The Commanders traded Jahan Dotson to the Eagles on Thursday in a deal that can be described as shocking but not surprising. Washington reportedly received a 2025 third-round pick and two 2025 seventh-round picks from Philadelphia in exchange for Dotson and a 2025 fifth-round selection.
Dotson was a first-round selection out of Penn State in 2022, and he showed plenty of promise in a seven-touchdown rookie season, which was limited to 12 games due to a hamstring injury. A second-year breakout never came, with Dotson posting 49 catches for 518 yards and four touchdowns. For his career thus far, Dotson has 84 receptions for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns in 29 games.
Washington had hoped a new system would help Dotson, with new head coach Dan Quinn bringing in Kliff Kinsgbury as offensive coordinator. But Dotson had an uneven training camp and preseason in Washington, and some issues persisted -- notably drops, poor blocking and trouble getting off the line of scrimmage when not given free releases. Last season, Dotson's 5.1% drop rate (according to Pro Football Focus) was 10th-highest among 36 wide receivers with at least 100 targets.
On one hand, Dotson had gotten reps with the starters in practice alongside Terry McLaurin and Dyami Brown, and Kingsbury praised Dotson in early August.
"He has tremendous ball skills," Kingsbury said Aug. 6. "He's played in a couple different systems since he's gotten into the league. And I think once he gets comfortable with us, whether it's inside, outside, I think you're going to see him just really take off."
Dotson himself said early in camp that he felt he was playing faster, feeling more comfortable and looking forward to the downfield aspects of the new scheme.
On the other hand, Dotson played deep into the second quarter of both preseason games, long after Jayden Daniels and other starters had departed (Daniels played one series against the Jets and two against the Dolphins). In between games, Quinn declared there was a battle for the second receiver spot, raising plenty of eyebrows. Now, a week later, Dotson is on his way to a divisional rival.
What it means for the other WRs
Brown likely finds himself as the starter opposite McLaurin and should get the majority of snaps in two-wide receiver looks. The fourth-year pro has always been viewed as a solid blocker, but he has shown progress in his consistency as a well-rounded receiver, not just as a deep threat. Brown reeled in a 42-yard pass from Jayden Daniels in preseason Week 1 against the Jets, the Heisman Trophy winner's first professional completion. In Week 2, he added three more receptions from Daniels.
"Dyami's really progressed nicely," Kingsbury said Thursday.
While Brown admitted the trade left him "speechless," he said it doesn't change things for him.
"It's the same focus," Brown said Thursday. "Just come out here every day, keep my head down and work. At the end of the day, it's a business, but as long as I take care of the things that I have to do, I'll be all right."
Dotson lined up in the slot on 64% of his preseason snaps, and that role figures to be filled by a combination of Olamide Zaccheaus and Luke McCaffrey. Zaccheaus earned praise from Quinn last week, and the two go back to Quinn's time in Atlanta.
"Opportunities will come my way, and I'm ready for them, whatever that may look like," Zaccheaus said Wednesday. "I've said it before: I've been ready for a bigger role for two, three years now, so just getting the opportunity to do that here will be good. I'm ready. I'm confident in what I can do."
McCaffrey, meanwhile, brings good length (6-foot-2) and blocking physicality to the slot, and while the former converted quarterback hasn't necessarily popped in practice, he has made strides. In a coincidental yet (perhaps) symbolic moment, McCaffrey caught Daniels' first touchdown pass in red zone drills Thursday.
McLaurin, Brown, Zaccheaus and McCaffrey form a clear top four. Figuring out the rest of the group -- at least two more players -- is a chore. Brycen Tremayne has had some nice moments in practice, and he provides a big body at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds out wide. The Commanders have tried to use Kazmeir Allen in all sorts of roles, including returner, receiver and out of the backfield, but his fumble last week and inconsistency catching the ball may hurt him on roster cut day.
In terms of roster chances, the biggest beneficiary from the trade might be Jamison Crowder. Now entering his 10th year in the league and his second go-round with Washington, Crowder experienced the feeling of being cut for the first time last year with the Giants. It's a feeling, he said, that stung and stuck with him, and he's hoping not to experience it again. Byron Pringle, another veteran who can help in the return game and was with Washington last year, also may have seen his chances increase.
"Very confident," Kingsbury said of his receivers. "Like I said, they've made a bunch of plays so far in camp. They've impressed me with how they've gotten better since the spring and continued to improve."
Still, there are plenty of questions. Not including McLaurin, the Commanders' current wide receiver group combined for just 42 receptions last year, and none had more than 16 (Crowder).
What it means for Jayden Daniels
Not much. Daniels, who has impressed, seemed to target Dotson more often early in camp, but the two connected less often as time went by. Daniels was already likely to lean heavily on McLaurin, though he may be even more reliant on him now.
Daniels has also been busy targeting Zach Ertz, and the veteran tight end caught multiple touchdowns in Thursday's practice. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him targeted heavily early on.
What it means for the past
This continues a trend of disappointing first-round picks for Washington. From 2019-23, the Commanders had six first-round picks. Just two remain -- Emmanuel Forbes and Jamin Davis -- and both have failed to live up to their draft billing so far. In fact, Davis is in a battle for a roster spot as he transitions from linebacker to edge defender.
The trade also reinforces the idea that it's truly a new era and, regardless of draft pedigree, spots must be earned. Quinn has preached competition throughout camp. While there were no issues with Dotson's competitiveness -- Kingsbury praised him as a "great kid" and hard worker -- it just wasn't a fit.
In the last 10 months, Washington has traded first-round picks from 2022 (Dotson), 2020 (Chase Young) and 2019 (Montez Sweat).
What it means for the future
The Commanders were already relying heavily on general manager Adam Peters' inaugural draft class to be the bedrock of the future. Daniels is clearly the headliner, and if he finally ends Washington's quarterback issues, that's the most important step, one that opens up a world of possibilities.
McCaffrey will be counted on sooner rather than later, and Brown is facing the biggest year of his career. While he has shown improvement, he has 29 catches in three years. If there were ever a time for him to step up, it's now.
Then there's the Brandon Aiyuk-sized elephant in the room. Though Washington hasn't been mentioned with the 49ers star in a while, there are plenty of connections: Daniels and Aiyuk are former teammates at Arizona State, and Peters and Aiyuk were together in San Fransisco. In late June, Aiyuk listed Washington (along with Pittsburgh) as teams he'd like to play for. Until the Aiyuk situation settles, somewhere, it'll be a popular discussion topic. Even if it's not Aiyuk, Washington could look for outside help, perhaps after roster cuts on Tuesday.
After picking five times in the top 100 in 2024, the Commanders currently have four top-100 picks in 2025, and wide receiver is certainly a possibility if not a probability. Not counting McLaurin, the last receiver drafted by Washington to produce a 1,000-yard season for the franchise is Rod Gardner in 2002. Peters and Quinn aren't wiping the slate fully clean in their first year, but they're clearly pushing forward, and their ability to hit on wide receiver will be crucial for Daniels, the offense and the franchise as a whole.