Commanders' Jahan Dotson trade is amazing news for unheralded veteran WR
By Mike Luciano
The Washington Commanders confirmed there was some fire behind all the Jahan Dotson smoke. Amid rumors that he was struggling in camp and was unable to fit in well with Kliff Kingsbury's offense, the franchise decided to end the experiment after just two seasons.
Dotson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a package headlined by a third-round pick (whichever is the most favorable of Philly's two choices) and two seventh-round selections. This leaves Washington with a wide-open depth chart behind Pro Bowl standout Terry McLaurin.
While the still-grinding Dyami Brown could fight it out with veteran Jamison Crowder and rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey, no player will benefit more from this move than veteran receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. After bouncing around the league for his first few seasons, the former Virginia star may have found a home in the DMV with Washington.
Zaccheaus has been discussed as a favorite for the WR2 job by head coach Dan Quinn for some time. The trade of Dotson could be an unofficial sign that the 5-foot-8 speed demon has indeed won that job. Still just 27 years old, he's got a ton of good football in the windshield.
In spending time with Commanders last week, it was clear Jahan Dotson needed a fresh start elsewhere.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 22, 2024
It’s been a shaky camp for Dotson. When I talked to HC Dan Quinn, he was waiting for someone to take WR2 job. He 1st listed Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown then Dotson. The…
Olamide Zaccheaus could be Commanders WR2 after Jahan Dotson trade
Zaccheaus spent four years in Atlanta, where he tallied 1,328 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a seldom-used field stretcher. After a year back near his hometown with the Eagles, the wideout found a home for himself in Washington and immediately hit it off with Kingsbury.
Throughout his college days at Texas Tech and his professional career with the Arizona Cardinals, Kingsbury has a bit of a thing for undersized receivers with speed. Look no further than the promotion of players Keke Coutee in college and Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch in the NFL.
Zaccheaus will be a very important target for No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels in his rookie season. In an Air Raid-adjacent offense that wants to get the ball out as quickly as possible with a young quarterback, the veteran pass-catcher who's worked with Quinn previously on the Atlanta Falcons should be in for a fairly robust workload.
The Commanders are taking a big risk by giving Zaccheaus an influential role and giving up on a player as heralded as Dotson. However, if Kingsbury and Quinn's intuition is proven correct, they could have stolen one of their key offensive starters for barely any money at all.
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