to the organization and making nine draft picks to fill holes well beyond quarterback. He was looking for a certain type of player throughout the offseason of change, and more roster turnover could happen before Washington opens the season Sept. 8 at Tampa Bay.

“We’re thrilled about the 90 guys we have here,” said Peters who is in his first role as an NFL GM after a decorated front office career with stops in Denver, New England and most recently working under John Lynch with San Francisco. “(Quinn) preaches competition every day, so we’re always going to look at ways to improve the roster. But as it sits now, we feel great about the guys we have."

Some of the holdovers are foundational pieces, such as top wide receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Brian Robinson Jr. and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. But after going 43-71-1 over the past seven seasons with one playoff berth — also a loss — to show for it, there was reason to start almost from scratch in Washington.

The offensive line could have three new starters. Austin Ekeler is now part of the backfield mix. And Wagner and Frankie Luvu are at the forefront of a defense that behind Allen and Payne is virtually unrecognizable from the unit that last season was ranked last in the league.

That kind of change should be good after the Commanders bottomed out at 4-13 in Ron Rivera's fourth and final season as coach and head of football operations. Their win total over/under is 6.5 on BetMGM Sportsbook, which is setting a low external expectation.

As for what team brass thinks a successful season might be, neither Quinn nor Peters was willing to show his hand, deferring instead to the idea that it begins with forming an identity and good habits that they hope will eventually show in victories when it matters.

“How fast or slow that goes, there’s so many different things that are variables in all that,” Peters said. "But I can tell you that you’re going to see a great effort team, a competitive team playing fast and physical.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl