The biggest offensive questions facing the Commanders entering training camp
From Jayden Daniels and Jacory Croskey-Merritt to David Blough's debut as coordinator, here's the biggest question at every offensive position — plus the other storylines worth watching this summer.
Group projects are more fun.
I’ve spent the offseason collecting questions about the Washington Commanders. Rather than keep them in my notebook, let’s work through them together ahead of training camp.
We begin with the offense. Jayden Daniels, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chig Okonkwo and David Blough each have a defining question to answer. At the same time, the receiver room and offensive line offer plenty of intrigue of their own.
Speaking of group events…
Quarterback
Does Jayden Daniels display his 2024 form?
Nothing matters more.
Washington can withstand uncertainty at receiver, a rookie needing time or even an injury or two along the offensive line. If Daniels returns to looking like the dynamic quarterback who had arguably the best rookie season for a quarterback in modern league history, the Commanders will have a chance every week. If he doesn’t, every other storyline becomes secondary.
The challenge isn’t simply returning healthy after missing 10 games and finishing only four last season because of three separate injuries. Blame any player, coach or circumstance you want, but Washington’s offense never resembled the explosive unit from its magical 2024 season. Daniels’ completion percentage, yards per attempt and QBR were all down in 2025.
Now Daniels must grow in a new offense that will place him in new angles on the field and demand more of him mentally. The athleticism and improvisation remain weapons, but the next step is for the third-year QB to prove he can consistently beat defenses before the snap and from the pocket.
New coordinator David Blough has incorporated more under-center snaps, longer play calls and a greater emphasis on timing within structure. All of that sounds great, and optimism is real, but let’s see how all the principles produce before declaring the post-Kingsbury scheme a winner.
Other camp questions:
Can Daniels stay healthy for an entire season?
Has Daniels taken another step as a pre-snap processor?
Will the offense ask him to run less, and can the QB avoid unnecessary contact?
Can Athan Kaliakmanis not only beat out Sam Hartman for the QB3 role, but offer hope that the seventh-rounder could eventually become Daniels’ primary backup?
Running back
Is Jacory Croskey-Merritt a three-down back?
The Commanders don’t need Croskey-Merritt to become Saquon Barkley overnight.
They do need someone capable of handling enough volume to keep the offense balanced and prevent Daniels from carrying too much of the rushing burden.
Perhaps most of all, they need an all-around option capable of keeping defenses uncertain about whether to run or pass.
Austin Ekeler served in that role until his season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2. Once he went down, the mystery faded. Croskey-Merritt or Chris Rodriguez in the backfield almost always meant a run, or at a minimum, defensive coordinators knew neither was a receiving threat and could adjust personnel accordingly.
Free agent signee Rachaad White demonstrated three-down capabilities over his four seasons in Tampa Bay, particularly as a pass catcher (205 receptions). Yet after generating 1,539 yards from scrimmage on 336 touches in 2023, White’s workload shrunk over the next two seasons with 367 touches combined. Landing only a one-year, $2 million deal suggests other teams also viewed White as more of a complementary piece than a featured back.
Croskey-Merritt flashed explosiveness whenever healthy, but soft tissue leg soreness kept him off the field during OTAs. Though he returned for mini-camp, training camp should reveal whether the coaching staff trusts him beyond early downs.
Pass protection, route running and ball security often determine whether talented runners stay on the field in decisive moments. If he proves dependable in those areas, Washington may finally have the every-down option it has lacked since Brian Robinson Jr.’s best stretches.
Other camp questions:
Is Croskey-Merritt ready for steady touches weekly after only three games with 15 or more last season?
Can Washington generate a consistent running game without Daniels?
Does this backfield have enough big-play ability?
Will Kaytron Allen turn the backfield into a three-headed committee, or will Jeremy McNichols or Jerome Ford crash the party?
Wide receiver
Will a true No. 2 target emerge opposite Terry McLaurin?
This may be the biggest offensive question not involving Daniels.
McLaurin remains one of the NFL’s most reliable receivers, but defenses know exactly where the football is headed in key moments unless another option consistently wins one-on-one.
