Fans have high expectations for Commanders rookies and some concern about veteran absence from OTAs

Survey results!!

Rookie out-performance

In this week’s Reacts survey, we asked which of Washington’s drafted rookies was most likely to out-perform expectations as a rookie. Answering that questions requires respondents to both decide what the expectations are for each player and then project actual performance.

The results are, perhaps, slightly surprising.

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Second-round draft pick, CB Trey Amos, got the most votes in the survey. More than one-third of all survey respondents expect him to out-produce his draft position (61st overall pick in the 2025 draft).

Given that the expectations for a second-round pick are so much higher than those for Day 3 picks, this seems to say a lot about what Hogs Haven readers think of Trey Amos. Here’s a taste of the commentary about the young cornerback from the comments section of the survey article:

At least one comment here that suggests that Amos could end up as an All Pro may be projecting a bit beyond the scope of the question in the survey which aimed to focus on rookie-year performance, but then, we’ve never suggested that these are scientifically valid surveys. Personally, I’m thrilled to see the enthusiasm for Trey Amos that this survey and these comments demonstrate.

But Amos wasn’t the only rookie to get love in this survey. In fact, all 5 players garnered votes, but 4th-round wide receiver Jaylin Lane and 7th-round running back Bill Croskey-Merritt received 30% and 27% of votes, respectively.

Both players seem to have a good shot at making the final roster, though Lane seems more of a certainty than Croskey-Merritt, who will have to either elbow his way into a 3-man RB room or be the beneficiary of an expanded 4-man group.

Both players appear to add speed and explosiveness to the offense, and Lane appears to have the inside track to earn the job of primary punt returner.

All five players have already begun their professional careers by attending rookie minicamp and all three phases of the voluntary organized team activities (OTAs).

Marshon Lattimore

One player who started his Commanders career last season but who has NOT re-joined team activities yet this offseason is cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

In our second survey question this week, we asked about readers’ level of concern that Marshon Lattimore hadn’t attended the voluntary OTAs. Based on both survey results and comments, I’d say that the level of concern varied widely, but that, overall, there’s a simmering level of mild unease at his absence.

Fans are used to the annual discussion about absences from OTAs and are well-versed in the key arguments. OTAs are voluntary but every coach and most fans would love to see 100% attendance. Veterans often get a ‘pass’ on the basis that they may have their own established offseason routines that work for them, but fans tend to be more forgiving of players who have recently been healthy and performed at a high level, and less forgiving of those who have been oft-injured or recently performed poorly on the field.

The Commanders have traded for three key veteran players since November. Of the three, only Deebo Samuel has been working out at the Ashburn facility this offseason.

Laremy Tunsil seems to be getting a pass from many fans and media on the basis that: (1) he had a history of not attending OTAs in Houston, and (2) he’s a 5-time pro bowl player, including each of the 3 most recent seasons.

The same is not really true of Lattimore. His injury history runs deep. He has not played in more than 10 regular season games since 2021, which may indicate that whatever he is doing in the Spring to prepare for the season isn’t working. Also, while Lattimore was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and has earned 4 pro bowl selections, he hasn’t gotten pro bowl honors since 2021, his last fully healthy season. As a Commander in two regular season games and three playoff games last season, he was inconsistent. He had some truly bad performances and completely lost his composure and ended up in an on-field fight during the NFC Championship game.

Tunsil is not immune to criticism, and he may have been hearing it recently. Either that, or it’s huge coincidence that he posted a slick video of his offseason workouts last week:

Also, Commanders fans spent much of last season hearing Dan Quinn talk about the value of player attendance at these Spring activities, with the head coach saying that the work done in the early offseason helps build the trust that underlies “the brotherhood” and pays dividends throughout the season.

At a press conference during late-May OTAs, Quinn was asked to comment on the non-attendance of these veterans. Instead of extolling the virtues of having everyone at the facility, DQ chose to say that it’s “not one size fits all” before steering completely away from the question and, instead, citing several elements of the “fantastic offseason”.

This week, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt addressed a similar question about Lattimore’s absence more bluntly, saying, “Marshon hasn’t been here. We’ve been in communication with him, so when he gets here we’ll see exactly where he is from a conditioning standpoint. From a mental standpoint, the coaches have been meeting with him, talking with him. He’s a smart young man, but we’ll see exactly where he is when he gets here.”

Mandatory minicamp is just days away, running from June 10th to 12th. At that time, it will be a surprise and a huge concern if anyone is absent bar Terry McLaurin, who has avoided on-field activities as he negotiates a contract extension with the team. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing both Tunsil and Lattimore on the field and hearing minicamp updates from the coaches about their condition and preparation since both will play key roles in whatever success the Commanders enjoy this season.

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