The Washington Commanders have signed veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup in a move that's difficult to label as good or bad.
Sure, Gallup is coming out of retirement but he's only 29 years old. He was once a 1,000-yard receiver but went three consecutive seasons without reaching 500 before hanging it up. But hey, he was banged up. So what can Commanders fans make out of it?
It's a classic low-risk, high-reward gamble from the Commanders front office that will ultimately come down to Gallup's health. After tearing his ACL toward the end of the 2021 NFL season, he has never fully bounced back. Hopefully, we get to add "until now" to that last sentence in a few months.
Best case scenario:
If Gallup has healed ahead of his return to football though, let me clear: He can give the Commanders a starting-caliber starter for the 2025 season to complement Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel.
At his best, Gallup was a solid WR2 and a great WR3. Though he's not much taller than McLaurin, he plays bigger than his size. In Dallas, his specialty was being an X-type receiver who could win one-on-one consistently and make great contested catches. His speed was an asset in vertical routes and he had a knack for making the toughest sideline grabs.
Earlier this week, A to Z Sports' Commanders expert Evan Winter wrote about the lack of a tall red zone threat in Washington:
The Commanders made a smaller group of receivers work last year, but it's obvious they need some big guys who can get off the line and make tough catches in traffic. Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz combined for 17 red zone touchdowns last year, so just imagine what the Commanders offense, one that converted 63.4% of trips into touchdowns, could do with another legitimate threat?
Right now, the only receiver on the roster taller than 6-foot-2 is Mike Strachan, who has a grand total of six career catches over his three years in the league. Deebo Samuel has never been a receiving threat in the red zone, as he's never caught more than three touchdown passes inside the 20 in a single season.
Adding this type of element to the Commanders passing attack would continue to round things out, which can only lead to good things for Jayden Daniels and Co. There aren't any plausible free agents that fit this mold, so Washington will likely have to attack it in the draft.
While Gallup isn't 6-foot-2 and his height might hide the fact that he's an X-type receiver, he could solve that exact issue for the Commanders as long as his knee is back to normal.
Worst case scenario:
Simply put, Gallup isn't a lock to make the 53-man roster. His play as a Cowboy declined to the point of ending up as a designated Post June 1st cut last year and that was when it became clear he wasn't the same. His success in contested grabs fell off a cliff and he simply wasn't the same imposing figure on the field.
A year away from football hopefully made him reset but this is a gamble and the Commanders might just lose it.
