The New Orleans Saints are hosting former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington on a free agent visit Monday, but what would he add to their offense?
On the surface, Washington looks similar to a receiver the Saints signed last summer: slot specialist Jarvis Landry, both standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing around 205 pounds (Landry’s listed weight has fluctuated from 196 to 205 pounds, while Washington’s varies from 205 to 213). But that’s where the comparison ends. They’re very different players stylistically.
For one thing, Landry has run 67.2% of his routes from the slot during his pro career, including a staggering 70.1% of them with the Saints last year; Washington has only run 23.9% of his routes from the slot in the NFL, peaking with 38.4% in 2021, his last year in Pittsburgh (he spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants last season).
For another, they’ve played at totally different depths of the field. Landry has seen an average depth of target at 8.0 yards in the NFL, gaining 5.0 yards after the catch per reception while catching 52.2% of his contested targets. Washington’s average depth of target has been 14.8 yards, picking up 4.1 yards after the catch per reception. He’s also caught just 40.7% of his contested targets, so while he has a reputation as a physical receiver he hasn’t made those kind of plays consistently enough.
And for one more point to consider, both players run faster than their listed times would suggest, but Washington has another gear that Landry doesn’t match. He timed the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds and posted league-average numbers in all other pre-draft testing drills, while Landry bombed across the board (timing the 40-yard dash in a baffling 4.77 seconds). Washington is not an elite athlete by any means, but he does offer more juice than Landry, and it’s part of why he’s been so successful on vertical routes downfield.
Washington predominately lined up at the Z-receiver spot, or flanker, early in his Steelers career. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said of him last July, per Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein:
“He’s a strong player, he’s a physical player. When you break down the receiver position, he has a lot of flanker traits from the split end side (like) his ability to go out there and dig out safeties, run the crossing routes. He has the vertical speed. The vertical stem routes are definitely a strength of his. I can’t yet give you an analysis of him in the slot because we haven’t yet seen him there, but his ability to play with flanker characteristics at X is something unique to him.”
Some archetypes emerge when you look at the Saints receiving corps, though they move players around so often it’s important to not limit anyone to a single box or role in the offense. You have the split ends, the X-receivers who fight through coverage at the line of scrimmage and compete for contested catches: veterans Michael Thomas and Bryan Edwards, plus rookies A.T. Perry and Shaquan Davis.
Then there are the slot receivers, who benefit from pre-snap motion and may see a lot of work as blockers in the run game: Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, and Kirk Merritt have the most experience here, but Chris Olave was unguardable from the slot in college and when everyone is healthy he should see an uptick in usage here.
But the Z-receivers, the flankers, are the one spot without a real veteran presence. Rashid Shaheed is clearly the best option, following by practice squad holdover Kawaan Baker and rookies Malik Flowers and Sy Barnett. Shaheed’s stock is on the rise but it would make sense to add someone with plenty of pro reps behind them in case he doesn’t sustain the level of play we saw last year. If Washington is up for signing another minimum deal like the one he got from Dallas last year, it could pay off.
Would he make the roster? Maybe, depending on how eager he is to throw his weight around as a blocker. Thomas, Olave, and Shaheed are locks to make the roster. That leaves two or three spots up for grabs. Edwards needs to show he can block as well as Smith while making more contested catches. Perry needs to make the most of his limited target opportunities over the summer. If Flowers can separate himself as a returns specialist, he should make the cut, too.
The numbers game isn’t on Washington’s side, which is why he may ultimately look elsewhere. But the chance to compete for snaps on an inexperienced depth chart might be good for him after an injury slowed him down last season. He’s just 27 years old and could quickly reestablish himself if things break favorably for him in New Orleans. We’ll see how this one shakes out.
