4 things to watch for Commanders in joint practice with Ravens

The Washington Commanders headed to Owings Mills, Md., on Tuesday for Wednesday’s scheduled joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens . After Saturday’s disappointing performance in a 17-13 loss to the Detroit Lions , Wednesday’s practice holds more weight than the final preseason game on Friday.

While the final preseason game could determine a few final roster spots for the Commanders, the joint practice with Baltimore is a final opportunity for Washington’s starters to get some work against the Ravens’ starters. It matters for the Commanders because their starting offense didn’t play in the first preseason game and had only three snaps in the loss at Detroit.

What does Washington need to see in Wednesday’s practice? Here are four things to watch on Wednesday in Owings Mills.

Jayden Daniels

By all accounts, Daniels has enjoyed an excellent training camp. He looks comfortable in David Blough’s new offense. His accuracy has matched what we saw in his 2024 rookie season. So far, so good, but the Commanders would like to see Daniels have a successful day against the Ravens. Remember, he performed well against the Dolphins in the joint practice two weeks ago, but Baltimore presents a very different challenge. With Daniels unlikely to play in Friday’s preseason finale, Wednesday’s practice is his final regular-season tuneup. A strong performance against the Ravens from Daniels and the first-team offense would alleviate some of the concerns that arose from Saturday’s performance.

Center position

This story continues to evolve. It feels like we’ve been discussing this position since March. Washington still doesn’t know what it has in Nick Allegretti at center because he lacks experience there. But the Commanders have repeatedly expressed confidence in the veteran. He will not participate, as he continues to recover from a calf strain that has sidelined him all camp. Washington knows what it has in Julian Good-Jones. He’s not a starting-quality player. The Commanders should give rookie Matt Gulbin the entire scrimmage to work with each quarterback, especially Daniels. He needs the reps. It will be interesting to see how Gulbin performs against Baltimore’s front seven. This is a big test.

No. 3 receiver

With Washington’s starters on the practice field on Wednesday, which receiver will line up as the No. 3 receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs? While Blough isn’t going to show too much in a practice or preseason game, we’ll learn a lot by seeing who gets most of the reps as the third wideout. Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams, Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson and Jaden Bradley will all get some run, but this could be a test to see who the Commanders trust the most as WR3.

Secondary

With Will Harris gone, Washington’s safety position is set. We know the five the Commanders will keep and have a good idea of their roles. At cornerback, things are less certain. We know Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson are the top two, with Trey Amos still out. Baltimore’s receivers, specifically Zay Flowers, will present a unique challenge for the secondary. How will the Commanders handle Flowers’ quickness and his release? Who will have the responsibility of covering Flowers? The corner position remains a concern heading into the regular season with Ahkello Witherspoon’s retirement and Amos’ injury. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Washington add another cornerback, but this group has another chance to impress against the Ravens.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 4 things to watch for Commanders in joint practice with Ravens

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