The Washington Commanders have less than a week to trim their roster from 90 to 53 players. The Commanders made one tough decision on Tuesday, releasing former starting safety Will Harris. Once it became clear that Washington wasn't keeping Harris, the team wanted to do right by him and give him a head start on finding a new team before hundreds of players hit free agency at the same time on Sunday.
With Harris off the bubble and no longer on the roster, which Washington players need to shine during Wednesday's joint practice with the Ravens, followed by Friday's preseason finale?
Here are five players to watch in Wednesday's joint practice with Baltimore:
With Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols battling injuries and Jerome Ford already gone, Henry has another chance to shine. After an impressive preseason opener against the Dolphins, Henry crashed back down to earth last week. As of now, Henry probably hasn't done quite enough to earn a spot on the 53. He must make it hard for the Commanders to cut him. He'll likely split time with Rachaad White and fellow rookie Kaytron Allen. Henry needs to make the most out of every touch.
Last week, head coach Dan Quinn said he wanted to see the rookie sixth-round pick get more work at guard after an impressive first performance. Quinn said that because whoever makes the roster as a backup offensive lineman must be able to play multiple spots. However, after seeing Julian Good-Jones' struggles last week in place of Nick Allegretti, Gulbin should handle every rep, regardless of who is playing quarterback. Gulbin got more work with starter Jayden Daniels during Tuesday's practice, and that should be the case on Wednesday.

#week #practice

The Washington Commanders trimmed their suddenly crowded running back room by one recently. Last week, Washington placed fifth-year veteran Jerome Ford on the reserve/injured list after he'd suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Once Ford was moved to IR, the Commanders and Ford were expected to reach an injury settlement, which would allow Ford to sign with another team once he's healthy. According to Martenzie Johnson of NOTUS, Washington recently released Ford, meaning he's no longer on the roster.
The move is not a surprise. Even if Ford had made it through the preseason healthy, he faced long odds at making the Commanders' 53-man roster. Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White are locks, while rookie sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen is close.
With Washington likely keeping four backs, veteran Jeremy McNichols is the leading candidate for the final spot, but undrafted rookie Robert Henry Jr. is making a push. After a strong showing in the preseason opener, Henry had a rough outing in Saturday's loss to the Lions. McNichols is currently sidelined with a quad injury, but Washington knows him well and everything that he brings to the table.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders trim running back room with the release of one veteran

#washington #Commanders #veteran

The Washington Commanders sat almost all of their starters in Friday's 20-7 preseason win over the Miami Dolphins. That list included starting running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt and the player he'll share time with, Rachaad White. Veteran Jeremy McNichols also didn't play.
Their absences created an opportunity for rookie running backs, sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen and undrafted free agent Robert Henry Jr. The rookies took advantage, combining for 160 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Both were impressive, with Allen leading the way with 85 yards. However, Henry looked explosive and could force his way onto the 53-man roster.
Veteran Jerome Ford also played in Friday's game, carrying the ball one time.
Considering how well Washington's rookies looked, it was a bit surprising on Monday when it was revealed that the Commanders were signing veteran back Craig Reynolds. When head coach Dan Quinn met with the media on Sunday, he provided some clarity on McNichols.
"So, Jeremy, he'll be out for a few weeks," Quinn said. "He's got a pretty good quad injury, so he will not be back in for this week. You'll see him off to the side, working some rehab into that spot, but he's got a pretty good quad injury that'll take a few weeks, for sure."

#veteran #mcnichols #allen #he 'll

Fantasy football managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who's actually being slept on can be difficult. With that in mind, let's shine the spotlight on some players available in the late rounds or even off the waiver wire who could surprise in 2026.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Over the next week, I'll revisit my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we're taking a look at running backs.
Expectations for seventh-round picks are normally very low, with their main goal being just to make the team. By that measure, Croskey-Merritt had a strong rookie season last year, though it felt like he didn't capitalize enough on his opportunities.
Brian Robinson Jr. being traded before Week 1 and Austin Ekeler suffering a season-ending injury left a three-man committee with JCM, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols — which limited everyone's fantasy ceiling.

#season #week

The Washington Commanders were off on Monday, but general manager Adam Peters remained busy. First, Washington made an addition at running back, signing veteran Craig Reynolds. Veteran Jeremy McNichols is currently dealing with a quad injury.
Secondly, Washington made a decision at kicker. Incumbent Jake Moody had been competing with undrafted rookie Drew Stevens, but on Monday, the Commanders released Moody. Stevens now has the kicking job.
Finally, Peters made yet another move, as Washington is expected to sign veteran linebacker Krys Barner, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Barnes, 28, entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. He initially signed with the Green Bay Packers and played there for three seasons. In 2023, Barnes signed with the Arizona Cardinals and played for two seasons. He played for the Carolina Panthers last season.
In six NFL seasons, Barnes has appeared in 75 games with 33 starts. He has 303 career tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception.

#barnes #played #Monday

For the first time since training camp opened on Wednesday, fans were in attendance for Day 3 of camp for the Washington Commanders. The day began with some injury news, as head coach Dan Quinn revealed tight end John Bates was dealing with a strained hamstring and would miss "a couple of weeks."
But there was some good injury news: after missing only one practice with a sore foot, wide receiver Treylon Burks was back.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels had his best practice of the week so far, making multiple excellent throws. Daniels and Burks connected for an impressive conversion during third-down drills. Overall, though, it was another day where the defense held the upper hand.
So, which players stood out on Day 3? We look at four standouts from the third day of Washington's training camp.
Every day, it seems like a running back is making this list. Rachaad White is off to a fast start, and so is Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Jeremy McNichols, the 30-year-old, 10-year veteran, said, "Don't forget about me."

