S
econd-round draft pick Phidarian Mathis’ time with the Washington Commanders is expected to be up before the deadline for NFL roster cuts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 27.
The big defensive tackle is predicted to miss out on a spot on the final 53-man roster, but just “barely.” That’s according to ESPN’s John Keim, who thinks John Ridgeway III “barely gets the nod over 2022 second-round pick Phidarian Mathis.”
Keim anticipates the Commanders keeping four defensive tackles. They will include starters Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, while Ridgeway and this year’s second-round pick Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton provide depth.
There could also be room for an unheralded hidden gem, but Mathis won’t be in the mix, despite his collegiate and draft pedigree.
Phidarian Mathis the Odd Man Out
Mathis followed Allen and Payne as yet another former Alabama defensive lineman to join the Commanders after being drafted 47th overall in 2022. Yet, rather than becoming a key member of a fearsome rotation, Mathis lost his rookie season because of a knee injury, before landing on injured reserve again with a calf problem in 2023.
Staying healthy has been a problem, and Mathis has struggled to earn meaningful snaps. The 26-year-old appeared in just 10 games and played a mere 203 snaps last season, per Pro Football Reference.
He’s remained on the roster bubble throughout this offseason, but Keim noted Mathis and Ridgeway “both played with strength inside,” during Washington’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Sunday, August 25.
Mathis certainly caught the eye in the 20-10 win over the Pats, with Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan crediting the 312-pounder with “Blowing up NE’s center on most snaps, living in the backfield. He’s been a wrecking ball so far up front for WSH.”
Praise was also forthcoming from head coach Dan Quinn, who “really felt Phidarian Mathis’ energy throughout the game,” according to Zach Selby of Commanders.com.
Mathis might have helped himself enough to defy Keim’s prediction and avoid being among the cuts, but there are other linemen in the running.
Commanders Have Options At Defensive Tackle
Allen and Payne are locked in as the cornerstones of the first-team unit, but Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. love a deep and active rotation. It means depth players will be crucial.
Fortunately, the Commanders aren’t short of options along the interior. Options like Ridgeway, who also graded highly against the Patriots, per PFF Commanders.
Ridgeway, all 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds of him, offers the Commanders something of an outlier in terms of his skill-set. Notably, a big body who can occupy double teams and clog rushing lanes.
One more lineman to watch is rookie free agent Norell Pollard, according to Keim. Former Virginia Tech standout Pollard is an undersized and disruptive pass-rusher on the inside.
Pollard fits how Quinn and Whitt Jr. want their line to play, while Haggai Ndubuisi, Benning Potoa’e and Taylor Stallworth all remain viable in the battle for roster spots. Mathis and Ridgeway have more experience, though, so the decision could hinge on who impressed coaches more during the Commanders’ exhibition games.
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