By losing
Pierre Garcon and
DeSean Jackson in free agency, the
Washington Redskins need
Josh Doctson to step up in 2017. It helps that Doctson has an established quarterback in
Kirk Cousins, who has thrown for over 4,000 yards in the last two seasons. Doctson is going to get a lot of targets, giving him the opportunity to make a lot of plays.
I expected more out of
Braxton Miller in Year 1. He totaled a measly 15 catches for 99 yards and a TD in 10 games (six starts). That's just a lackluster performance altogether from a talent like Miller. He is a player who gives an offense a lot of freedom and knowing what Bill O'Brien has done in the past with similar players -- AND when the
Texans get a stable quarterback -- his numbers should increase.
Latavius Murray's departure from Oakland leaves over 220 backfield touches up for grabs, and
Jalen Richard could be first in line to receive a healthy share of that workload. The
Raiders will likely add another back in free agency or the draft to fill the goal-line, power-back void, but Richard's ability in the open field and nearly 700 total yards as a rookie are signs that he could truly dazzle us on Sundays if provided more opportunities. Here's to hoping he gets those.
I think we're going to see a lot more from
Josh Doctson this season. After suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in his rookie campaign, he has shown
some progress this offseason in terms of his health. That paired with the team's offseason departures of
DeSean Jackson and
Pierre Garcon will help Doctson get more action in the passing game.
There was so much hype over the 2016 class of wide receivers that
Malcolm Mitchell was fairly overlooked -- a slow start to the season didn't change anything. But as the year progressed, so did Mitchell to the point where
Tom Brady began to look his way a little more often. Mitchell's six catches for 70 yards in
Super Bowl LI are a harbinger for 2017. He might not be a big target, but his ability to get open in New England's quick passing game will earn him a bigger role in one of the league's most potent attacks.
With top receivers
DeSean Jackson and
Pierre Garcon departing this offseason, I'll go with
Josh Doctson. Doctson looked great at TCU's pro day the other day, and I could see him stepping into that No. 1 receiver role after a lost 2016. Don't forget that over his last two seasons with the Horned Frogs, Doctson posted 25 touchdown receptions and a per-catch mark of 16.4 yards. No receiver currently on Washington's roster averaged more than 13.8 in 2016.
