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Making a preseason splash with the trade of Jahan Dotson and choosing Jayden Daniels as the Week 1 starting quarterback, the Washington Commanders also have a pair of surprise preseason potential roster cuts to watch out for as the 2024 NFL campaign gets closer.
On the fringe are linebacker Jamin Davis and safety Darrick Forrest. It’s going to be tough for the Commanders to part ways with Davis, who came to them via pick No. 19 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, it’s a brand-new organization up top, and there’s no loyalty bar for Davis to grab.
Commanders LB Jamin Davis fighting for spot
It has been a challenging summer for Davis, who moved from an inside linebacker spot to an edge-rusher position. At first glance, it might seem like a great opportunity for the 6-foot-2, 234-pound athlete.But any position move in the NFL, especially after several seasons, can be tough. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Davis deserves credit for attacking the challenge and not complaining, according to a team transcript via commanders.com.
“Well, you see (Davis) and you've got to give credit to (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Ryan Kerrigan first,” Whitt said. “He's doing a great job of working with him, but Jamin has been very willing to learn from a very good coach. And you see him each day getting better from just being a guy that can possibly rush the passer, to being a guy that can play the run. ‘Alright, I understand stunts and definitely rush the passer is what we wanted to see. He is a big man that has power. And I've been pleased with what he's doing and his buy-in to looking at doing a little bit something different.”
Davis has been a consistent starter for the Commanders and totaled 104 tackles in 2022. But his numbers haven’t been eye-popping and he has not lived up to his first-round billing.
What does the future look like for Jamin Davis?
Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn said he liked things he saw in the first preseason game, according to a team transcript via commanders.com.
“I think what I learned, I really felt like the speed and physicality, those were the things,” Quinn said. “I felt that, I can see that, that tackling to go and so that is what I saw. To get a real look at this, at the (defensive end) you have to get it in the game, and you have to get the exposures for it. I was pleased with what I saw from him.”
Quinn said Davis’ speed could help save his roster spot, according to The Junkies via audacy.com.
“There's the speed, there's the quickness as a pass rusher,” Quinn said. “You have to be able to beat him to the punch and get off quickly, and he always had that trait. So, to get excellent at it, we would knew it would take all the way through training camp to get in the extra work for him to become where he's at a comfortable level doing it.”
Could Jamin Davis be turning the corner?
Work ethic matters, Quinn said.
“Now, you have the ability to be behind the ball on the end of the line, but you had to go put that work in,” Quinn said. “I’ve been so impressed by the way he's just absolutely gone for it. He spent a lot of time with (assistant coach) Ryan Kerrigan, who knows a thing or two about pass rush, and so finding those small margins and things that you can do better, Jamin has certainly done that.”
Davis said he likes the position move, according to washingtonpost.com.
“I feel like it’s given me a chance to just really cut it loose and just go hunt some quarterbacks, honestly,” Davis said. “I’m having real fun with it right now and just going to see (where) this thing takes me.”
But it’s definitely a change. Kerrigan said the speed of the game is different at the line of scrimmage.
“You’re talking about a guy that’s played off the ball the first three years of his career,” Kerrigan said. “And (now we) put him on the line of scrimmage. Things happen a lot faster. So you got to learn different skills. Your hands have to be ready to attack quicker. You just got to be ready to trigger off the ball quicker. When you go from off the ball to on the ball, they’re different worlds.”
How tight is it for Davis? He may be fighting a couple of players like tackle Phidarian Mathis or Andre Jones Jr. for one final spot. One thing that could help is Davis playing in 2024 in the final year of his rookie contract.
Forrest hoping he has time to make cut
It's a tough world in the NFL. But players who seem to be on the verge of getting phased out can wind up having a great seasons. This is particularly true when injuries create opportunities. Forrest has battled through a preseason hamstring injury, and won’t have a huge amount of time to prove he still belongs in a Commanders secondary that looks shaky, at best.
Forrest said he knows he needs to up his style of play with an aggressive take, according to Sports Illustrated. He showed it off in the preseason game against the Dolphins, ripping the ball away from a receiver.
“I knew that something was going to be coming back towards me,” Forrest said. “I was running towards the middle of the field and he kind of went under me, so I had a speed turn and get back to it. As soon as he caught it, I had punched. When the ball moved, I'm like, ‘I know I'm going to be able to get this out.' When he hit the ground, I threw it as far as I could.”
Commanders defense expected to take chances
Whitt’s method of operation involves aggressiveness. Whitt said he doesn’t want defenders like Forrest holding back.
“The way that we live is not for everybody,” Whitt said. “We're going to run and put our bodies on people in a violent manner. We want the ball. The ball is life. The ball is air.”
Overall, Forrest will have to find a way into a defensive unit that has enjoyed a good preseason, Whitt said in a team transcript via commanders.com.
“I feel good about the speed of the defense and how they're trying to get to the ball,” Whitt said. “The physicality, especially the guys up front. I think they've done a really nice job. I'm pleased with that. The coaches have done an outstanding job of teaching the scheme, getting the players to understand it. And now the one thing that I would like to see a little bit more of is, is ball production.”
And what does Whitt want from Forrest and others in the secondary?
“I just want to see guys go out there and compete and who can make plays,” Whitt said. “This is a win business. I just want to see them go out there, compete, challenge, who can make plays, who when they get beat, can come back and fight back from it. Because at some point you're going to get beat. We're going to be simple in what we call. Because I'm not trying to trick anybody with what we're doing with them.”
Darrick Forrest hopes to recapture 2022 magic
In his fourth season, Forrest started 11 games in 2022, recording four interceptions, 88 tackles, and entering 2023 as an undisputed starter. Unfortunately, an injury sidelined him after just five games, 29 tackles and no picks.
Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. like big, fast, and physical players in the secondary. So Forrest, with a 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame, might not be their favorite choice. That’s why Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin are standing on the first team as the 2024 season arrives.
At crunch time next week, it probably comes down to Tyler Owens, Dominique Hampton, and Forrest for the final two spots. Owens is an athletically gifted undrafted free agent. He may have the upper hand because of the big-play capability he’s shown during camp.
