ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders took advantage of the Wayback Machine to get receiver help by signing Martavis Bryant, who last played in the NFL in 2018.
Bryant, 32, had 14 touchdown receptions in his first two seasons after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. However, the NFL suspended him for the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. After two more seasons, including one with the Raiders, Bryant was suspended indefinitely for another violation in 2018, a year before Washington selected four-time 1,000-yard receiver Terry McLaurin.
“I’m sure it’s tough to stay alert and ready for the moment,” McLaurin said. “But when you see him out here running, big and strong, he looks like he’s in great shape.”
Despite this NFL inactivity — Bryant is in the NFL through 2023 and was on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad last year — Washington is taking risks with size. The Commanders worked out with the 6-foot-4 receiver in the spring and again Tuesday before the signature.
“I honestly didn’t know that,” Bryant said of another chance to return to the NFL. “I had to make sure I was ready to take the opportunity if it came my way. I’m grateful and thankful.”
Washington coach Dan Quinn was Dallas’ defensive coordinator last season as Bryant continued his attempts to return.
“Competing against him … seeing the skills, seeing how we competed against him. We often put him in a certain spot to simulate the receiver’s size or speed,” Quinn said. “Getting him here now with (receivers coach) Bobby (Ingram), and starting the process, we’ll figure out what things he can do well and how we can highlight them.”
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Nominating Bryant to the roster isn’t a crazy idea given the Commanders’ situation and the development of highly touted first-round quarterback Jae Dunn Daniels.
McLaurin tops Washington’s receiver depth list. Beyond the 6-foot-1 playmaker, there’s still uncertainty around the rotation, and none of the potential roster options offer red-zone size. While tight ends, namely Zach Ertz and second-round pick Ben Sinnott, could help Daniels in the red zone, Quinn acknowledged that Washington is looking for more length and athleticism at receiver.
Jahan Dotson entered training camp as the projected starter opposite McLaurin. However, the 2022 first-round pick, who came off a poor statistical season, has been uneven this summer. Dotson surprisingly played the most snaps (32) of any Commanders receiver in Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.
“I think we’re in the middle of competition at receiver,” Quinn said Monday. “We’re trying to figure out where the player is inside and out, so we’re moving guys to different positions. That’s a big part of it, and you’ll see more of that this week as well with (Dotson) and some of the other receivers. We’re really digging into this group and it’s a really competitive group to push, so you’ll see more of that as the frequency of it increases again this week.”
At 5-foot-11, Dotson could end up working more in the slot with the new coaching staff but now faces playing time battles with free agent Olamide Zaccheus and fourth-year receiver Diammi Brown. Zaccheus, who is 5-foot-8, entered the NFL with the 2019 Atlanta Falcons, coached by Quinn. After a 40-reception season in 2022, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but was unable to crack the rotation, finishing with 10 receptions.
“I knew going to Philadelphia would be a challenge, but I didn’t think it would be this way,” Zacchaeus said.
With Washington, Zacchaeus was a speedy runner and consistent pass receiver. He also made the team’s first two touchdown passes against the New York Jets. Despite his limited opportunities with Philadelphia, Zacchaeus believes that “last year made me a better player and teammate overall. I don’t consider it a bad year for me. Statistically, it may have been, but it taught me a lot.”
Brown hasn’t lived up to the expectations (29 receptions in three seasons) that come with being a 2021 third-round pick. But the 6-foot receiver provides speed down the field, and Quinn has praised Brown’s energy and effort throughout camp. In Saturday’s preseason game, Daniels’ first successful NFL pass was a 42-yard strike to Brown.
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“I’ve seen some great plays from Diame during this training camp,” Quinn said. “There were actually a couple of plays in the spring that stood out to me to say, ‘OK, what’s that?’ His ability to get over guys and stay on. He’s got the size and length, so there’s a really good one-on-one play that carried over into the game. … I was excited for him to make a big play like that (in the game).”
The previous Chiefs regime had offered Brown to teams at last year’s trade deadline.
“I can’t speak to the past, but what I can say is from what I’ve seen here, the competition, he’s on special teams, he really goes for it,” Quinn continued.
Luke McCaffrey, a third-round pick, has potential as a winger and fullback. Christian McCaffrey’s younger brother is the tallest of the players at just under 6-foot-2, but he has yet to make an appearance this summer. Other candidates include veterans Jamieson Crowder and Byron Pringle, second-year Mitchell Tinsley, and Brian Tremayne and Kazmir Allen, who were both wasted in practice in 2023, if the Commanders keep at least six players on their Week 1 roster.
At 6-foot-4, Tremayne’s appeal comes from his size. The Stanford graduate has excelled this summer as a catcher and blocker, but lacks speed.
Bryant showed everything he had with Pittsburgh when Tremayne was still in high school. Now the two tallest players on the court are trying to show what they can do, or in Bryant’s case, what he has left to offer.
“I do homework with a lot of receivers in the league and I know he can run, too,” McLaurin said. “If you have a big, fast player like that who can make plays over the edge, who can win the vertical pass game, who can win contested catch situations. That’s a huge advantage for you as a team.”
This opportunity represents a potentially seismic one for Washington’s newest future.
“You have to be determined,” Bryant said. “I’ve been through a lot. I never give up. I’ve always been a fighter and I’ll continue to be.”
Required reading
• Commanders 53-man roster: Excitement at wide receiver, offensive and defensive lines
(Photo: Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today)
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