A Deep Dive into the WR solution for WFT

Beyond quarterback, upgrading Washington’s wide receiving corps has been the number one question filling up my inbox this offseason.

With a plethora of options in both free agency and the NFL Draft-in addition to the fourth-most cap room in a cash-strapped NFL-the Burgundy & Gold are in good position to add at least two weapons to their WR room.

Terry McLaurin has emerged as a bona fide #1 receiver since being drafted as a special teams ace in 2019, producing over 2000 yards combined in his first two seasons even with the double coverage and bracketing that defenses have thrown at him.

While weapons across the board are a need for Scott Turner’s young offense, priority #1 should be finding a threat that forces defenses to shift some coverage away from Scary Terry. Below I will discuss WFT’s options, starting with free agency, which begins in earnest on March 17th.

With such a deep draft class of WRs, one might beg the question; ‘Why pay $10m-$20m for a WR when you can draft one in the middle rounds for a fraction of the cost?’ Well, the answer is that you know what you’re getting with veteran players. Is that knowledge worth the cost? Let’s have a look at a few options:

Curtis Samuel

The WR that has been relentlessly linked to Washington is Curtis Samuel.

Samuel enjoyed his breakout year in offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s offense, and, of course, was drafted when Ron Rivera was in Carolina. Samuel finished the 2020 season with over 1000 all-purpose yards that included a whopping 41 carries.

While Samuel is the type of versatile player Scott Turner seems to covet, I have a few issues with Samuel’s fit here.

First off, Samuel was with Rivera/Turner for 3 years in Carolina and was one of the least efficient WRs in the league over that time span.

Secondly, WR/RB combo players JD McKissick and Antonio Gibson are already on the roster.

Thirdly, as I stated previously, McLaurin needs a player to help take coverage away from his side, and an underneath/gadget player does not demand such coverage. I am not against this signing, I just don’t see the fit.

Allen Robinson

Allen Robinson, in my eyes, is unlikely to suit up in the B&G.

He is likely to get franchised and therefore would demand a ton of value in both trading assets and the contract a team would have to give up. If he isn’t franchised, why would he want to play for Washington’s current stable of QBs after starring in his first 7 seasons without a real QB?

His skillset is certainly enticing, as even though he has spent his entire career demanding coverage on his side of the field, he has averaged 999.98 yds/season (not counting his ACL tear season in which he caught one pass).

Robinson wins with route savvy and physicality and can win on underneath and medium routes. Robinson’s hands (68% catch rate on all targets) are second only to DeAndre Hopkins, and one can only imagine the numbers he could produce if he caught balls from a year QB.

Kenny Golladay

Golladay is a very intriguing option for the WFT.

He has a skillset similar to Robinson, but he adds a tremendous deep threat ability to any offense. He can win underneath and can use his size (6’4”) on 50/50 balls, but he also demands coverage over the top and still averaged 17 ypc in 2020.

Golladay also has relatively little tread on the tires as he has only played 4 seasons in the NFL. Such a WR would certainly help McLaurin as defenses would have to respect both deep halves on every play.

Defensive coordinators, then, have to pick their poison; play one safety deep and risk getting beat for a big play or leave the middle and underneath parts of the field wide open if both safeties are kept deep. Golladay would be my #1 target in free agency.

Corey Davis

Corey Davis is an interesting prospect.

Drafted 5th overall by the Titans in 2017, his 5th year option was not exercised due to his lack of production over his first three seasons. In his fourth season, Davis demonstrated why he was such a high pick.

It’s not often that a player with Davis’ skillset comes along. He’s fast, he’s quick underneath, he has size (6’3”, 210 lbs), and he has great hands. Regardless of why Davis caught on in year four, this might be the perfect time to nab a player that was thought to be the best WR prospect since Julio Jones.

In just 14 games in 2020, Davis caught 84 balls for 984 yds (which extrapolates to over 1100 yards in a 16-game showing) with a catch rate north of 70%. He is more of an Allen Robinson-type receiver (though clearly not as dominant of a player), as he wins mostly short and intermediate routes, but he adds a bit more explosion and YAC ability. Davis is only 25 and would be an intriguing option-for the right price.

