The Washington Commanders entered the offseason feeling pretty good about their tight ends. With Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner, Armani Rogers and Curtis Hodges on the roster, there was a nice mix of experience, size, blocking ability and explosiveness.
Unfortunately, an Achilles injury ended Rogers’ season on the first day of OTAs. The former college quarterback was the most explosive of Washington’s tight ends, but despite the loss, the Commanders believe the group is healthier and improved from last year.
The group also has a new coach. Juan Castillo coached Washington’s tight ends last season, and while he still holds that title, he’ll help out former assistant offensive line coach Travelle Wharton on the offensive line in 2023. Wharton replaced John Matsko as Washington’s offensive line coach.
Todd Storm was promoted to assistant tight ends coach last season after spending two years as a quality control assistant. Now, Storm will lead the room in 2023.
The Commanders have yet to hand out any new coaching titles until the ownership transition occurs. Still, Storm recently spoke with JP Finlay of NBC 4 in Washington, D.C., and believes he has a strong group heading into training camp.
“I’m really excited about this group; we had five guys, we’ve got four guys now after losing Armani Rogers,” Storm said. We got tall, long, athletic guys that can make plays.”
Some thought Thomas could be a salary-cap casualty. Head coach Ron Rivera never considered moving on from Thomas, believing he was fully healthy at the end of last season, and that would carry over into 2023.
“He’s a great leader for our room,” Storm said of Thomas. “He does things the right way. He stays in his book; he’s studying. When he’s out on the field, he leads by example. He finishes plays; he’s finishing downfield with blocks.”
Most importantly, Storm says Thomas is fully healthy.
“I have nothing but good things to say about Logan. He looks like he was in 2020. He’s healthy.”
Some forget about Bates because he doesn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but Storm understands his importance to the offense.
“He’s a complete tight end,” Storm said of Bates. “He hasn’t gotten a ton of opportunities over the years, but he can do it. You can see it on the tape. He’s where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there…….he’s going to play in the NFL for a long time.”
While Thomas and Bates are seemingly the top two on the depth chart, Turner is one of Washington’s most critical offensive players in 2023. After bursting on the scene in OTAs and early in training camp last year, a hamstring injury prematurely ended Turner’s preseason. When he returned, he suffered a concussion that cost him more time.
Like Thomas, Turner is completely healthy and was outstanding throughout OTAs in the spring.
“He’s got a lot of work to do, but he’s working hard,” Storm said. “His ability to get in and out of breaks is really good……he has a really good feel for defense and coverage and where he fits in the concept. And he’s got top-tier ball skills.”
Don’t forget about Hodges.
“He’s huge,” Storm said of Hodges. “Another guy that has a ton of upside. The room is exciting…….I’m fired up for this season.”
Storm made sure to tell Finlay how appreciative he was of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for trusting him with the opportunity to lead the tight ends.
It’s understandable that people felt the Commanders didn’t do enough at tight end in the offseason. They are banking on a lot of things to go right. But if things do go right, this position may not be as weak as some presume it to be in 2023.
