The Washington Redskins are moving on from failed first-round bust Josh Doctson. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Redskins are working hard to trade Doctson, but will release him if a trade is not found.
Doctson never quite lived up to expectations of being the Redskins’ 2016 first-round pick. He was limited to two games as a rookie with an Achilles injury. He struggled to be a consistent reliable target for Kirk Cousins in 2017 and Alex Smith in 2018 before his career-threatening leg injury.
The writing was on the wall when the Redskins opted not to exercise a fifth-year option for 2020 on Doctson. The Redskins entered training camp hoping Doctson could make a turnaround in his final year of his rookie deal, but the team has grabbed a quartet of developing wide receivers with higher ceilings than Doctson.
With Trey Quinn locked in the slot, the Redskins drafted Terry McLaurin in the third-round of this year’s draft. They also found a hidden gem in undrafted rookie Steven Sims Jr., who is also primed to be their top returner. Additionally, Robert Davis, 2017 sixth-round pick Robert Davis has returned from a devastating leg injury that forced him to miss 2018.
There was simply no room to hold on to Doctson and risk a fourth disappointing season. Therefore, they will move on from him somehow and focus on their new young core of receivers led by veteran Paul Richardson.
