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Five players Washington Football Team could consider claiming off waivers

By Jacob Camenker

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Sidney Jones #22 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field on September 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Sidney Jones #22 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field on September 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – AUGUST 08: Wide receiver Hakeem Butler #17 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – AUGUST 08: Wide receiver Hakeem Butler #17 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

4. WR Hakeem Butler

Part of scouring the waiver wire to find potential contributors is about finding players that were recently highly-regarded but have fallen out of favor due to whatever circumstances. Hakeem Butler would qualify as such.

Butler was a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. The big-bodied receiver was a favorite of draft analysts because of his unique combination of size and ability to get open and make contested catches.

However, Butler didn’t pan out in Arizona. Despite Kliff Kingsbury’s passing-heavy offense, Butler never caught on and missed his first season due to an injury. After landing on IR last year, he failed to make a dent in the depth chart this year, and was behind the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Larry Fitzgerald, and Andy Isabella for the entire offseason.

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That said, Butler still has upside. The 6-foot-6 receiver posted 1,318 yards and nine TDs during his final college season with the Cyclones while averaging a whopping 22 yards per catch. His downfield ability may not translate as well against NFL-level defenders, but he still has the tools needed to emerge as a possession receiver and red-zone threat.

Washington could at least consider taking a chance on Butler. They don’t have a ton of talent on their roster at the receiver position and only have five on the squad currently. There’s room for a sixth, so Butler could get the nod.

The reason that Butler comes at No. 4, however, is that his skill set is similar to that of Antonio Gandy-Golden and Kelvin Harmon. He’s a big guy, but his separation skills are merely mediocre. For that reason, Washington may have less of an interest in Butler as they look to develop the talents they already have at the position. They could target a different type of receiver instead, one that doesn’t have a skill set that similar to players that they already have.

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