Commanders Mandatory Minicamp: Predictions and questions, battles, injury updates, notes, and practice dates
The Washington Commanders are primed and ready to make 2025 even more memorable than last year's incredible run and it all starts this week as the team (and 23 others) cycles through its mandatory minicamp.There wasn't as much roster turnover as last year, but the Commanders still made several moves that created some new questions […]
The Washington Commanders are primed and ready to make 2025 even more memorable than last year's incredible run and it all starts this week as the team (and 23 others) cycles through its mandatory minicamp.
There wasn't as much roster turnover as last year, but the Commanders still made several moves that created some new questions heading into the season. We'll start to get some ideas as to what the answers will be this week and then we'll get to see how everything develops throughout training camp and the preseason.
But before all of that, let's run down some talking points and storylines heading into the 2025 version of Commanders mandatory minicamp.
7 burning questions heading into Commanders mandatory minicamp with predictions
1. Will Terry McLaurin show up to camp?
In this day and age, when players can "hold-in" in order to avoid being fined, it would be absolutely silly for McLaurin to sit out and accrue the $100k-plus fine that comes with missing all three days of camp.
If he doesn't show up, however, then it's time to start wondering just how long his holdout lasts. The same goes for Laremy Tunsil, Marshon Lattimore, and other veterans who missed OTAs. Especially when considering they aren't looking for a new deal, or at least to our knowledge.
Quick prediction: Yes. He does. This is as easy as it gets.
2. What do the trenches look like on both sides of the ball?
We all know it's impossible to come up with concrete takeaways in the trenches during this time of year. However, with all the shuffling around on the Commanders' side of things, getting some kind of idea of the "pecking order" is what this week can provide.
Dan Quinn has mentioned competition at every spot on the offensive line outside Laremy Tunsil, but there are caveats to that. For one, it's hard to imagine Tyler Biadasz's and Nick Allegretti's jobs are in serious danger and secondly, the right guard spot is open due to Sam Cosmi's injury. It would be locked up if he were healthy.
Regardless, this is the same coaching staff that rotated the left tackle spot last year, so they aren't afraid to mix things up in order to find the best five. The key to all this is Josh Conerly Jr. and Brandon Coleman. Where do they slot in, initially, and it does it hold up throughout minicamp and into training camp? Whatever happens there will give us some solid insight into what could be coming down the pipe.
On defense, it's a bunch of guys who can play up and down the defensive line, depending on what they're seeing from opposing offenses. The Commanders shed guys like Jonathan Allen in favor of Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., and others and it'll be interesting to see how they scheme things up with whomever.
Quick prediction: Conerly Jr. slots in at RT, Coleman moves to RG until Cosmi returns and then Coleman will battle Allegretti for the LG job in 2026. On defense, Kinlaw and Wise are base starters who will shift around on passing downs.
3. Where does Mike Sainristil get his first looks of minicamp?
The idea coming in with Sainristil was that he'd play nickel, but struggles on the outside forced him onto the perimeter early in the season. Despite his size, he had a solid year, finishing with four interceptions.
But now that second-round rookie Trey Amos is in the fold, does Sainristil kick back inside? That would probably be the case, which would give the Commanders excellent depth when adding Noah Igbinoghene and Jonathan Jones into the mix.
Of course, Amos has to show he can start opposite Marshon Lattimore before any of this becomes a feasible reality. Regardless, that still could mean the Commanders go ahead and give Amos that chance early-on, which again would move Sainristil inside.
The next few days should give us a good idea of how that situation is developing.
Quick prediction: Sainristil stays outside until Amos gets his feet on the ground then moves back inside.
4. Can Jaylin Lane boost the punt return game?
There's a video out there of Adam Peters literally calling Lane and telling him a big reason why he was drafted was because he wanted the former Hokie to be the Commanders' punt returner, so it's fair to assume Lane is going to get plenty of opportunity to show what he can do, there.
That all starts this week. He was a spark plug during his time in college and he'll make an already-effective Commanders return crew even better if it translates to the NFL level.
Quick prediction: Yes, Lane should add an explosive dynamic to the position.
5. Can Matt Gay finally give the Commanders a reliable leg?
This has been one of the least-talked about moves of the Commanders' offseason and it could end up having one of the biggest impacts depending on how it all works out.
The Commanders have shuffled through more than their fair share of kickers since Peters and Dan Quinn came aboard. Whenever it seems like they've found one, something pops up. Whether it's potential legal issues, injury, inconsistency, or whatever, the team has found itself looking for a replacement way more often than what is considered as ideal.
