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The Washington Commanders have addressed their wide receiver concerns following recent cuts and trades. Former Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown was signed to the active roster on Wednesday, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on X, formerly Twitter.
Brown was released by the Texans on Tuesday but has quickly found a new opportunity and a new rookie quarterback. Coming off one of his best NFL seasons with CJ Stroud throwing him the football in Houston, Brown finds himself in a similar scenario with the No. 2 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jayden Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, heads into his debut campaign in Washington with a dearth of receiving weapons. Terry McLaurin remains the Commanders' WR1, but they lost Jahan Dotson last week to a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles — thus leaving a huge void for a reliable WR2 and WR3 option. Currently, the roster holds Olamide Zaccheaus, and 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey as the best remaining candidates.
While McCaffrey is the one who should see an instant bump in offensive reps for the Commanders, the addition of Brown will help Daniels' ability to spread around the targets.
New Commanders WR was the odd man out in Houston
Texans general manager Nick Caserio mentioned how ‘tough' it was letting go of Brown this week. After all, the sixth-year veteran really helped maximize their franchise player's potential last season, turning in a career-high 567 yards through the air. It appears that Brown ultimately served his purpose in Houston getting Stroud to his current status: The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year with a receiving unit that features Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson.
The next chapter is to help Daniels do the same. Brown has a chance to step in right away and play the WR3 role for Washington. He's highly effective as a vertical runner and has the consistent speed to break away from opposing cornerbacks across the middle of the field. His 17.2 yards per reception was fourth in the entire NFL in 2023, trailing only George Pickens, Brandon Aiyuk, and Amari Cooper.
It's hard to figure out whether or not Daniels will pan out as a deep passer. He played more conservatively with the football during the preseason and tends to rely on his wheels more often as he grows more accustomed to NFL game speed. Nevertheless, Brown is a quality replacement for what Dotson was expected to provide in the Commanders' system.
