Fans have focused their attention on potential incomings for the Washington Commanders with free agency on the immediate horizon. For general manager Adam Peters, there's plenty to figure out before then.
Namely, the 29 free agents Washington currently has on its roster.
Not everyone is going to be part of the team's plans. It was a campaign that everyone involved will never forget. This also raised the urgency for Peters to maximize his window of opportunity.
The Commanders are in good hands with Peters. Some decisions will be relatively straightforward. Others will be more complicated. A select few have their futures hanging in the balance and it could legitimately go either way.
Dyami Brown is one of them.
There wasn't much chance of Brown getting a new deal based on his first 3.5 seasons in the league. The wide receiver was on the fringes and hadn't made full use of the physical attributes at his disposal. But when Noah Brown went out through a serious internal injury, the North Carolina product took on the challenge.
The Commanders needed Brown to step up. He duly delivered with some polished performances down the stretch and into the postseason. It was a surprising surge that made fans sit up and take notice.
Fumbling in the NFC Championship game left a sour taste in the mouth. However, the Commanders cannot be anything other than thrilled by the way Brown fought back in the face of adversity. Kliff Kingsbury praised his work ethic and willingness to take on coaching. That sort of thing will hold a ton of weight when discussions begin about his future.
Steelers named as potential landing spot for Commanders WR Dyami Brown
Brown could have a decent market if the Commanders cannot reach an agreement. Ian Valentino from The 33rd Team touted the Pittsburgh Steelers as a potential landing spot, although the analyst acknowledged it was a risky signing considering his overall body of work.
"Dyami Brown was on the field for about 40 percent of snaps and caught only 30 passes for 308 yards and one touchdown in the regular season, his team-leading 229 yards on 14 receptions in the postseason opened eyes. An incentive-laden deal will await Brown in free agency as teams chase his speed. Whether it's Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers, or Jaxson Dart under center, they need weapons in place. Brown is risky because of the small sample of success from this season, but he's a calculated gamble for teams looking to win in the margins with value deals."
Ian Valentino
Brown is keeping his options open. The former third-round pick stated that he wouldn't mind staying in Washington. At the same time, the wideout hinted that he'll wait to see how things play out before making a decision.
The Commanders aren't going to overpay for Brown. Spotrac projects the player to get $1.93 million on a one-year deal in free agency. That could be on the conservative side if several suitors come forward.
If this is all it would take to re-sign Brown, it's a no-brainer for the Commanders. They could use the extra year to see if his recent resurgence is the start of something more. However, he could get something higher than this from a team in desperate need of receiver assistance this spring.
Brown's strengthened his position slightly. Even so, he'd be wise not to overplay his hand or get too ahead of himself after a few decent games over his four-year NFL career.
It'll be fascinating to see what happens between Brown and the Commanders. It would be surprising if an extension didn't arrive, but this is a precarious situation a few teams around the league will be monitoring closely.
