With 2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøtraining camps set to kick off the week of July 24, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøteams. Brendan Walker has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the NFC East:
Catch up on the Washington Commanders' offseason and 2023 outlook below ...
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 21 (rookies); July 25 (veterans)
- Location: OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park | Ashburn, Virginia ()
Notable Roster Changes
| 2023 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| CB Emmanuel Forbes | Round 1 (No. 16 overall) |
| DB Jartavius Martin | Round 2 (No. 47) |
| C Ricky Stromberg | Round 3 (No. 97) |
| OL Braeden Daniels | Round 4 (No. 118) |
| DE KJ Henry | Round 5 (No. 137) |
| RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. | Round 6 (No. 193) |
| DE Andre Jones Jr. | Round 7 (No. 233) |
Preseason ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø
- Week 1: at Cleveland Browns | 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 11
- Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens | 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) on Monday, Aug. 21
- Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 6:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 26
2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø Notes
- Eighth toughest strength of schedule in 2023 based on their opponents' 2022 win percentage (.535).
- Six games against 2022 playoff teams in a seven-game stretch from Weeks 7 to 13.
- Play on Thanksgiving Day (4:30 p.m. ET at Dallas).
- Their Week 5 clash with the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football is their only prime-time game this season.
-- ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch
Subplots To Track
1) Eric Bieniemy knew when he took the Commanders' offensive coordinator job in January he was in for a challenge. No Patrick Mahomes, no Andy Reid, no built-in familiarity that 10 years at the same place affords. But as he said after taking the new role, "comfort is the enemy of progress." While he won't have the luxury of a generational talent under center (no offense to Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett), Bieniemy has the creativity, experience and leadership to turn around a Washington offense that ranked 23rd last season. He's a demanding coach, a stickler for details. But that desire to get the most out of his players is already resonating with some in the locker room. Can he do for Howell what ? What will we see from Bieniemy the play caller? Will success in Washington finally lead Bieniemy to his first head-coaching opportunity? Questions abound, but there's no doubt the Commanders are excited about the man leading their offense.
2) Washington's QB carousel has to stop spinning at some point, right? The franchise hasn't had a solidified long-term starter since Kirk Cousins departed after the 2017 season. While the organization hopes second-year passer Sam Howell is the answer, he'll first have to beat out veteran newcomer Jacoby Brissett for the job in the coming weeks. Howell showed promise in his lone start last year (a Week 18 win vs. Dallas), and Brissett was a solid stand-in for Cleveland during Deshaun Watson's suspension. An honest QB competition is the way to go here. Howell might have a leg up to start, but will he keep it by the time September rolls around?
3) The Commanders' defensive line is one of the more underrated units in the NFL. The core of the group -- Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Chase Young -- has an average age of 26 years old. When healthy, this foursome rivals any across the league. But injuries have been a problem, particularly for Young, who's missed 22 games over the past two seasons. Washington chose not to pick up his fifth-year option earlier this summer -- not an unexpected move, but surely one they didn't foresee when they selected him No. 2 overall in 2020. Payne has been the most reliable and productive player in the trenches for the Commanders, and the team rewarded him with a four-year, $90 million contract in March. Washington will need these four on the field throughout the 2023 campaign if it's going to keep a hold on the dynamic offenses in the division.