Others to consider?

-Will Fuller-I’m out on this option, as he can’t stay on the field and is serving a PED suspension.

-Nelson Agholor-For the right price, this could be a great signing. Huge year for the Raiders in 2020 (896 yds, 18.7 ypc).

-JuJu Smith-Schuster-Incredibly productive as a #2 receiver and would play both in the slot and outside. Would be a good fit in the offense if he is a culture fit.

Beyond any decisions made in March and early April in free agency, the 2021 NFL Draft is loaded with talent.

The 2020 Draft showcased four full rounds of starting talent at the position and this year’s group might be even deeper. Assuming the top 3 WRs are not available for Washington at pick 19, let’s take a look at a few options that may be available at 19 and beyond…

Kadarius Toney

Toney is a former high school QB who is just getting his feet wet as a WR. He exploded onto the scene in 2020 as an all-around playmaker in Florida’s offense. Toney will draw comparisons to 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, but I believe he is more of a home-run threat than Samuel (he also doesn’t play as physically).

Toney will need to have touches manufactured for him early in his career, but he could be everything Percy Harvin was supposed to be when he was drafted over a decade ago.

Rashod Bateman

Bateman is a dominant WR that just SCREAMS Allen Robinson when you watch him. Robinson dropped to the second round of the draft because he lacked elite speed/suddenness, but he has proven to be a dominant high-volume receiver in the NFL.

From the ‘my ball’ mentality to the ease with which he gets open on short and intermediate routes, Bateman should immediately be a reliable safety blanket in any offense, but he won’t threaten much over the top.

Terrance Marshall

Marshall played outside receiver in possibly the best WR corps in college football alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson in 2019, but starred in his own right in the slot in 2020.

Right off the bat, Marshall provides versatility having started for full seasons in two different spots, but he also provides a skillset similar to an AJ Green/DeVante Parker. He’s a long, lithe play maker that can win at the high point and can get over the top. He needs to refine his route running, but he has all the tools to be a #1 receiver at the next level.

Dyami Brown

Brown is one of my favorite WRs in this draft, and it’s hard to tell where he’ll get picked.

Many project him as a third-round guy, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him picked in the top 40 picks. Brown possesses the type of height/speed combination that strikes fear into defensive coordinators and he made a living doing so with double moves at North Carolina (18.7 ypc).

Brown is thin (no don’t worry, not Paul Richardson thin) and possesses easy movement skills that most others can’t match. He isn’t overly quick or sharp with his routes, but he’s a smooth operator that seems to move with ease on the field.

Others to consider:

-Demetric Felton-Felton is the reverse of Antonio Gibson, as he’s a RB shifting to WR. A similar player to Curtis Samuel if WFT desires the skillset without the price-tag.

-Tutu Atwell-If you want speed-and only speed-this is your guy. Uses speed to get open on drags/crossers and threaten over the top, but he’s small (5’9”, 175 lbs).

-D’Wayne Eskridge-Draft wildcard. Has speed/athletic profile that could lead to him being a steal in the draft. Smaller school/lack of route tree might scare teams off. High upside!

-Amon-Ra St. Brown-Reminds me of JuJu Smith-Schuster. Gets open reliably underneath and intermediate, just isn’t a sudden athlete and doesn’t possess scary speed.

-Amari Rodgers, Rondale Moore-High volume slot receivers that can start right away.

So…after all that…what would I do?

I’d take a big swing on Kenny Golladay.

I think his skillset matches with McLaurin’s perfectly. I would then invest a mid-round pick in a slot option. If a Golladay doesn’t happen, I think Corey Davis and/or Nelson Agholor make sense.

In any case, I would not draft a WR in the first round unless it was one of the top 3 receivers that fell. There is simply too much depth in this class at WR (this article only scratches the surface); the first-round value isn’t there.