Washington Commanders 2023 Training Camp Preview
It could be a time for optimism if you are a Washington Commanders fan. A new offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy should breathe new life into a stale offense. Pairing a new offense with a top-five defense could be a recipe for a playoff berth. There are still quite a few question marks on this roster, and we will be going over those and much more in this Washington Commanders 2023 training camp preview.
Three position battles to watch
Starting Quarterback: Sam Howell vs. Jacoby Brissett
All signs are pointing to Sam Howell being the week one starter for this Washington Commanders team in 2023. He started just one game last year, but finished as QB7 fantasy-wise, as he led the Commanders to an upset win over the Cowboys 26-6. However, the Commanders brought in veteran Jacoby Brissett for depth and likely to push Howell. Howell seems like a better fit to run the new Bieniemy offense.
Starting Left Tackle: Charles Leno Jr. vs. Andrew Wylie
Charles Leno Jr. started all 17 games last year for the Commanders and was not good at all, allowing eight sacks over 1,189 snaps. If this Washington Commanders team wants to take the next step in 2023, protecting the Quarterback must be a higher priority. This offensive line allowed 48 sacks, the sixth most in the NFL. Andrew Wylie is likely the next-best option, but he allowed nine sacks a year ago. The options aren’t great for Washington.
Starting Running Back: Brian Robinson vs. Antonio Gibson
Rounding out our position battles for this Washington Commanders 2023 training camp preview, we look at a battle that has gone on since last season. When the Commanders drafted Brian Robinson out of Alabama, the signs were there that the team might move on from Antonio Gibson. However, they kept him on the squad. Now, we enter a passing offense where Gibson is clearly the better fit, but I’m not convinced Robinson isn’t the better overall running back. Could this team run the same type of tandem style, running back by committee offense again? Sure, I suppose they could. But I think it would be best to choose their guy and stick with him.
Ready To Breakout: Jahan Dotson
Jahan Dotson has the potential to be an electric second option in this new offense. In 12 games last year, he finished with just 523 yards, but averaged 14.9 yards per catch (tenth best in the league) and had seven touchdowns. Look for Dotson to vastly improve on his catches (and targets) from a year ago, leading to some massive numbers being put up in 2023.
Dotson is also my pick for Fantasy Sleeper as well. His current ranking and ADP entering 2023 is WR39 and ADP of 87.2. He sits currently behind Treylon Burks, Hollywood Brown, and Michael Pittman. I highlight them because Dotson is better than those receivers and his finish in 2023 should show that. Washington might have a pair of top-20 fantasy receivers on their hands.
Rookie To Watch: Emmanuel Forbes
The Washington Commanders surprised a lot of people by taking Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes 17th overall in this year’s draft. He was listed as the seventh corner on Trey’s board, I was a bit higher on him but still had a second-round grade. However, if he lives up to the billing of a first-round pick, Washington will have some studs on the outside, with Forbes being paired with Kendall Fuller.