#camp

Hey Commanders fans, what do you know about Robert Henry Jr?
With the Washington Commanders rookies having already reported for the 2026 training camp, let's learn about Henry. Initially, it is perfectly understandable if no one in the Commanders fan base knew of Henry in his first two years of college. You see, he played for Jones College in Ellisville, Mississippi, a junior college in 2021 and 2022. Henry then transferred, finding a new football home at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
Playing at UTSA from 2023-2025, Henry blossomed in his senior season, accumulating 1,045 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 151 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt. One of the things that Commanders scouts no doubt noticed about Henry was his development in his ability to break off an explosive run for big yardage. Henry produced five rushes of 70-plus yards in 2025. This was not only the best, but was three more than any other FBS player. Henry was named a first-team All-American Athletic Conference and was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist.
Standing 5-foot-9, weighing 196 pounds, Henry is not exactly Derrick Henry in stature. This is another reason Henry went undrafted in April's 2026 NFL Draft. When the seventh and final draft rounds had concluded, there was Henry still available, and the Commanders ****** ed him, signing him to an undrafted free agent deal.
The Commanders' running back room has Jacory Croskey-Merritt "Bill" and Jeremy McNichols returning from the 2025 team. Chris Rodriguez departed, signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent. Offseason additions have included signing free agents Rachaad White and Jerome Ford. The draft brought Kaytron Allen from Penn State in the sixth round.

#henry #utsa

Larry Williams' announcement of his retirement as track coach has echoes of the time he was hired.
Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, Hall of Fame coaches John McNichols and Marshall Goss ran Bloomington's boys track/cross country programs before turning them over to a pair of future Hall of Famers in Larry Williams and Charlie Warthan.
Some four decades later, Warthan is leaving North, and Williams, 64, is now 66.7% retired, deciding to give up teaching a few years back and now stepping away as South's head boys track coach after 44 years while retaining his spot in charge of the boys cross country team. It's time for the next generation to step up.
"I've been thinking all throughout the season," Williams said. "It was time. A lot of things with it, including going in more and more stressed than I wanted to be.
"I still love it, but we had nearly 100 boys, and there's only 16 events. I laughed that this year I was going to start using Medicare and Social Security and just became a grandfather. That put some things in perspective. Cross country also takes a lot of time, but you're coaching everyone to the same event instead of workouts for multiple events."

#time #larry

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt proved to be one of the steals of the 2025 NFL Draft. Croskey-Merritt, better known as Bill, was a seventh-round pick who led the Commanders with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season. Amazingly, 24 other running backs were selected ahead of him last year.
Bill also averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per attempt as a rookie and started only seven games. Even more impressive, Croskey-Merritt reached these numbers by only playing 38.5% of Washington's offensive snaps.
This offseason, ****** ysts and fans wanted to see Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in Washington. The Commanders were reportedly interested, but how interested, we will never know. Love went No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals, and Washington selected linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7 overall.
The Commanders like Bill. They allowed Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr. to depart this offseason and didn't pursue top free-agent running backs such as Kenneth Walker Jr. or Travis Etienne. Washington did add veteran backfield help, signing Rachaad White and Jerome Ford. The Commanders also re-signed dependable and versatile veteran Jeremy McNichols and spent a sixth-round pick on Kaytron Allen.
White is expected to have a significant role in David Blough's new offense. But from all indications, Croskey-Merritt will be Washington's lead back. He bulked up this offseason in anticipation of an increased role. He's also worked on his receiving skills.

Hey Washington fans, what were the top five offensive plays for the 2025 Commanders?
Well, there was a top-plays list of highlights put together by the Commanders' internal media staff. It was a part of the NFL highlights packages they have the teams do each season. Although technically, the list was ***** led the top 5 Craziest Plays for 2025. The only problem is the word 'crazy' completely confuses what types of plays these were. Were they lucky bounces? Were they tipped ***** that were caught or intercepted? Not at all, so really a poor choice for an adjective there by the one entitling the plays. Looking at the plays, you will feel the adjective chosen should have been something like the top 5 excellent/outstanding plays or something like Big Play touchdowns.
Some of these you will certainly disagree with the order. I know I certainly did. For me, how is the Jeremy McNichols run not the play of the year for the Commanders? I mean, he breaks a tackle, runs over the guy, then takes off for the distance touchdown run. Treylon Burks, of course, made a nice catch, but how does anyone think he had to do as much on that play as McNichols did on his long touchdown run?
Let's look at those plays.
Okay, you've seen the five plays. Which did you feel was the craziest play of the five?

The Washington Commanders knew they had a ton of holes to fill this offseason, and for the most part, they were able to do so.
We know injuries play a large role in the team's 2025 struggles, but a lack of quality depth hurt as well. With OTAs and minicamp over, we've learned a good bit about this team, and there definitely seems to be more quality depth on both sides of the ball.
Whenever talent is added, though, it means some former contributors may lose their roles. Today, let's identify three Commanders' veterans who could be somewhat surprising cuts ahead of Week 1.
Jeremy McNichols has become a familiar face in Washington. The running back played all 17 games in both 2024 and 2025. McNichols has never been a huge part of the offense, but he's a very reliable special-teams contributor, which gives him value.
However, the Commanders overhauled the running back room this offseason, and it may be hard to justify keeping him around again. Bill Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen, and Jerome Ford are all in the room, and even rookie Robert Henry Jr. has looked impressive. ******* uming the team keeps four running backs, it wouldn't be surprising to see Ford or Henry sneak in ahead of McNichols.