The Commanders’ initial 53-man roster was a rough draft at best, according to coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters. The team continued its moves around the margins on Monday, despite avoiding any splashy moves, signings or waiver acquisitions.
Washington officially moved left tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton to the injured reserve list. Defensive tackle Shy Tuttle and cornerback Fabian Moreau — who both spent training camp in Washington — took their spots on the active roster.
Only a pair of new names joined the roster in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s cuts. Tackle Esa Pole, who started the final four games of last season at left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, joined Washington’s practice squad. Cornerback Reddy Steward joined the Commanders after spending the offseason with the Chicago Bears and recording 63 tackles with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
The 25-year-old Pole was an undrafted rookie last season and only started playing organized football as a freshman at Chabot College in 2021. In his limited playing time, the California native allowed one sack and 15 pressures, according to tracking from Pro Football Focus.
“I have a ton of confidence in this team and a ton of confidence in this coaching staff,” Peters said. “We haven’t shown a lot, in terms of offensively and defensively, and there’s been a lot of times where we haven’t had our players, whether it’s in games or even in practice. … Very confident in where we’re at.”
Depth remains a concern across the roster, as injuries — and a 41-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason finale — exposed limitations throughout the squad.
Center remains the most concerning position on the roster. Presumed starter Nick Allegretti missed the majority of training camp sessions after suffering a calf injury early in August. He returned to the practice field on Monday.
“Still working through where we’re at with center,” Quinn said. “I’m excited to get Nick back today.”
Julian Good-Jones opened training camp as the presumed second-string center. When Allegretti went down, Good-Jones took over for him with the first-team offense.
The results didn’t inspire much confidence. He struggled in practices and preseason exhibitions, lacking the speed or power required for a starter on the interior. Sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin looked slightly more polished — landing him a spot on the active roster over Good-Jones — but he has room to grow in his confidence level and quickness.
Their struggles led to questions of Peters’ roster construction. The team released Tyler Biadasz, who spent two years as its starting center, in the spring. Allegretti, a backup on last year’s roster, was the only clear option left to replace him.
“We have a ton of confidence in Nick. He’s played 3,000-some-odd snaps in this league, and he’s played good football for us before,” Peters said. “We’re really confident.”
On the other side of the football, the cornerback room has undergone renovations through the offseason.
Washington left Sunday’s cut-down day with only three cornerbacks on the active roster. Second-year defender Trey Amos remains on injured reserve with a leg injury. The cuts left Amik Robertson, Mike Sainristil and Rasul Douglas as the lone corners atop the depth chart.
“Could he come back in a few weeks? Maybe,” Peters said. “But with advances in sports science and understanding what it will take for him to get ready to play — from not having played since midseason last year — we wanted to take that a little bit slower. We’re confident he’ll be ready when it’s time.
Moreau rejoined the group on Monday, but four cornerbacks is still a thin amount for an NFL roster.
“In terms of the rest of the position, we’re really happy we added the guys that we did: Fabian, Rasul. They’re going to really help us early in the year,” Peters said, also alluding to the presence of players like Darius Rush and Fred Davis II on the practice squad as reason for comfort.
What was once known as the taxi squad — a developmental spot for young players — now holds a key role in roster construction. Peters said his practice squad is there to play regular-season games when called upon.
“They’re an extension of your 53. …There’s players that are guys that can come up and play right away when you have an injury or when you need somebody to come in,” Peters said. “So, you do bring guys back that you’ve seen in the system, that you’ve seen play and can help get you out of a game or two or start for an extended period of time.”
Optimism across the fan base has dimmed as injuries have struck the Commanders, leading to more questions about depth. But, with franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels under center, anything is possible for the optimists in Washington’s building.
“I love Jayden’s readiness. He took over 500 snaps in this training camp — half a season’s worth of reps,” Quinn said. “His timing with [Stefon Diggs] and Terry [McLaurin] is invaluable.”
Daniels and the Commanders have two weeks of practice before the regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13.
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