It’s the kind of roster problem every coach would like to have

Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!

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Commanders Roundtable

Four Positions to Watch in 2nd installment of Washington Commanders public OTAs

Linebacker

Linebacker was the position Washington spent the most time at during the offseason, and should have new starters at every spot.

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On the outside, free-agency signings Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson were brought in to help a pass rush that finished with no players recording double-digit sacks. Another free-agency signing, former Chief Leo Chenal, is in line to man one of the inside spots. The other will be taken by the seventh overall pick, Sonny Styles. Styles is tasked with replacing veteran Bobby Wagner as the new leader of the defense. While the Commanders went heavy on a total rebuild at the position, what the results will be remains to be seen. Oweh has had an uneven career so far, and Chaisson just had his best season with a Patriots team that was filled with defensive talent. How much of an upgrade will they be?

Chanel will be away from Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Styles is a rookie who will be responsible for calling the defense. Frankie Luvu, meanwhile, was the one reportedly sporting the ‘green dot’ in last week’s opening practice. How this group develops – and how responsibilities evolve through reps and growth – could move the needle on the ceiling for the 2026 defense.

Secondary

Cornerback Mike Sainristil noted the emphasis on versatility in the secondary while both Quan Martin and Will Harris were reportedly also taking reps in the nickel, evidence of exactly that.

Commanders Roundtable

Is the Washington Commanders’ RB Room Better Than People Think?

while Washington may lack a marquee, headline-grabbing superstar in the backfield, they might just have something special brewing. This carefully crafted group brings a high floor and a diverse blend of complementary skill sets to the table.

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Is Washington’s running back room truly a case where the sum is greater than its parts? Let’s dive into what each back offers this season and outline who is primed for a breakout year.

How Good Was Washington’s Run Game in 2025?

Before moving on to 2026 and analyzing the ‘why’ behind Adam Peters’ roster decisions, we have to audit exactly where the ground attack stood last year. On the surface, Washington’s rushing attack was highly efficient. But when Austin Ekeler went down early in the year with a ruptured Achilles, it completely altered the team’s identity, forcing the offense into a heavy, downhill system.

Here is how Washington’s 2025 output stacked up against league-wide averages:

At first glance, it’s clear that Washington’s run game was highly productive. The team averaged a stellar 4.7 YPC and racked up 20 rushing touchdowns.

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However, those macro-level numbers hid a major flaw. For one, quarterback Jayden Daniels was the team’s third-leading rusher with 58 carries, while Marcus Mariota finished fourth with 50. Meanwhile, Merritt (175) and Chris Rodriguez (112) led the way. Combine the rushing attempts of Daniels and Mariota, and you get 108 carries from the quarterback position.

Long-term, that simply isn’t sustainable.

Commanders.com

Kaytron Allen wants to prove he’s more than just a bruiser

Allen is happy to get on the field regardless of the situation, but being a bruiser is only part of the skill set he hopes to show at the NFL level.

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“I’m excited to show the world what I can really do,” Allen told Commanders host Bryan Colbert Jr. on the latest episode of “Raising Hail with the rookies.” “I feel like I haven’t shown everything I can really do.”

To be fair, Allen was better than most running backs in college football at filling the physical role. He had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons with 23 touchdowns in his final two years with Penn State. He faced heavy boxes (more than seven defenders) on 27% of his carries, the most in his class, in 2025 and still averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Only 11% of his runs failed to gain yardage, which is impressive when considering the nearly 16 touches he averaged per game.

But Allen didn’t become Penn State’s all-time leading rusher by picking up short yardage. He might not have gotten the same level of fanfare as Jeremiyah Love, Mike Washington Jr. or Jadarian Price — all of whom were drafted ahead of him — he had either similar or superior numbers in multiple categories. He had the fifth-most yards after contact and was tied for fourth in missed tackles.

In terms of generating explosive plays, Allen ranked seventh in runs of at least 10 yards, which was tied with Washington. He generated 1,303 yards on designed runs – just 69 yards behind Love. He also tied with Washington on designed runs of more than 15 yards (17), and he ranked fourth in breakaway yards with 527.

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Allen feels like his versatility to affect games in different ways is his most underrated trait.

“I feel like I can do everything as a running back,” Allen said. “I feel like I can run the ball; I can catch the ball; I can run routes; I can do different things.”

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Looking at how the Commanders could look to get the likes of Sonny Styles, Frankie Luvu and Leo Chenal all on the field at the same time

[T]he Commanders [now have] real depth at the [inside linebacker] position, something they’ve lacked for a number of years. But it also raises another question; how do they fit them all on the field? Magee and Luvu are both capable starters, but the Commanders didn’t sign Chenal and draft Styles to sit on the bench either. This is further highlighted by the Commanders potentially switching from a 4-3 base defense last year to a 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. Typically the base defense wouldn’t matter so much because most NFL teams live in nickel sub-packages, but Jones comes from the Vikings, who had one of the highest uses of base defenses in the NFL last year.

