Okay, so the Washington Commanders dropped their initial 53-man roster on Sunday, and honestly, the center situation is already giving me heartburn. GM Adam Peters made a move that straight-up tells you he’s banking on veteran guard Nick Allegretti, a guy with fewer than 200 career NFL snaps at center, to stay healthy for 17 games. And the backup? A sixth-round rookie, Matt Gulbin, who struggled big time in preseason and a joint practice with the Ravens. Are we really doing this? Head coach Dan Quinn and Peters have absolutely mishandled this position since they cut Tyler Biadasz. This isn’t even about Allegretti’s injury concerns, it’s about whether he can consistently play center at the NFL level.
Cornerback Concerns Are Already Wild
Can we talk about the secondary for a minute? Washington only kept three cornerbacks on this initial roster. THREE! This was already a questionable spot, and now it’s even more worrisome. Second-year guy Trey Amos, who fractured his fibula last season and then injured his ankle after missing camp, is on the reserve/injured list and won’t be ready for Week 1. This dude was supposed to be one of their primary corners. They also released Fabian Moreau, which looks like a procedural move to bring him back once Laremy Tunsil and Johnny Newton hit IR. But even then, four corners? That puts a ton of pressure on Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson to deliver from day one. You gotta wonder if Peters is hitting the waiver wire hard, because they’re sitting at No. 7 in waiver priority and could definitely use some help there.
Ten Offensive Linemen, But What About the Middle?
The Commanders decided to roll with 10 offensive linemen, which is more than most teams who stick to eight or nine. You’d think that would ease some fears, right? But it feels like a smoke screen when you look at the middle of that line. Cutting Julian Good-Jones, who took most of the practice reps in training camp, for Allegretti and an unproven rookie? That’s a bold strategy. While other teams were trading centers on Sunday, Peters just stayed pat. Washington fans are right to ask what the plan is here, because it doesn’t look like much of one.
The QB Room Has a Bright Spot, At Least
One actual bright spot from this initial roster is that they decided to keep three quarterbacks. Rookie seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis had a “terrific summer,” playing well in the preseason, and was one of the few high points in an otherwise disappointing run. Peters wasn’t taking any chances with him hitting waivers, and that makes sense, especially since Jayden Daniels missed 10 games last season and Marcus Mariota is currently dealing with a knee injury. Kaliakmanis is clearly seen as a potential long-term backup for Daniels. It’s risky to try and sneak him onto the practice squad later, because it only takes one interested team to snag him. So, at least they got that right.
So, as we head into Week 1, the Commanders are facing some serious questions, especially along that offensive line and in the secondary. Peters has some work to do on the waiver wire, and you know everyone will be watching to see if his big bets on Allegretti and those three corners pay off. This roster is just the starting point, but it’s already got some big gaps.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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