Philadelphia Eagles may have hit the jackpot with last year’s Washington Commanders trade after all
Philly may finally have a reliable WR3.
The Philadelphia Eagles may have hit the jackpot in last year’s trade with the Washington Commanders after all.
Just before the 2024 NFL season, Philly acquired wide receiver Jahan Dotson and a 2025 fifth-round pick from the Commanders, while sending a 2025 third-round pick and two seventh-round picks to Washington.
Dotson was a 16th overall pick by the Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft after a standout career at Penn State. But despite being taken in Round 1, he never quite broke through in Washington’s offense. Over two seasons with the Commanders, he totaled 84 catches for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The hope when he came to Philly was that the Eagles could turn his career around and finally give the Eagles a solid WR3 option, but that didn’t end up happening. He finished the regular season hauling in just 19 receptions for 216 yards and no touchdowns.
When it came time to pick up his fifth-year option, the Eagles opted not to.
And that is what finally may have lit a fire inside of Dotson because he’s been having a terrific offseason so far from OTAs to training camp practices and preseason.
His overall growth and efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, particularly by Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
“He really has. I mean, he’s a really good route runner,” Patullo said of Dotson when asked how he’s seen his game evolve “That’s the one thing when you put the tape on or you watch him in person, his route running ability is really dynamic and I think his maturity of just being around the other guys, you can start to feel him in different ways in the offense. I think what he’s shown, too, is you can move him around. I don’t know necessarily if we knew that when we first got him, but now he’s in a spot where we can put him anywhere and we feel confident. So I think his game has grown tremendously from that standpoint.”
The Eagles’ wide receiver competition has been very hot this summer, making it extra tough for coaches to make their decision at the end of training camp. But one thing is for sure, and that’s Dotson’s spot at WR3 on the 2025 roster is a lock.
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