Five veteran receivers the Redskins could target after Cody Latimer’s arrest
. Wide Receiver. Indianapolis Colts. Chester Rogers. 3. player. 46
Chester Rogers is the youngest player on this list at 26 years old. That was always to be expected though since the Redskins would likely be looking to find a veteran to replace Latimer if they have to.
But Rogers would qualify. He’s been in the league for four years after signing with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Grambling State. He was a solid role player for the team but is still on the market after he suffered a knee fracture in Week 13 last season.
It’s unclear how long that fracture is expected to sideline Rogers. And it may be that he remains unsigned because of that. But if he can get healthy in time for the 2020 NFL season, he might be a valuable role player for the Redskins.
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Much like Wright, Rogers wouldn’t fully replace the elements that Latimer was expected to bring to the Redskins. But Rogers has experience playing both in the slot and on the outside in Indianapolis’ offense. Rogers’ best year came in 2018 as a primary slot option. He totaled 53 catches for 485 yards and two touchdowns as a 10-game starter. He played mostly in the slot, but as a fourth wide-out, he could play inside or outside.
But aside from age, the reason that Rogers finds himself higher on this list than some of the other players here is his return ability. Latimer was a strong kick returner for the Giants and Broncos and has a career average of 24.1 yards per kick return. Rogers is similarly strong but his success comes as a punt returner.
Over the course of his career, Rogers has averaged 9.2 yards per return on 60 punt returns. He would’ve tied for third-best in the NFL last season with a 9.8 average had he gotten two more chances to return punts. He just missed the qualifying mark of 16 total returns because of his injury. And in 2018, he ranked 11th with a 9.4 yards per return average.
Rogers may not win the punt return job. But he’d give the team depth there and that may afford them a chance to strategically use Sims, Quinn, or Antonio Gibson on offense more. So, that value can’t be overlooked, especially when looking at his solid receiving skills.
Overall, Rogers could prove to be a solid investment… if healthy. But that question mark would lead us to target other options before the fifth-year man.