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Washington Commanders OTAs are in full swing as they continue to roll on throughout the next few weeks. We got our first glimpse of the team as things officially started on May 14 and as expected, the excitement for the 2024 season is starting to swell.
Now that we've had a chance to sit back and think about a few things, what are some of the big storylines to monitor throughout the coming weeks and as we head into the summer?
Top Commanders storylines heading into OTAs
1. Marcus Mariota is the only quarterback with a clear path, right now
Jayden Daniels could end up as the No. 2 quarterback by the time 2024 rolls around. Jeff Driskel could end up as the No. 3 or he could get released. The same goes for rookie undrafted free agent Sam Hartman, or, he could end up on the practice squad. Hell, even though it's highly unlikely, things could go poorly enough with Daniels to where he's the No. 3.
The only signal-caller with a clear path, right now, is Mariota: he'll either be the No. 1 or the No. 2. His contract makes that kind of obvious, as the Commanders only save $610k against the cap after his hypothetical release. They obviously want a veteran on the roster to help bring *some* sense of stability, ultimately.
How the rest of the battles play out remains to be seen, but Mariota should fee good about where he's at.
2. What will the Commanders do at tackle?
The only spot that seems to be sewn up is right tackle, where veteran Andrew Wylie currently resides and even then, Washington could use an upgrade.
That's not likely to happen, at this point, and if the Commanders do bring someone in, it's most likely to compete for the left tackle job, where Cornelius Lucas, rookie Brandon Coleman, and 2023 fourth-rounder Braeden Daniels will battle for the starting gig.
There are a few options left on the market, albeit they aren't stellar, obviously. If the Commanders don't like what they see over the next few weeks, then it won't be a surprise, at all, if they bring in someone else.
3. The same question applies to cornerback
Like tackle, there are bodies, but said bodies have ceilings that aren't what you typically want in a starter.
Emmanuel Forbes holds the key to this group's 2024 season. If he can show that last year's disastrous rookie season was an aberration, then the CB group should maybe not be good, but at least average in 2024. Remember, we are talking about the NFL's worst secondary in 2023 and outside of drafting Mike Sainristil in Round 2, the Commanders didn't make any splashy moves to upgrade the unit. So, don't expect this group to all of a sudden become an elite one in 2024.
4. Sorting out receiver behind Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Luke McCaffrey
We don't even know how quickly McCaffrey will catch on, but it's obvious he's the leading candidate for the WR3 job, right now. Still, he's clearly a rookie, so it's an unknown, at the end of the day.
Even Dotson still has work to do when it comes to reaching his potential. If he or McLaurin -especially the latter- go down for an extended period of time, then it's safe to say this group is in trouble. The Commanders are certainly hoping someone steps up in a big way, and they're taking the numbers approach by rostering 13 receivers - so someone should. If not, they could certainly look to free agency for another addition.
5. Ben Sinnott
Sinnott truly deserves his own header because it's going to be a lot of fun and very interesting to see how he's used in this offense. Obviously, the next few weeks aren't definitive, at all, but we'll still get a glimpse of him in action, which will tell us a lot.
If you're unfamiliar with how an H-back is deployed, which is what Sinnott should primarily be used as, check out this article from a while back that dives into what the H-back is all about. You can also check out highlights from San Francisco 49ers H-back, Kyle Juszczyk. Sinnott will also be used as a traditional tight end, but it's the H-back responsibilities that are intriguing.
In all, it should be an intriguing upcoming few weeks for Sinnott.
More must-reads:
- Commanders release kicker Brandon McManus following his lawsuit
- 11 NFL teams gain cap space from post-June 1 cuts
- The 'Recent seasons with 1,000 receiving yards' quiz
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