Redskins: Uncoiling the layers of the Josh Doctson dilemma

The root of Josh Doctson’s shortcomings

Health was a key factor in Josh Doctson’s slow start with the Redskins. But some assert that Doctson can’t stay healthy. This is a myth.

Doctson played sixteen games last season, and although he wasn’t one-hundred percent for all of those games, he withstood contact and kept going back onto the field. He showed off bright flashes of his first-round ability, from the game-winning diving catch in Seattle to the high-flying touchdown in New Orleans. He has had injury problems over his short career, but he’s not soft. He fought through it last year.

While Doctson has his flashes, however, he won’t ever be the kind of receiver to put up 1,000 yards and ten touchdowns. He simply isn’t versatile enough. He has the athletic ability to win one-on-one matchups, and he isn’t a bad route runner, necessarily. He just can’t win on route running alone on a consistent basis, unlike other receivers in the league (The duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen comes to mind). There was hope that he would carry more urgency in his routes with coaching, but it’s apparent even now that Doctson just doesn’t have the natural twitch.

To put it simply, quarterbacks prefer throwing to open receivers, and while Doctson can make something out of nothing when covered, quarterbacks aren’t going to take those chances as often, especially when Chris Thompson, or Jordan Reed, or Paul Richardson, or Jamison Crowder is open in the flat. There are two many mouths to feed. Compound this with variable inconsistencies from Doctson, and the chance at redemption grows slimmer yet.