The Washington Commanders made a pair of preseason trades Thursday, shipping out wide receiver Jahan Dotson and adding kicker Cade York as the NFL preseason winds down.
General manager Adam Peters started the busy day by sending a conditional seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for York, a former fourth-round pick. He then sent Dotson and a fifth-round pick to the division-rival Eagles in exchange for a third-rounder and two seventh-rounders.
The Commanders released kicker Riley Patterson, the only kicker on the roster, shortly before announcing the trade for York.
Dotson and Patterson both underwhelmed throughout the preseason, the first under new Commanders coach Dan Quinn. Dotson posted just three receptions for 16 yards in the first two exhibition games, while Patterson missed three of his five field goal attempts.
The duo’s struggles opened up competitions in their respective position groups. Quinn said Sunday that the team had “work to do” to solidify the kicking game and has routinely noted that the second wide receiver spot behind Terry McLaurin was open.
“I would say we are right in the middle of it,” Quinn said last week of the wide receiver competition. “You’ll see two, three, four, five; there’s a lot of guys that are really battling. … So that’s where we’re at.”
Dotson said last week that he knew his job wasn’t safe.
“DQ didn’t draft me,” the third-year pro told the Washington Post. “Each and every year in your profession, you got to prove yourself. You got to prove what you’re worth and what you’re capable of doing. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Dotson’s capabilities evidently weren’t enough for the new regime of Quinn, Peters and new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The newest Eagle will face the Commanders for the first time on “Thursday Night Football” on Nov. 14.
Thursday’s trade provided clarity for Washington’s wide receiver competition, opening the door for veterans Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus to take larger roles.
Brown, a third-round pick out of North Carolina in the 2021 draft, has established a rapport with quarterback Jayden Daniels during the preseason. Brown caught the rookie’s first down-field pass, a 41-yard completion down the right sideline, in the first exhibition against the New York Jets.
Zaccheaus, a veteran who played with the Atlanta Falcons and Eagles, could join McLaurin and Brown at the top of the rotation. The Virginia product has quickly become a favorite target for Daniels.
“He’s had a really strong camp,” Quinn said of Zaccheaus last week.
Quinn has also cited rookie Luke McCaffrey as a potential top target for Daniels.
“It’s been a good [wide receiver] room, competitive room,” Kingsbury said Thursday. “I’m really excited to see, once we get into the regular season, how they get better.”
Dotson’s departure is the latest move in the Commanders’ rebuild. The 24-year-old was one of four first-round selections by former coach Ron Rivera, alongside defensive end Chase Young, Jamin Davis and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.
Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of last season’s trade deadline after struggling with injuries during his time in Washington. Davis and Forbes are still Commanders, but they’re listed as backups on the depth chart.
Davis transitioned to the defensive line this offseason after Peters signed veteran linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu to fill the starting roles.
Forbes hasn’t impressed this offseason after losing the starting job last October. He is currently listed as a reserve on Washington’s depth chart after continuing to struggle during this year’s training camp.
Forbes, Davis and the rest of the Commanders will return to the field Sunday for the preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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