Commanders 53-Man Roster: Why Did Washington Keep 5 Tight Ends?

The Commanders make a slightly surprising decision.

As all 32 teams cut their rosters down to 53 players Tuesday, the Washington Commanders did something very few other teams did.

The Commanders, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins were the only teams that elected to keep five tight ends on the initial 53-man roster. 

While there is wiggle room for teams to change their roster between now and the start of the season, head coach Ron Rivera says all of the tight ends are rostered for a reason.

"I think when you look at the tight end position, we kept five for a reason," Rivera said. "We like all five. We think there is a place for those guys. That is also a position that we are still working through the roster for clarification as far as guys statuses.”

What may be true one day can be different the next. Every team must be flexible and fluid to withstand the season, but it was somewhat of a surprise to see the team keep five tight ends.

One of the biggest questions going into the day was whether the team would place either John Bates (calf) and/or Cole Turner (hamstring) on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. The pair have not been practicing for a few weeks and there was speculation that one or both might not be on the team's 53-man roster to begin the season. 

However, with their additions to the roster, it signals that the team expects both of them to be ready before Week 4, the amount of time required to miss if a player were to land on the PUP List. Star defensive end Chase Young is not on the team's 53-man roster for this reason.

With Bates and Turner absent for a large part of camp, along with Logan Thomas' recovery from a knee injury, it gave other tight ends on the roster an opportunity. Armani Rogers and Curtis Hodges played well during the preseason.

Rogers, a former college quarterback, ran for 2215 yards and 27 touchdowns during his five year career at UNLV (2017-19) and Ohio (2020-21). The Commanders are intrigued by the idea of a 6-5 college mobile quarterback as a tight end. Rogers running in open space could create problems for opposing defenses if utilized correctly. Turner was drafted to be the team's pass-catching tight end, so if he is out, expect Rogers to play more of a role.

Hodges, who stands 6-8 and weighs 240 pounds can be used in more of a blocking role. If Bates were to be out for a longer period of time, expect Hodges to play a bulk of his reps.

Adding five tight ends, all with different skillsets, gives the Commanders flexibility to move in whichever direction they see fit ... what may be true one day can be different the next.

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