The Washington Commanders trimmed down to their 53-man roster yesterday. It’s not final, but even this first draft shows just how far the roster has come since the Ron Rivera days only two seasons ago. The overhaul has been massive: only six players remain from the previous administration.
The main question now is simple: does this team have enough depth at certain positions if a starter goes down?
That’s a far cry from the Rivera era, when cutdown day raised a much uglier question: do the Commanders even have enough starters to field a competent team?
That change alone tells you everything about the direction of this franchise. And nowhere is it clearer than in three position groups: the offensive line, the wide receiver room, and the linebackers.
Offensive Line: From Musical Chairs to Defined Starters
Few areas captured the dysfunction of the Rivera era more than the offensive line. Year after year, Washington tried to patch holes with short-term fixes and recycled names. In a previous article, I highlighted the deep hole Rivera dug by losing one of the league’s strongest bookend tackle tandems at the time: Trent Williams and Morgan Moses. Things only got worse when Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff left for Jacksonville, a loss Rivera never replaced. What followed was a steady churn of Andrew Norwell, Saahdiq Charles, Wes Schweitzer, Cornelius Lucas, Ereck Flowers, and Nick Gates — none of them long-term answers.
The result was musical chairs: one week a guard would kick out to tackle, the next week a swing tackle would be your starting left guard. By 2023, Andrew Wylie — who’d never been more than a backup lineman — was Washington’s unquestioned starter at right tackle, and Nick Allegretti was forced into starter snaps at guard. They weren’t bad players, but they were badly miscast.
Under Peters, the line has gone from a liability to one of the team’s emerging strengths. The addition of Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil has solidified the left side and allowed Brandon Coleman (now in Year 2) to move inside to left guard, where coaches think he can grow into a long-term fixture. Tyler Biadasz locks down the middle, while Sam Cosmi, once he’s back from the PUP list, remains a cornerstone at right guard. Andrew Wylie is the bridge at right tackle, with rookie Josh Conerly Jr. expected to take over sooner rather than later. Nick Allegretti provides interior versatility, while Chris Paul, George Fant, and Trent Scott give Washington real depth instead of stopgap bodies.
| Rivera’s OL (2023) | Peters’ OL (2025) |
|---|---|
| LT: Charles Leno Jr. – steady but aging, no succession plan. | LT: Laremy Tunsil – true anchor at LT. |
| LG: Saahdiq Charles / Nick Allegretti – Allegretti forced into starter snaps. | LG: Brandon Coleman – settled at LG, long-term piece. |
| C: Tyler Larsen / Nick Gates – patchwork, neither a long-term solution. | C: Tyler Biadasz – signed in his prime, locked-in starter. |
| RG: Sam Cosmi – talented, little help around him. | RG: Sam Cosmi – now a building block, surrounded by competence. |
| RT: Andrew Wylie – handed starting job, struggled in pass pro. | RT: Andrew Wylie → Josh Conerly Jr. (rookie) – Wylie as bridge; Conerly Jr. expected to take over. |
| Depth: Cornelius Lucas, Chris Paul, practice-squad churn. | Depth: Nick Allegretti (IOL swing), Chris Paul, George Fant, Trent Scott. |
Wide Receivers: From “McLaurin and Pray” to Defined Roles
The wide receiver room was also a mess under Rivera. Every year, the plan was the same: Terry McLaurin and a hope that someone else might step up.
In 2020, the supporting cast was Steven Sims Jr., Cam Sims, and Antonio Gandy-Golden. In 2021, Curtis Samuel was the big free-agent addition — only for injuries to wipe out his season. That left Adam Humphries and DeAndre Carter playing major snaps. By 2022 and 2023, Jahan Dotson was supposed to be the answer, but inconsistency and drops left McLaurin alone once again. The rest of the depth chart was Dyami Brown, Dax Milne, Byron Pringle. None were real answers.
Fast forward to 2025, and Peters has completely reset the room. McLaurin is still here, but he’s finally got a legitimate co-star in Deebo Samuel. Noah Brown adds a veteran WR3 who’s played real snaps on good teams. Rookie Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane aren’t being asked to save the offense — they have clear roles as developmental players and special-teamers.
The question at wide receiver is no longer “is there anyone beyond Terry?” It’s “how do you best deploy this group, and who steps up if Deebo or Terry miss time?” That’s a massive shift.
| Rivera’s Final WR Room (2023) | Peters’ WR Room (2025) |
|---|---|
| Terry McLaurin – lone reliable constant. | Terry McLaurin – still WR1, but finally has help |
| Jahan Dotson – supposed to be #2, regressed badly, traded away in 2024. | Deebo Samuel Sr. – proven playmaker and YAC threat. |
| Curtis Samuel – streaky slot, never more than a role player. | Noah Brown – steady vet WR3, played real snaps in Dallas/Houston. |
| Dyami Brown – depth, inconsistent, rarely contributed. | Luke McCaffrey (rookie) – developmental WR with clear slot/ST role. |
| Byron Pringle / Dax Milne – fringe roster guys forced into action. | Jaylin Lane (rookie) – speed/return value, developmental upside. |
Linebackers: From Patchwork to Professional
It was always strange that two men who were such accomplished linebackers in their playing days — head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio — ended up deemphasizing the position so heavily in Washington. Under their watch, linebacker went from a proud cornerstone to an afterthought.
Every August of the Rivera era, the same question popped up: do the Commanders even have two starting linebackers they can trust?
The answer was no. In 2020, Rivera brought back Jon Bostic to start alongside Cole Holcomb. By 2021, Holcomb was the de facto LB1, with Thomas Davis (at age 37) and David Mayo seeing the field. Rivera drafted Jamin Davis in the first round in 2021, but he never developed into an every-down linebacker. By 2023, the group was Davis, Cody Barton, Mayo, and Khaleke Hudson — arguably one of the weakest LB rooms in the league.
Under Peters, the difference is night and day. Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu are locked-in starters, proven NFL players who bring production and leadership. Jordan Magee is an ascending young piece who can grow without being rushed. Rookies Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho, plus special-teams captain Nick Bellore, round out the depth. The bottom of the roster isn’t being asked to start — they’re being asked to contribute in their roles.
For the first time in years, Washington goes into Week 1 with clarity at linebacker: Wagner and Luvu are the guys, and the depth chart behind them has a purpose.
| Rivera’s Final LB Room (2023) | Peters’ LB Room (2025) |
|---|---|
| Jamin Davis – 1st-rounder who never became a steady every-down LB | Bobby Wagner – tone-setter, still highly productive |
| Cody Barton – stopgap starter, inconsistent | Frankie Luvu – prime-aged playmaker, second-team All-Pro in 2024 |
| David Mayo – career special-teamer forced into real snaps | Jordan Magee – ascending second-year LB |
| Khaleke Hudson – depth/ST pressed into duty | Kain Medrano – rookie LB, developmental piece |
| Ale Kaho – UDFA who earned his roster spot | |
| Nick Bellore – special-teams captain and depth LB |
The Big Picture
Ron Rivera’s 53-man rosters were always about duct tape. Old Carolina connections, stopgap starters, and guys miscast in roles they couldn’t handle.
Adam Peters’ 53 is the opposite. Every major position group has a defined starter, and the conversation is about contingency planning, not desperation. If a starter goes down, the backups have roles — they’re not being asked to save the roster.
That’s the difference between a coach trying to play general manager that patches holes and real general manager with an actual plan.
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