Attempts at landing a significant veteran receiver this offseason fell incomplete. Washington added competition, but players whose resumes read depth more than starters. The good news is the receiver room this year has players with complementary skill sets, meaning Blough has a viable option for any scenario.
Youngsters such as third-round pick Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane are fighting for opportunities, particularly from the slot. At the same time, vets Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson and Treylon Burks seek larger roles.
The Commanders don’t necessarily need a 1,000-yard receiver. They do need someone opposing coordinators genuinely respect. Whether that comes from one breakout player — Williams the best bet if he can win on the outside — or a committee approach could determine the offense’s ceiling.
Other camp questions:
Is there a mystery receiver set to join the roster?
Can McLaurin — 31 in September — once again thrive as the center of Washington’s passing game?
Which receivers earn the final roster spots?
Will Jaden Bradley, Jacoby Jones or another roster longshot pop this summer?
Tight end
How good is Chig Okonkwo for real?
With Zach Ertz gone, Washington didn’t simply replace a starter. It handed Okonkwo an opportunity to become one of the offense’s featured weapons.
He has flashed the athleticism to create mismatches throughout his career, yet consistent production has never followed. Okonkwo had only eight touchdowns across four seasons with the Titans and never topped 560 receiving yards.
Some of that falls on Tennessee’s offensive environment. Some falls on a player still searching for complete consistency as both a receiver and blocker. The Commanders believe a more creative offense and Daniels’ willingness to attack the middle of the field can unlock another level.
If that happens, Blough suddenly has a versatile chess piece capable of stressing linebackers and safeties while creating easier throws for his quarterback. If not, Washington still has a capable starter—but perhaps not the matchup problem it envisioned.
Other camp questions:
Who comes out as Daniels’ go-to red-zone target now that Ertz is gone?
Is Ben Sinnott ready for a larger offensive role in Year 3?
How committed is Washington to featuring more two- and three-tight end sets?
How much more will the new scheme incorporate John Bates as a receiver after the blocking TE caught as many passes the past two seasons (19) as he did in 2023?
Offensive line
Has the interior improved since last season?
Laremy Tunsil grabs the headlines, but the biggest offensive line questions lie inside.
Washington’s surprising release of center Tyler Biadasz created a hole in front of Daniels. It’s unclear how well the apparent replacement, Nick Allegretti, fills in.
In between Tunsil and Allegretti comes one of the juicier camp competitions. Chris Paul started the final 15 games at left guard last season after Brandon Coleman underwhelmed in the first two. With the Commanders’ switching to a zone-blocking scheme, Coleman’s high-end athleticism might put the 2024 third-round pick back with the starters.
If the interior consistently creates cleaner pockets and more movement in the run game, Daniels should spend less time avoiding defenders and more time attacking defenses. That alone could lift every skill player on the roster.
Other camp questions:
Is Josh Conerly Jr. ready to take a considerable leap at right tackle?
What happens with Coleman if he cannot unseat Paul? Supplant Andrew Wylie as the swing tackle?
Are the backup center options good enough if needed?
Will right guard Sam Cosmi return to Pro Bowl consideration now that he’s roughly 20 months removed from his significant knee injury?
Overall
Will David Blough push the right buttons in Year 1?
Replacing Kliff Kingsbury isn’t about copying what worked in 2024. It’s about building the next version of the offense.
Blough inherits one of the league’s most valuable assets in Daniels but also the responsibility of juggling development with winning. His early emphasis on operating under center, using more varied formations and expanding the quarterback’s responsibilities suggests Washington wants an offense that can win multiple ways rather than relying on Daniels’ improvisational brilliance.
Installing a scheme is one challenge. Calling games on Sundays is another.
How quickly Blough adapts to defenses, creates favorable matchups for an unproven receiving corps and maximizes Daniels’ strengths will determine whether his first season as coordinator becomes the beginning of something long-term or purely a learning experience.
Other camp questions:
Is this offense deeper than the 2024 version?
Will Washington score more efficiently in the red zone?
Can this offense win when Daniels isn’t spectacular?
How aggressive will the offense be on fourth down?