After Terry McLaurin got his long-awaited contract extension, and the ensuing celebration subsided, Washington Commanders fans’ eyes turned to the 53-man roster cuts.
The Commanders were one of the more intriguing teams to watch at the deadline, with the team having a few question marks regarding who would and wouldn’t make the final roster.
Here are a few notable names who didn’t make the cut, starting with a player who saw extensive time this preseason:
Sam Hartman, QB
Though Hartman is a fan favorite, the Washington faithful would tell you themselves that the signal-caller was hard to watch in his preseason appearances. The Notre Dame product was clearly the odd man out in the quarterback room, even with veteran Josh Johnson struggling as well.
Hartman completed 25 of his 46 passes, a paltry 54.3 percent, and threw for zero touchdowns to four interceptions. He rarely threw passes beyond checkdowns, and his throws to the outside lacked zip.
Washington signed the 26-year-old to its practice squad, though Hartman’s poor play has left him as the last option in the quarterback room.
K.J. Osborn and Michael Gallup, WR
Amid McLaurin’s contract dispute, the lack of wide receiver depth showcased in the preseason only worsened Commanders fans’ fears about how the offense would fare without the reigning All-Pro honoree.
Washington brought in Osborn and Gallup to potentially compete for a spot in the receiving corps. The former was once a solid target in Minnesota, and the latter — despite coming out of retirement this offseason — eclipsed 1,000 yards with Dallas in 2019.
As veterans who are still under 30, Washington seemingly thought the pair may have had some juice left, though their best days are clearly behind them.
McLaurin, offseason addition Deebo Samuel, rookie Jaylin Lane, “Hail Maryland” hero Noah Brown and 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey complete the receiving corps of Washington’s 53-man roster.
Clelin Ferrell, DE
Ferrell was perhaps the deadline’s most surprising cut on the surface, considering that he started 10 games for Washington last season. The 28-year-old also plays a position where the Commanders are already quite thin.
Though with a closer look at his performance last year, Ferrell seems replaceable.
Pro Football Focus gave the Clemson product a below-average 58.5 overall grade, ranking him 123rd out of 210 edge defenders. Washington also added Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jacob Martin on the defensive line, and Von Miller as an on-ball linebacker, making Ferrell expendable.
Cole Turner, TE
Turner was one of the last vestiges of the Ron Rivera era in Washington, speaking to how poorly the previous administration drafted. Though the Nevada product was only a fifth-round pick in 2022 — a far cry from the disappointment of the six consecutive first-round selections from 2019 to 2023 who are no longer with the Commanders — Turner had the physical potential to be at least a solid tight end.
Zach Ertz, John Bates, and Ben Sinnott were a given to make the team, but former undrafted free agent Colson Yankoff beating out Turner for the final spot was far from guaranteed.
Turner appeared in 12 games and recorded one start last season, hauling in 11 receptions for 120 yards. Yankoff, meanwhile, didn’t record an offensive stat in his first year with the team.
Foster Sarell, OL
In a vacuum, Washington cutting Sarell isn’t anything noteworthy; who made the roster in his place is.
The Commanders signed veteran tackle George Fant — who was one of the nine offensive linemen to make the 53-man roster — on Aug. 19, a week before the final roster deadline.
Though Sarell has only three career starts to Fant’s 75, it was unexpected for the Commanders to essentially replace the 27-year-old with a player they signed only a week prior.
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