General manager Adam Peters is taking stock after losing star wide receiver Terry McLaurin to a torn patellar tendon. This rules him out for the rest of 2026, if not longer, and the Washington Commanders must now focus on what comes next.
The Commanders could stand pat. They could sign a veteran free agent or maybe even secure a trade. But Peters also has the option to bring in someone from another team's practice squad to help fill the void.
In this scenario, Cedric Tillman looks like the perfect practice squad snatch to add another body into the receiver room.
Commanders should examine signing Cedric Tillman off the Saints practice squad
Tillman was solid if unspectacular over his first three NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns, despite dealing with some injury problems. But things took a concerning turn after that.
He didn't do enough to make their 53-man roster this summer, thanks to the draft picks invested in Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. But the New Orleans Saints quickly added him to their practice squad, and he's already been called up twice this season.
If they want to do the same again, Tillman must be signed to the active roster. The Saints could be reluctant to do that, which presents the ideal opening for the Commanders to swoop in.
At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Tillman can be a matchup mismatch if schemed around effectively. He's in football shape, having played two games this season and getting a full workload over the summer and in practice.
That should intrigue the Commanders, especially if they are only looking for a short-term fix.
The Commanders might be happy with the options they have. Given their familiarity with the system, Van Jefferson Jr. or Jaden Bradley could be called up from the practice squad, rather than acquiring a wideout from someone else's practice squad.
Cedric Tillman has the size and physicality to bolster Commanders' rotation
But if Peters wants to think a little outside the box, Tillman is a decent option.
The 2023 third-round pick out of Tennessee has all the physical tools one looks for. Things just haven't quite come together as yet, but there is still time for that to change. Tillman is only 26, so he's just entering his prime, and he could be a nice option in the rotation with McLaurin no longer available.
Nothing the Commanders do will offset McLaurin's absence.
He's a franchise cornerstone in every sense of the term, producing on the field and leading from the front in the locker room. Not having his presence to rely on will be sorely felt, so everyone else has to turn things up a notch.
Just where that will take Washington is anyone's guess.
The two games after their bye will tell us more, but Tillman could provide relief right now. And getting something worked out before the Saints get a chance to sign him to their active roster is a risk worth taking.
It might come to nothing, and it's just a suggestion. But the Commanders could easily stick with what they have and hope for the best.
Being a little bolder doesn't seem realistic at 1-4-1. Even so, the Commanders wouldn't lose much by signing Tillman to see whether his size and athleticism could make an impact within David Blough's schematic concepts.
Because it's not as if Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown are providing much confidence in their credentials on the offensive rotation.
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