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So we can expect the Commanders to be in their base defense a lot under Jones and judging by drills in rookie minicamp and OTAs, we can expect the Commanders to be shifting to a 3-4 defense. Why is that significant to this conversation about linebacker depth and getting everyone on the field? Well, in a 3-4 front, there’s only two spots available for inside linebackers.

For the Commanders, this means only two of Styles, Chenal, Luvu and Magee can play in those inside linebacker roles. Given they drafted Styles seventh overall, I think it’s safe to assume he’s going to be starting in one of those spots, likely as the Mike (middle) linebacker that wears the green dot and makes all the calls and adjustments. That means Jordan Magee, who was in line to take that role from Bobby Wagner, is probably going to be relegated to a back up role behind Styles. So that leaves Chenal and Luvu to battle out for that last spot.

Or does it? Perhaps there’s a few ways the Commanders could look to get all three of Styles, Luvu and Chenal on the field at the same time? I think there’s three main options for Daronte Jones to consider here, so let’s break them down.

Commanders.com

‘Talent top to bottom’: Commanders confident in new-look D-line room

The Commanders have been quiet about their plans for the defense led by former Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Daronte Jones. It’s assumed that he will take concepts from Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who likes to create confusion at the line of scrimmage to manufacture pressure and sacks. The Vikings were one of the best teams at that last season, tying for fourth in sacks and leading the league in pass rush win rate. Sixteen players on the Vikings’ defense generated at least a half-sack, with three of their top sack producers being defensive tackles.

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The Commanders feel like they at least have the depth to replicate some of that success. Kinlaw, with some more colorful language, listed several players who have a history of rushing passers, including Oweh and Chaisson as well as the likes of Daron Payne, Johnny Newton, Omenihu, defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. and Deatrich Wise Jr.

“We’ve got a full house here, man,” Kinlaw said. “It’s been super exciting just being around these guys. It’s a dog room, and it’s all about dog working. These guys, they work they’re tails off.”

Of the new players up front, Oweh and Chaisson are expected to lead the pack, not just because of the money the Commanders invested in them, but because they have a track record of being pass rushers the Commanders haven’t had on the edge in recent seasons. They generated nearly twice as many pressures as any other Commanders player last season and had a combined 20.5 sacks in the regular season and playoffs. Oweh had the 10th-best pass rush win rate for edge rushers, while Chaisson hit career-highs in sacks and quarterbacks hits in 2025.

Riggo’s Rag

6 Commanders players already falling behind at 2026 OTAs

Ahkello Witherspoon – Commanders CB

The Washington Commanders’ cornerback dynamic is interesting. Fans are concerned there aren’t enough quality options in the room, but some interesting wrinkles during OTAs suggest defensive coordinator Daronte Jones may have something else up his sleeve.

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According to reports from those in attendance, Jones has been deploying Quan Martin and Tyler Owens as the big nickel options. They are physically capable of handling these responsibilities. The 2023 second-round pick shone in the slot as a rookie before moving to the back end, which didn’t go nearly as well.

Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos are the outside tandem. Amik Robertson is setting the tone through his leadership, challenging his teammates to raise their performance. Ahkello Witherspoon was also acquired in free agency, but he’s already got his work cut out if early impressions are any indication.

He’s got the size and length to potentially be impactful, but staying healthy has been a real problem for the Colorado product throughout his career.

Commanders Wire

DQ Injury update from last week’s (May) OTA session

Here are the players who did not participate:Expert NFL picks:

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Four of these players are coming off major injuries. Armstrong (ACL), Amos (broken fibula), Wise (quad) and Settle (foot) are working their way back. Croskey-Merritt was also present, but watching from the sideline. It’s unclear if he’s dealing with some type of injury.

Quinn offered an update on some of the injured players last week.

“They’re kind of in all sorts of spots really,” Quinn said. “Some are still on their way back and getting towards the latter parts of the rehab to go into that. For example, DA [DE Dorance Armstrong] or [DE] Deatrich [Wise] in that space. So, there’s guys in different spots. And I think all of it’s kind of geared towards camp to see what that would look like. Yeah, I think that’ll be fluid here through the OTAs. But the number one thing is that they’re on the way back and making good strides in that way.”

Quinn didn’t offer a timeline for any of the players. However, it sounds like the ultimate goal is to have everyone 100% by Week 1. Some could be back sooner. Armstrong suffered a torn ACL in Week 2, while Wise’s torn quad occurred in Week 2.

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Amos fractured his fibula in Week 10, but he’s posted updates about his physical condition. All appears well on that front. As for Settle, he underwent surgery on his foot in December.

The Commanders will begin [another round] of OTAs [today].

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