ASHBURN, Va. — The 25th stop on my camp trip is the back end of my Thursday doubleheader, and a check-in with the rebooted and reborn Washington Commanders …
• There’s an unquestioned belief in the Commanders’ facility that the talent has, for the second consecutive offseason, been upgraded in a huge way. The variable is whether Washington can win as many close games this year, and catch as many breaks, as it did in 2024. That said, the improvement is noticeable on the line of scrimmage. On offense, the tackle position has been overhauled, with Laremy Tunsil, at 31, looking like the Pro Bowler he’s always been, and first-rounder Josh Conerly Jr. (who was seen by Washington as one of the top 10 or so players in the draft) settling in nicely at right tackle. Those additions enabled the coaches to move second-year man Brandon Coleman inside and, perhaps, turn an average line into a team strength. Meanwhile, on defense, former first-rounder Javon Kinlaw has been a revelation. GM Adam Peters had institutional knowledge of Kinlaw, having drafted him in San Francisco. He and the staff saw a player who was a COVID-19 rookie, who sustained a nasty injury early in his career. He never had a real training camp before this summer, giving a player with a lot of upside to tap into. Added to Daron Payne, Von Miller and Dorance Armstrong, the Commanders feel like they’ll have a versatile group that can move around, make the front more multiple, and deploy creatively to stop the run and make up for the roster’s lack of a true top pass rusher.
