Can Commanders players Ale Kaho & Antonio Hamilton earn roster spots tonight? - Daily Slop

The running back room became a lot more interesting once the preseason started. Jacory Croskey-Merritt showed up to camp with more muscle and ready to compete, but he has what Dan Quinn has described as a lower-body issue that he's working through. Kaytron Allen has continued strengthening his case , while Robert Henry Jr. went from being an afterthought in most roster projections to somebody Washington has to seriously consider after his performance against Miami. Jeremy McNichols looked fairly secure as the veteran fourth back entering camp before a quadriceps injury removed him from several important late-preseason opportunities. Washington then signed veteran Craig Reynolds , initially because the team simply needed another healthy running back to get through practices and games. Still, every additional body adds another option. The decision here can't be made strictly by looking at rushing totals either. Pass protection, special teams, third-down reliability, and which backs can actually be active on game day will matter. Allen and Henry have made this a much harder decision than it seemed a month ago, and Washington now has to decide whether the young backs have done enough to change the original roster math.

Kaliakmanis has completed 17 of 24 passes for 249 yards, averaging 10.38 yards per attempt with zero interceptions and an aggregate passer rating that reflects a quarterback playing with confidence rather than just managing the game. His 10.38 yards per attempt is elite by any standard — in the regular season, that number would rank among the best in the NFL. It's preseason, yes. But the traits it reflects — arm talent, intermediate accuracy, downfield aggressiveness, comfort in the pocket — don't disappear when the games start counting.

The scheme fit matters too. David Blough's offense is built on play-action, RPOs, and rollouts that require a quarterback who can plant and drive the ball downfield from unconventional platforms. Kaliakmanis looks more comfortable after two preseason games than Hartman has in three years of being in the building.