Help has finally arrived at wide receiver after the Washington Commanders signed Noah Brown after he was cut by the Houston Texans. The Commanders will waste no time putting the former Dallas Cowboys’ wideout straight onto the active roster, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Brown’s arrival had been hoped for by more than one team observer. Signing him makes sense because the Commanders were already looking thin at receiver after sending Jahan Dotson to NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles in a trade questioned by more than a few.
The depth chart was culled further when the Commanders released Martavis Bryant, Mitchell Tinsley and Brycen Tremayne. They were among six receivers let go on Tuesday, August 27.
Noah Brown a Good Fit for Commanders
Brown is already known to Dan Quinn. Washington’s head coach was defensive coordinator for most of Brown’s time in Dallas.
What Quinn would have seen is a receiver who’s a willing and able blocker. Brown can also stretch the field, evidenced by his career average of 13.5 yards per reception.
Qualities like those are why several reporters wanted the Commanders to sign the 28-year-old after cutdown day. Among them, Ben Standig of The Athletic rated Brown as a “Blocker. 6-foot-2. WASH needs size. Not subject to waivers. Excellent fit. Can see this happening depending on interest elsewhere.”
Standig’s sentiments were echoed by The Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg (h/t JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports). Greenberg believes Brown’s “not football old for that position…It certainly wasn’t a performance issue…If you’re going to kick the tires on Martavis Bryant you owe it to yourself to try for Brown.”
The reference to Bryant is telling after the Commanders gave up on the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder’s bid to make a comeback after six seasons away from the pros. Bryant’s return didn’t quite go as planned, but his brief time with the team showed what the new regime is looking for at receiver.
Commanders Want Size Mismatches at WR
Getting bigger on the outside looks like the priority for the Commanders. Brown fits that shift in philosophy, and so does this year’s third-round pick Luke McCaffrey.
He’s 6-foot-2, making the former Rice star an outlier among his fellow receivers on the depth chart. None of four-time 1,000-yard receiver Terry McLaurin, nor veterans Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder stand taller than 6-foot, so the newest addition to the wide receiver room will make a difference.
Crowder and Zaccheaus are the obvious candidates to replace Dotson as short and shifty receivers who can win underneath and between the numbers. That type of slot-style receiver is useful, but having some bigger targets will also make rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ job easier. Giving the Heisman Trophy winner more vertical threats capable of taking the top off defenses.
A veteran with just 131 catches across six seasons isn’t the marquee addition the Commanders still need to sufficiently strengthen Daniels’ supporting cast. Yet, Brown, along with another well-travelled and 6-foot-plus receiver, Byron Pringle, meets the requirements for the more hard-nosed and physical edge Quinn wants from his team.
