ASHBURN, Virginia – The Washington Commanders turned to the Wayback Machine to find reinforcements at wide receiver, signing Martavis Bryant, who played his last NFL game in 2018.
Bryant, 32, scored 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him 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 drafted four-time 1,000-yard receiver Terry McLaurin.
“I’m sure it’s hard to stay focused and ready for the moment,” McLaurin said. “But when you see him running around out here, big, strong. He looks like he’s in top shape.”
Despite that NFL inactivity — Bryant didn’t participate in the XFL until 2023 and was on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad last year — Washington is taking a risk with size. The Commanders worked out the 6-foot-4 receiver in the spring and again on Tuesday before the signing.
“I honestly didn’t know,” Bryant said of the chance to return to the NFL. “I had to make sure I was ready to seize the moment when I got the opportunity. I’m grateful and thankful.”
Washington coach Dan Quinn was Dallas’ defensive coordinator last season as Bryant continued his comeback attempt.
“Going against him … seeing his ability, seeing how we’ve gone against him. A lot of times we’ve put him in a certain spot to simulate the size of a receiver or his speed,” Quinn said. “Now, if we bring him here with (receivers coach) Bobby (Engram) and get the process going, we’ll figure out what he’s good at and how we can showcase it.”
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Bryant’s candidacy for the roster is not a far-fetched idea, with little chance of success, considering the Commanders’ situation and the development of highly touted first-round quarterback Jayden Daniels.
McLaurin is at the top of Washington’s receiver depth chart. After the 6-foot-4 playmaker comes uncertainty, and none of the likely roster options offer size in the red zone. Although tight ends Zach Ertz and second-round pick Ben Sinnott can help Daniels in the red zone, Quinn acknowledged that Washington wants more size and physicality at receiver.
Jahan Dotson entered training camp as the expected starter alongside McLaurin. The 2022 first-round pick, who is coming off a season of weak statistics, has been inconsistent this summer. Dotson surprisingly played the most snaps (32) of any Commanders receiver in Saturday’s season opener at the New York Jets.
“I think we’re in the thick of competing for receivers,” Quinn said Monday. “We’re trying to find the slot and inside and outside, so getting guys to different positions. That’s a big part of it, and you’ll see more of that this week with (Dotson) and some of the other receivers as well. We’re really digging into that group, and it’s a really competitive group to push, so you’ll see more of that as his reps get increased again this week.”
At 6-foot-8, Dotson may play more in the slot under the new coaching staff, but will now have to compete for playing time with free agent signing Olamide Zaccheaus and fourth-year receiver Dyami Brown. Zaccheaus, a 5-foot-8 player, entered the NFL in 2019 with the Quinn-coached Atlanta Falcons. After a 40-catch season in 2022, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but failed to force his way into the rotation, finishing the season with 10 receptions.
“I knew going to Philly would be a challenge,” Zaccheaus said, “but I never imagined it would be like this.”
At Washington, Zaccheaus was a sharp route runner and reliable pass catcher. He also took over the team’s first two punt return attempts against the Jets. Despite the limited opportunities in Philadelphia, Zaccheaus believes that “overall, I became a better player and teammate last year. I don’t look at it as a bad year for me. Statistically, it may be, but I learned a lot from it.”
Brown hasn’t lived up to the expectations (29 passes caught in three seasons) that come with a 2021 third-round pick. But the 6-foot-1 receiver offers downfield speed, and Quinn praised Brown’s energy and effort throughout training camp. In Saturday’s preseason game, Daniels’ first NFL pass was a 42-yard pass to Brown.
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“You’ve seen some great plays from Dyami this training camp,” Quinn said. “There were actually a few in the spring that caught my attention and made me think, ‘OK, what’s going on there?’ His ability to get close to people and stay. He’s got size, he’s got length, so he actually has good plays in the one-on-one situations that have translated to the game. … I was excited that he would make a big play like that (in the game).”
The Commanders’ previous regime offered Brown to several teams at the trade deadline last year.
“I can’t speak to the past,” Quinn continued, “but what I can say from what I’ve seen here is the competition, he’s on special teams, he really gives it his all.”
Third-round pick Luke McCaffrey has both slot and outside potential. Christian McCaffrey’s youngest brother is the tallest of that group at 6-foot-2, but he hasn’t broken out this summer. Veterans Jamison Crowder and Byron Pringle, second-year player Mitchell Tinsley and 2023 practice draft picks Brycen Tremayne and Kazmeir Allen are other candidates if the Commanders keep at least six receivers on the Week 1 roster.
At 6’4″, Tremayne’s appeal is primarily his size. The Stanford graduate has shined in the field catching and blocking this summer, but he lacks the desired speed.
Bryant showed the whole package at Pittsburgh when Tremayne was still in high school. The two bigger targets are now on the same field trying to show what they can do, or in Bryant’s case, what he still has to offer.
“I’ve studied a lot of receivers in the league and I know he can run as well,” McLaurin said. “When you have a big, fast wide receiver like him who can play over the basket, who can win the vertical passing game and contested catch situations, that’s a big plus for the team.”
This is a potentially huge opportunity for Washington’s newest receiver.
“You have to be strong-willed,” Bryant said. “I’ve been through a lot. I don’t give up. I’ve never given up. I’ve always been a fighter and I’ll continue to be one.”
Required reading
• Commanders 53-man roster projection: Tension at WR, offensive and defensive lines
(Photo: Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)
