The Washington Commanders are on the rise. They drafted their quarterback of the future in Jayden Daniels and made a number of marquee signings. But now the real work starts. Washington went just 4-13 last year. They shifted their roster and overhauled their coaching staff. They have to make progress and that starts in training camp. A few training camp position battles, including at running back and tight end, will help determine whether or not the Commanders make that progress in the 2024 NFL season.
Who will be the RB1?
The Commanders have a few backs who provide different looks for their offense. One of them is Brian Robinson Jr. The former Alabama Crimson Tide back is a bruiser who can handle a big workload and is solid in short-yardage situations. Robinson led the team in carries last year with 178 for 733 yards and five touchdowns.
Perhaps most surprising about Robinson's production last year was the utility he was able to provide in the receiving game. He caught 36 of 43 passes for 368 yards and added another four more scores to his ledger. But he likely won't get the chance to build upon that role this year after Washington brought Austin Ekeler to the nation's capital.
Ekeler had a very down year last season. He averaged a paltry 3.5 yards per carry in 2023. On top of that, the former Charger posted a juke rate of 16.5% and a breakaway run rate of 2.2% according to playerprofiler.com. Those numbers ranked 36th and 40th among running backs.
It appears that Robinson Jr. will be the primary rusher for Washington with Ekeler being a change-of-pace receiving back. But how exactly their playing time gets divvied up remains to be seen. That will likely get determined in training camp after these two capable backs battle each other for who will be the Commanders' primary runner in the 2024 NFL season.
The rookie or the vet at tight end for Commanders?
The 2024 NFL Draft did not feature a tight end class as bountiful with talent as the 2023 class did. But Washington did find a player at that position they value highly in Kansas State's Ben Sinnott. Sinnott was drafted with the 53rd overall pick after Washington traded down in the second with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sinnott was very productive in his final two seasons in Manhattan, Kansas. He caught 80 passes for 1,123 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. However, his playing time might be a bit limited as a rookie after the Commanders signed Zach Ertz in free agency.
Ertz has a lot of history with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. He was a big part of Kingsbury's offense when the two briefly overlapped in Arizona. In 21 games with the Cardinals, Ertz was targetted 150 times, good for over seven looks per game. He caught 103 passes for 980 yards and seven touchdowns.
Experience has robbed Ertz of the efficiency everyone has been accustomed to seeing from him. In 2022, he averaged just 1.21 yards per route run, which ranked 32nd among tight ends. That number dipped even further to 1.03 yards in 2023.
In Ertz's defense, he was coming off a torn ACL in 2023, but his play was already beginning to decline before then. At minimum, he will be a great mentor for Sinnott and can help with his transition to becoming a pro.
Ertz is a fine stopgap at tight-end position, but whether or not Sinnott can push for more playing time is yet to be seen. The Commanders will sort this position battle during training camp before the 2024 NFL season.
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