Washington Football Team: A wish list of free agent wideouts
By Jonathan Eig
The big-ticket wide receiver for the Washington Football Team
In the Summer of 2020, the Washington Football Team only went after one premium free agent. They were willing to pay the market rate, or even above, for a quality wideout.
The attempt to woo Amari Cooper away from Dallas failed and Washington went shopping for bargains. The receiver they ended up signing – Cody Latimer – might have been a valuable addition, had he been able stay out of trouble off the field. Alas, he was not, and Ron Rivera let him go before he ever got on the field for the Washington Football Team.
Pre-season injuries to 2019 starter Kelvin Harmon and sleeper Emanuel Hall, as well as nagging in-season injuries to 2020 draft pick Antonio Gandy-Golden, left the Washington Football Team very thin at receiver. Cam Sims’ emergence helped pick up some slack, but basically, Washington’s receivers in 2020 were Terry McLaurin, and then a bunch of interchangeable spare parts.
Washington was right to try and spend big in 2020 and they would be right to do it again in 2021. There are a lot of enticing names available as of right now. Some may re-sign with their 2020 team, but assuming they all remain on the market, Washington should make its best pitch possible to Detroit’s Kenny Golladay.
Golladay would be the perfect complement to McLaurin. He is big and fast and young. From a rookie season full of potential, he has grown into one of the best big-play receivers in the league. He has excellent straight-ahead speed for a 6-foot-4 receiver. He tracks the ball and makes tough catches. He can run.
The biggest knock on Golladay is that he has only played a full season once in his four-year career. He missed a good part of 2020 with a hip injury. He has also expressed his desire to remain in Detroit. But that kind of statement has a way of fading once hard negotiations commence. Washington needs to content itself with his condition before offering big money, but assuming he is fully recovered, pairing him with McLaurin would open the field in the way that Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were able to, when they were both healthy for Tampa Bay in 2020.