Receivers Washington could add after Cody Latimer lands on Commissioner’s/Exempt list

Free Agents

The free-agent options still available are either guys with major character concerns or past-their-prime veterans. Washington should probably stay away from the top two players (in terms of talent) on the market, but perhaps one of the other veteran options will appeal enough to the team.

Antonio Brown. The biggest name on the market is also the biggest risk. Brown was among the NFL’s best receivers in 2018, but 2019 was a turbulent year that saw him fall from grace. He was traded by the Steelers to the Raiders, talked his way off that team, and then lasted 11 days with the Patriots before being cut in the wake of sending threatening messages to a woman who accused him of sexual assault.

Since then, Brown has remained a free agent and has shared a variety of erratic posts on social media. There’s no doubt that he’s talented, but he’s not a fit for Washington. Ron Rivera is trying to build a new culture in D.C. and it seems that Brown would run counter to that. As such, they should avoid him at all costs.

Josh Gordon. Gordon is another big-name with problems off the field. Gordon isn’t a head case like Brown, but he has been suspended countless times by the NFL for violating their substance abuse policy. While he could still fit into a locker room as he did in Seattle, he simply can’t be relied on to last a whole season because of his suspension history. He hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since 2012… his rookie season. So, he’s probably another player Washington should avoid.

Chris Hogan. Hogan may be the perfect veteran receiver to join Washington. He played for Ron Rivera’s Panthers last season and while the results weren’t great — he totaled only eight catches for 67 yards in seven games — he recently served as a solid target for the Patriots.

Hogan totaled 106 catches, 1,651 yards, and 12 touchdowns with New England from 2016-2018. If he can get healthy and average anything close to the 15.4 yards per catch he did with the Patriots, he could help Washington immensely. He can function as an inside/outside threat and given his experience with a Super Bowl winner would be a valuable locker room addition. He may not be the most exciting guy, but there are positives with the 32-year-old.

Demaryius Thomas. Thomas, 32, is no longer the dynamic receiver threat he once was, but he still caught 36 passes for 433 yards and a touchdown in 11 games for the hapless Jets last year. He’d be a fine backup and veteran mentor for this team and the 6-foot-3, 225-pound pass-catcher would be a great mentor for a guy like Harmon and Antonio Gandy-Golden.

Taylor Gabriel. Gabriel is a slightly younger veteran who could provide the team with a different skill set. At 5-foot-7, Gabriel is small but has been a solid deep threat at the NFL level. He missed half of last season with Chicago but in 2018, he had 67 catches for 688 yards and two touchdowns while paired with Mitchell Trubisky.

Washington might have an interest in Gabriel. He could be a nice fourth receiver with slot and outside ability. And he did have six catches for 75 yards and three touchdowns against Washington last year, so they may remember that if they look into signing him.

Malik Turner. Turner represents the young option on this list. At 24, he has a high ceiling. He averaged 16.3 yards per catch as a part-time player for the Seattle Seahawks last year and his size (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) should make him a solid outside receiver. If he can provide enough on special teams, he may make sense for Washington.

Tavon Austin. Scott Turner seems to like versatile gadget players. Austin would qualify as one. The former No. 8 overall pick has great speed and could be a fine backup and special teams threat. The team already has Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, and Steven Sims, but adding Austin to the mix of players who can catch passes out of the backfield wouldn’t be the worst move.