We're now in July, which means that training camp is coming soon.
It's going to be an interesting period for the Washington Commanders, who are entering the next stage of a new regime. It will be general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn's first season leading the Burgundy & Gold, and all eyes will be on Jayden Daniels as he begins to earn his spot as Washington's starting quarterback.
This year's training camp will also feature an overturned roster, half of which is made up of new players and draft picks.
For the past few weeks, Commanders.com has been looking at each position and highlighting some of the challenges they will face until the season begins. Next up are the safeties.
On the roster
- Quan Martin
- Percy Butler
- Jeremy Chinn
- Darrick Forrest
- Dominique Hampton
- Ben Nikkel
- Tyler Owens
- Jeremy Reaves
What to watch
- Can Quan Martin continue his upward trajectory? Martin became a bright spot for the defense as things turned sour last season. After playing hardly outside of special teams in the first eight games, he emerged as one of the more exciting players, recording five starts, 27 tackles and four pass breakups. Martin was often placed as the starting safety opposite Chinn during OTAs and minicamp, so it looks like the new regime, which did like his skill set coming out of Illinois two years ago, is hoping that he can continue that progress. Assuming he does, his position flexibility should be fun to watch as defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. moves him around the secondary.
- Can Jeremy Chinn return to his early career success? Chinn was one of the most exciting rookies in the NFL in 2020, getting the second-most votes for Defensive Rookie of the Year for his 117 tackles and two interceptions returned for touchdowns. The past two seasons have been less successful, although some of that comes from a mixture of injuries and usage. Chinn believes that Quinn and Whitt's "run-and-hit' defense is perfect for him, and it seemed like he fit in well during the offseason program. Chinn is clearly a talented player, and he could bring a new mentality to the Commanders' secondary. We'll have to wait for the pads to come on to see how well he can work in the system.
- What does the depth look like? Quinn is encouraging competition at all positions, but assuming Martin and Chinn are the starters, that still leaves the question of how the Commanders are going to fill the rest of the position. Dominique Hampton, the most utilized player in Huskies history, should factor in somewhere, but it's hard to predict how many snaps he'll get outside of special teams. Reaves has proven his worth, both as one of the league's best special teams players and a depth player, and Forrest is confident in what he can offer after overcoming a season-ending injury in 2023. There's also Percy Butler, who is entering Year 3 and shows promise after starting 13 games last season. Washington kept five safeties on the 2023 initial 53-man roster, so that might end up being the list, but Washington is still going to give opportunities to undrafted free agents Ben Nikkel and Tyler Owens.
