Derek Carr is getting another target in time for his first season as the New Orleans Saints' quarterback. The team is reportedly signing veteran receiver and former second-round pick James Washington to a one-year deal, according to ESPN.
Washington spent his first four seasons with the Steelers before signing with the Cowboys last offseason. He spent the majority of his only season with the Cowboys on injured reserve after he broke his foot during training camp. Washington was waived by the team after appearing in just two games after being activated on Dec. 10. Washington was released by Dallas after the team signed T.Y. Hilton.
A week after being released by the Cowboys, Washington was added to the Giants' practice squad ahead of New York's wild card playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings. Washington did not appear in either of the Giants' playoff games.
Selected by the Steelers with the 60th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Washington showed flashes of his potential in Pittsburgh, but found that targets within the Steelers' stacked receiving corps were tough to come by. His career-high in targets in Pittsburgh (44) came during the 2019 season, a year when Mason Rudolph -- Washington's college quarterback at Oklahoma State -- started more than half of the Steelers' games following Ben Roethlisberger's season-ending injury.
Despite the lack of targets, Washington caught 114 passes and 11 touchdowns during his four years in Pittsburgh. He averaged an impressive 14.3 yards per catch that included a career-high 16.7 yards per reception during the '19 season. He caught a career-high five touchdowns in 2020 while helping the Steelers capture the AFC North division title.
A native of Stamford, Texas, Washington enjoyed a standout college career at Oklahoma State. During his four years with those Cowboys, the 6-foot receiver caught 226 passes for 4,472 yards and 39 touchdowns. He won the Biletnikoff Award (given annually to the best college receiver in Division I) in 2017 after catching 74 passes for 1,549 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Washington will now look to contribute to a Saints offense that is ushering in a new era with Carr under center. Along with Carr and Washington, the Saints' offense includes five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara, former Lions and Packers running back Jamaal Williams, two-time All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas, second-year wideout Chris Olave,
