Before Jahan Dotson got selected in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft, Dyami Brown was the wide receiver the Washington Commanders banked on emerging as a complement to Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. Brown’s role has been reduced to fourth or fifth in the WR room short time.
Thus there weren’t many fans shocked by the suggestion that the Commanders are looking to move on from Brown. Earlier Friday, the NFL Analysis Network reported a former NFL executive claimed the Commanders are “definitely open” to trading Brown and “calling teams actively.”
However, a Commanders’ insider has since refuted the report. ESPN’s John Keim reported he was told “emphatically, no” to the idea of Washington looking to trade Brown.
The Commanders drafted Brown in 2021 in the third round out of North Carolina. Brown entered the pros limited in his route running, but his speed and ability to get down the field brought a high level of intrigue.
He played 335 offensive snaps as a rookie. But his snap counts dropped in half to 169 in 2022, with Samuel healthy and the emergence of Dotson. His potential was on full display in Week 5 with touchdowns for 75 and 30 yards.
Brown had two catches on five targets for 32 yards in the next ten games he played. Through 30 career games, Brown has 17 catches for 308 yards, and the pair of scores he had against the Titans are his only touchdowns with the Commanders.
Brown’s lack of production got called out last year by Detroit Lions wide receiver Armon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown got drafted a round after Brown, but has 179 receptions, 1,765 receiving yards, and nine more touchdowns than Brown.
It’s hard to gauge if there is any interest from other teams for the Commanders to trade Brown. For now, Washington will bank on his potential and the possibility of a resurgence back to his college days with his former UNC teammate Sam Howell expected to start at quarterback.
With Howell as his quarterback, Brown had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and 20 touchdowns with over 50 catches in each season in college. The two were recently spotted working out together.
The jury is still questionable on Brown. How his third year as a pro plays out will be interesting. Will the Commanders move on from him, or does he still fit their plans?