The Commanders are praying to the football gods that Matt Gay can end this misery. That remains to be seen, considering he's missed the most kicks in the NFL over the last two years (14), but there's context behind that in the fact 11 of the 14 misses have come from 50+ yards and six of the 11 misses have come from 55+. One of those six attempts was blocked from 60-yards out. Those aren't easy kicks to make, no matter who you are.
Gay is an elite kicker when he's on point, which is more often than not. We'll see if he can go ahead and tap into that side of his game this week.
Quick prediction: Yes, the Commanders offense should give him plenty of opportunities inside of 50 yards.
6. Can the Commanders crank up the takeaways?
It's been well documented dating back to early last season that the Commanders' defensive brass are nowhere near satisfied with the takeaway production, or lack thereof, from 2024.
The defense played well at times, but yes, it needs to force more takeaways. Especially when considering how infrequent Jayden Daniels and Co. turned the ball over.
Takeaways are largely a product of right place, right time and can be volatile, but you play how you practice and if the Commanders can find ways to force more takeaways and finish on the practice field, they can make it translate when it really matters.
Quick prediction: We'll see. I hate to bail out, but this is one of the ultimate wait-and-see questions.
7. Who and what are some other lowkey players and positions to keep an eye on?
The receiver room after McLaurin and Deebo Samuel is one to monitor. Noah Brown spearheads the group, but he's gotta stay healthy after dealing with multiple injuries the last couple of years. Lane and Luke McCaffrey should battle it out for the slot position and then guys like K.J. Osborn, Michael Gallup, and others will try and find their place amongst the group.
The depth battles along the interior offensive line figuring to be promising, especially if Coleman moves to guard. Either way, the Commanders are likely to experiment with him there and that'll add a lot of intrigue.
How Jacory Croskey-Merritt attacks the depth chart is something to monitor, as is the backup linebacker and safety positions. Keep an eye on Jordan Magee, an athletic linebacker who was having a very good offseason before a knee injury derailed his rookie season.
Commanders injury outlooks and other pre-minicamp notes
Notable OTA absences and players nursing/recovering from injuries heading into camp
As mentioned earlier, the notable absences are Tunsil, Lattimore, and McLaurin, but all three should be there for camp. In terms of injuries, Cosmi is the main one and Dan Quinn said recently that he's hitting all the markers regarding his recovery. That doesn't mean he'll be ready to go for the regular season, but it's encouraging.
Quan Martin is another name. He had surgery on each shoulder back around February after separating both during the regular season. Quinn said he's making great progress when he spoke with reporters last Wednesday, but I wouldn't expect to see him doing much of anything, at all, this week.
How far can Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense go in Year 2?
Daniels is primed for a massive jump in Year 2, especially if the Commanders offensive line hits the ground running. There are some important questions to answer on the right side of the line and the effectiveness of said answers will go a long way in the offense reaching a new level.
As for Daniels in a vacuum – it's hard seeing him do anything but take a step forward. His work ethic, alone, puts him on a path of success that's hard to stray from and the Commanders added key pieces that give the offense both a higher floor and ceiling than what he saw in 2024. There's also the fact the same play-caller and system remained in place. That kind of continuity only means great things for a young quarterback.
2025 should be a very exciting year for Daniels and Co. as long as the Commanders offense stays healthy in a logical capacity.
Commanders defense faces a lot more unknowns heading into mandatory minicamp
Things are nowhere near as set on defense as they are on offense. Sure, pieces are in place, but we don't know how these pieces will work together like we do on the other side of the ball.
Newcomers like Wise, Kinlaw, Jones, Will Harris, and even Jacob Martin and Eddie Goldman are expected to contribute and we simply don't know what that adds up to. Ultimately, we should see an improved run defense, which is a very important upgrade that had to happen. However, did it come at the cost of the pass rush, as the team is missing a true No. 1 threat to get after the quarterback and will instead rely on a collection of guys to get the job done?
There's also the case of Lattimore: Will he bounce back from last year's dreadful showing? Right now, he's not even the best cornerback on the team and that has to change if this defense doesn't want to be seen as a liability.
The second level of the defense is more than sewn-up with Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, but they're surrounded by question marks and how those get answered will in fact be what propels this team forward or holds it back in 2025.
Commanders minicamp practice dates
The Commanders will hold mandatory minicamp from Tuesday, June 10 through Thursday, June 12. Each practice will be open to the media. Exact practice times are currently unknown and this will be the last organized team event until training camp begins in July.
