Are the Washington Commanders in trouble at wide receiver? It’s been the talk of training camp in recent days with Terry McLaurin’s continued absence and Noah Brown’s nagging injury. What do the Commanders have outside of Deebo Samuel?
That’s a fair question. Samuel has had a phenomenal training camp. He and quarterback Jayden Daniels are on the same page, and Samuel has shown he’s more than just a gadget guy this summer. Second-year wideout Luke McCaffrey is still adjusting to the NFL after beginning his college career as a quarterback. It’s only McCaffrey’s fourth year of playing wide receiver. Rookie Jaylin Lane has the Commanders excited, but how much can he contribute as a rookie?
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There appears to be no end in sight to McLaurin’s situation. Sure, he’s on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury, but a new contract would make that ankle feel much better. When will a deal get done? Washington believes McLaurin will be back for Week 1 regardless, but what about Brown? He’s missed significant time this summer, and we’ve gotten no real update on his status.
This begs the question: Should the Commanders sign a veteran receiver? While no option is perfect, there are intriguing options available, led by Amari Cooper. The 10-year veteran is still only 31 years old with over 10,000 career receiving yards. Cooper didn’t light things up after being traded to the Buffalo Bills and playing with MVP Josh Allen last season, but he still averaged almost 15 yards per reception (20 receptions). Remember, only two years ago, Cooper had 1,250 receiving yards with the Browns and averaged over 17 yards per catch.
In Washington, Cooper would be the No. 3 receiver, at most. He could thrive in that role.
What about 26-year-old Gabe Davis? He was once viewed as an up-and-coming star, but he struggled with the Jaguars last season. Maybe catching passes from Jayden Daniels would revive his still-young career. The 6-foot-2 Davis is an excellent deep-ball receiver, which could make him even more enticing than Cooper.
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Other options are available, too, such as Allen Robinson, Jamison Crowder and Tyler Boyd.
What should Washington do?
It makes sense for the Commanders to sign a veteran. Cooper makes sense as he’s a reliable veteran who isn’t going to be asked to be a top option. Davis is an intriguing option because of his size, youth, and ability to make plays down the field.
Friday’s preseason game showed that players like Chris Moore and K.J. Osborn aren’t taking advantage of their opportunities. The Commanders can add veteran help for cheap and without sacrificing any draft pick compensation. Washington could be waiting to see what happens with the McLaurin situation and for final cutdown day. Other teams will undoubtedly cut productive wideouts who could help the back end of the Commanders’ roster.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders have veteran options available at wide receiver