It’s not even training camp but Commanders longshot is changing the narrative

As the calendar turns to July and the NFL offseason progresses, it has become mostly a waiting game until the start of training camp.

This is generally the quietest time of the entire year around the league, although the bombshell trade of Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers was a reminder that nothing ever stops where the NFL is concerned. For the Washington Commanders, headlines continue to swirl surrounding star wide receiver Terry McLaurin's contract holdout, as fans hold their breath and speculation ensues from the media as to how his situation will eventually resolve.

Elsewhere, some of the team's position battles throughout OTAs and minicamp have flown under the radar. Several lesser-known players have turned heads to increase their chances of making the final 53-man roster. At least one of them might be a surprise.

Car'lin Vigers could play spoiler in a crowded Commanders' cornerback room

The Commanders' group of cornerbacks has undergone a dramatic overhaul since last offseason, starting with the selection of Mike Sainristil in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Midway through the ensuing campaign, Washington traded for four-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore. This past spring, the team used another second-rounder to pick Trey Amos.

Those three players are virtual locks to make the team. Veteran free agent acquisition Jonathan Jones is as well. Where it gets murkier is behind them, as the re-signed Noah Igbinoghene could be a surprise cut candidate given his role has already been reduced from the starting one he played for much of last year.

That could open the door for a wild card to make the team as Washington's fifth cornerback. Perhaps a sixth if the Commanders keep Igbinoghene. The rest of the group is a mixture of low-cost veterans such as Kevon Seymour and Bobby Price, and a pair of undrafted rookies in Car'lin Vigers and Fentrell Cypress III.

Out of those names, it seems most likely that the Commanders would go with one of the UDFAs in Vigers or Cypress, and the Louisiana product has been considered a 53-man candidate from the start. He received nearly twice as much on his deal as Cypress, indicating Washington has higher hopes for him. Nothing so far has altered this perception.

Every year, there's always that one undrafted player who makes an impact over the offseason and finds himself earning a surprise roster spot. For the 2025 Commanders, that player could be Vigers.