ASHBURN — Dyami Brown admits he’s still not a fan of the drive.
Two to three times a week this spring, the Washington Commanders wide receiver would get in his car and make the hour-long trek from his offseason home in Charlotte to the Ballantyne-Weddington area of North Carolina. It’s a journey he’s made on plenty of occasions over the years. But while he might prefer a shorter trip, the 23-year-old really doesn’t mind the commute.
After all, Brown’s drive is an opportunity to meet up with Sam Howell — the receiver’s quarterback, first in college at North Carolina and now in Washington.
“Sometimes you have to take the long drive,” Brown said. “I’ll take the trip just to get the work in. The work won’t stop no matter how far it is. If I got to drive an hour, if I got to go hours away, I’ll be there.”
That approach is the right one for Brown, particularly as he enters a crucial year for his professional career. After two seasons in the NFL, the 2021 third-round pick has just 17 catches for 308 yards. He’s arguably more known for being the target of an Amon Ra St-Brown rant — the Lions receiver took issue with being drafted after the North Carolina product — than he is for what he has contributed on the field.
But if Brown is going to ever produce consistently in the NFL, this year might be his best chance. He’s working with Howell, who is positioned to be Washington’s starter after mostly sitting as a rookie.
The two have chemistry dating back to their days in Carolina when Howell was a star quarterback prospect and Brown was his standout receiver.
Beyond his connection with Howell, Brown is also in a position to see more playing time because of the departure of Cam Sims — who served primarily as Washington’s fourth receiver last year before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.
Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel remain ahead of Brown in the pecking order, but there’s still room for Brown to carve a role.
“One thing we’ve really liked … Dyami has really stepped up his game,” coach Ron Rivera said. “Now being in a situation where he’s very familiar with Sam, I think that’s helped Dyami. He can fill that role as far as the big receiver. Remember, one of the things that stood out when he was coming out was that he led the NCAA in contested catches.”
Rivera has brought up Brown’s contested catch history repeatedly since the Commanders drafted him 82nd overall. According to Pro Football Focus, Brown had 49 contested targets at North Carolina — and held on to all of them. Not a single drop. But that ability hasn’t translated yet to the pros. Just four of Brown’s 17 catches have been contested catches. And of his 10 contested catch targets, he has dropped six of them.
Brown has focused on correcting that this offseason. Beyond his work with Howell, the wideout said he’s working on his catch radius. After a recent practice, Brown spent time hauling footballs in from a machine with just one hand while on his knees. “I want that radius to be anywhere,” he said.
“Dyami came (to training camp) in great shape,” wide receivers coach Bobby Engram said. “He’s got a focus on right now and he’s playing consistent football. When you do that, you have a chance to grow at receiver.”
Once the season starts, Brown will have to prove he can be consistent. Last year, the wideout had a breakout game in Week 5’s loss to the Tennessee Titans, hauling in two touchdowns for a combined 105 yards. But the performance didn’t translate to a breakout season. Brown’s stat line for the rest of the year: 2 catches, 32 yards on six targets.
Having Howell at quarterback should help improve his numbers. Already in practice, the 2022 fifth-rounder has repeatedly found Brown on long balls down the field and has accurately anticipated when to hit his former college target. At North Carolina, Brown had back-to-back seasons of at least 1,000 yards with Howell under center in 2019 and 2020.
“That’s when you have the trust building,” Brown said. “With Sam, it’s already there. … Chemistry and trust are always tied together.”
Built, in part, by one drive at a time.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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