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The Washington Commanders host the Miami Dolphins for a joint practice on Wednesday, two days before the teams meet on Friday in the preseason opener.
You could make the case that the joint practice is more valuable than the preseason game. Washington's starters will participate in the joint practice. Since the game is two days later, there's a good chance that many of the starters will not play, and if they do, it won't be for long. So, every rep in these joint practices matters.
While these joint practices are great evaluation tools for teams, they can represent even more for some of the players. Here are five Commanders who we'll be paying close attention to on Wednesday.
Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs are proven stars. Williams, the third-round rookie from Clemson, is having an excellent camp. How will he look against cornerbacks on another team for the first time? Can he create the same type of separation that he has during camp? This is a great test for Williams.
It's now or never for Good-Jones. Good-Jones, 29, first entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. After a two-year hiatus to the Canadian Football League, he returned in 2023. Washington first signed him off the Eagles' practice squad in 2023. He has been with the Commanders off and on since Nov. 2023. He has only played two career snaps. With Nick Allegretti out, Good-Jones has a real shot at making Washington's 53 out of camp as the primary backup at center. He needs strong showings in the joint practice and preseason game while Allegretti is out.
This would've been a big opportunity for Coleman before Laremy Tunsil's injury. He was competing for the starting job at left guard. Now, he's the left tackle. It's his job. He recently spoke of his improvements from 2024 to 2025 and spending the offseason working with Tunsil. Chop Robinson will be a good test for Coleman. Offensive coordinator David Blough didn't need to help Tunsil. He hopes for the same with Coleman.
Who isn't excited to see Sonny Styles? There have been multiple times this summer that the rookie linebacker had to pull up instead of drilling a teammate. The Commanders want to see him turned loose and allow him to make his mistakes now. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones had a great quote on Tuesday about how he'd rather see Styles make a mistake playing fast, rather than be "too slow and be right." Something tells us Styles will be up for the challenge.
This is a pivotal year for Sainristil. He's led the Commanders in interceptions the last two years. However, his play slipped last season. It was concerning. Sainristil has had his moments this summer. He's looked really good at times. He's also gotten beat some, too. That's the life of a cornerback. It happens. If Sainristil struggles against Miami, you can bet that Washington will be a little concerned. The Commanders believe he'll bounce back this season, and that begins on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 5 Commanders to watch vs. Dolphins in joint practice
Continue reading...
You could make the case that the joint practice is more valuable than the preseason game. Washington's starters will participate in the joint practice. Since the game is two days later, there's a good chance that many of the starters will not play, and if they do, it won't be for long. So, every rep in these joint practices matters.
While these joint practices are great evaluation tools for teams, they can represent even more for some of the players. Here are five Commanders who we'll be paying close attention to on Wednesday.
WR Antonio Williams
Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs are proven stars. Williams, the third-round rookie from Clemson, is having an excellent camp. How will he look against cornerbacks on another team for the first time? Can he create the same type of separation that he has during camp? This is a great test for Williams.
C Julian Good-Jones
It's now or never for Good-Jones. Good-Jones, 29, first entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. After a two-year hiatus to the Canadian Football League, he returned in 2023. Washington first signed him off the Eagles' practice squad in 2023. He has been with the Commanders off and on since Nov. 2023. He has only played two career snaps. With Nick Allegretti out, Good-Jones has a real shot at making Washington's 53 out of camp as the primary backup at center. He needs strong showings in the joint practice and preseason game while Allegretti is out.
LT Brandon Coleman
This would've been a big opportunity for Coleman before Laremy Tunsil's injury. He was competing for the starting job at left guard. Now, he's the left tackle. It's his job. He recently spoke of his improvements from 2024 to 2025 and spending the offseason working with Tunsil. Chop Robinson will be a good test for Coleman. Offensive coordinator David Blough didn't need to help Tunsil. He hopes for the same with Coleman.
LB Sonny Styles
Who isn't excited to see Sonny Styles? There have been multiple times this summer that the rookie linebacker had to pull up instead of drilling a teammate. The Commanders want to see him turned loose and allow him to make his mistakes now. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones had a great quote on Tuesday about how he'd rather see Styles make a mistake playing fast, rather than be "too slow and be right." Something tells us Styles will be up for the challenge.
CB Mike Sainristil
This is a pivotal year for Sainristil. He's led the Commanders in interceptions the last two years. However, his play slipped last season. It was concerning. Sainristil has had his moments this summer. He's looked really good at times. He's also gotten beat some, too. That's the life of a cornerback. It happens. If Sainristil struggles against Miami, you can bet that Washington will be a little concerned. The Commanders believe he'll bounce back this season, and that begins on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 5 Commanders to watch vs. Dolphins in joint practice
Continue reading...
