Placing everything around quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels was a big objective completed by the Washington Commanders this offseason. That didn't stop some critics from speculating whether head coach Dan Quinn's men had enough at the wide receiver position.
One Commanders insider, together with a team legend, blasted back at these claims with a ringing endorsement of the moves made by general manager Adam Peters throughout the recruitment period.
Commanders have a much-improved wide receiver room despite offseason critics
JP Finlay and Brian Mitchell from 106.7 The Fan couldn't believe the skepticism surrounding Washington's wideout core following another busy offseason. They believe dramatic improvements have been made, with everything from Pro Bowl-caliber performer Deebo Samuel Sr. to intriguing draft pick Jaylin Lane providing an extra sense of dynamism that wasn't readily available last time around.
"We saw this dumb thing the other day about where the Commanders’ wide receivers rank, am I crazy? I think they improved dramatically at the position. Deebo Samuel, for all the talk of he might’ve had a down season last year, he would’ve been their second-leading wide receiver. You add Deebo, you add Michael Gallup—if he still has a high gear there, he could help you. You draft [Jaylin] Lane, who definitely has a high gear."
JP Finlay
One cannot look at Washington's receiving room and not think it hasn't been enhanced. It's once again led by All-Pro pass-catcher Terry McLaurin, who is the undisputed alpha and could get another bumper contract extension ahead of time before Week 1 rolls around.
Samuel is coming off a down year, but he's highly motivated to get back to his old form. Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn were re-signed. Lane adds another spark, and hopes are high that Luke McCaffrey can build on his rookie flashes to make a bigger impression.
The Commanders also signed Michael Gallup after he ended his retirement. Finding his football legs again is the first objective. If he can do that successfully, this could be another potential X-factor for Daniels to depend upon.
Washington's pieces are slowly coming coming together. It's not quite the finished article just yet, but Peters might have more moves up his sleeve if the right situations present themselves. Whether that includes another wide receiver or not is anyone's guess.
Daniels has some much-improved weapons to utilize as he sees fit next season. If everyone meets or perhaps even exceeds expectations, the offseason critics could be eating a large slice of humble pie when it's all said and done.
