Hogs Haven
In a little over a week, Hogs Haven will be buzzing with news about new Commanders additions in training camp. Naturally, the spotlight will focus the most on returning stars like QB Jayden Daniels, high-profile free agent additions such as OLB Odafe Oweh and TE Chig Okonkwo, and early-round NFL draft picks LB Sonny Styles and WR Antonio Williams.
For some fans, however, the more interesting camp stories are annual battles waged by players on the fringe, fighting their way onto the final 53-man roster and keeping their NFL dreams alive. Over the years, Washington football fans have witnessed some great camp and preseason stories of underdogs beating the odds, like Alfred Morris, Kyshoen Jarrett, Chase Roullier, Jeremy Reaves and Kam Curl.
Each year at Hogs Haven we celebrate the efforts of early-career roster-fringe players to earn a place on the team – or at least convince us that they will – with the Mason/Brennan Preseason Hype! Award. This year a new crop or fringe hopefuls will try to make their case, along with a host of returning players.
I highlighted the Mason/Brennan-eligible candidates among them in a three-part preview (Front Runners, Chasing Pack, Dark Horses and Long Shots) ahead of OTAs.
This year’s camp promises some interesting position battles at kicker, center, wide receiver and defensive back, with opportunities for fringe-players to earn playing time. Names to watch at those positions include Drew Stevens, Matt Gulbin, Jaden Bradley, Chris Hilton, Malik Spencer, and Fred Davis II. But the real excitement of training camp and pre-season is that you never really know who might emerge from obscurity to claim a position on the final 53.
While most Day 3 draft picks, UDFAs and other players on reserve/futures contracts will never make it as major contributors on an NFL team, it is a lazy take to dismiss their chances. The numbers are stacked against them. But every preseason we see players emerge from the bottom of depth charts to claim roster spots, and sometimes become starters and even stars in the NFL.
To illustrate why every preseason battle deserves attention, this article diverts the spotlight for a moment from the early roster locks to focus attention on players who began their NFL journeys on the fringes, fighting for positions in camp, and went on to earn significant playing time on Super Bowl rosters.
As the Commanders seek to return to the big stage, GM Adam Peters will need to fill out the roster with 53 competitors. As the data in my most recent article revealed, he is unlikely to do that entirely with early-round draft picks, marquee free agents, and trade acquisitions. He will most likely need some help from players who faced an uphill battle to earn their place on the team. To set the stage for battles for the last few places on the roster in camp, let’s take a moment to reflect on the contributions and journeys of former roster-fringe hopefuls to Super Bowl rosters.
Former Roster-Fringe Players...
