The Washington Commanders made a surprising trade on August 22nd when they sent Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick and two seventh-round picks. Dotson was the Commanders’ first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft and, after a promising rookie season, has yet to improve in the way the Commanders had hoped. Trading away, Dotson left the door open for Washington to add a weapon to the receiver room. Meet Noah Brown.
The Commanders signed Noah Brown to a one-year deal on August 29th to be the third-best receiver on the roster. Noah Brown played with the Houston Texans last year and was a casualty of roster cuts, as Houston already has a stacked receiving core.
The Commanders are signing WR Noah Brown, per @JFowlerESPN. Last season:
— PFF Commanders (@PFF_Washington) August 28, 2024
🔴 75.0 receiving grade
🟡 33 receptions
🔴 567 receiving yards
🟡 222 yards after the catch
🔴 24 first downs
🟡 2 TDs pic.twitter.com/4Gl49Nfgf8
Brown had 33 receptions for 567 yards and two touchdowns last season, with the bulk of his production coming in a two-game span where he had 13 receptions for 325 yards and one touchdown. Brown missed seven games due to injury last season, meaning he was on pace for a 900-yard season if he had kept up the same pace throughout the end of the year.
Brown will replace Jahan Dotson, who finished playing all 17 games last season, catching 49 passes and racking up 518 receiving yards. Brown had more yards on fewer catches and in fewer games than Dotson last season.
The advanced stats also favor Brown over Dotson, as Brown was second in the league in Average Yards after Catch over Expected Yards after Catch (Average YAC above Expectation) with 3.1 yards. Average YAC above Expectation is an advanced stat that tries to quantify how many yards after catch the average receiver has gotten on the play and how many yards after catch the receiver in question gets. Jahan Dotson ranked 7th to last in this category among receivers with a minimum of 45 targets, with -0.5 Average YAC above Expectation. To put this in perspective, Deebo Samuel, regarded as one of the best receivers in football after the catch, led the league with a 3.9 Average YAC above Expectation.
If the Commanders can get Noah Brown the ball in space and allow him to do what he does best, then Noah Brown will solidify himself as a weapon and a valuable number three receiver, maybe even number two receiver in this league. Commanders fans should be excited that they replaced a disappointing Jahan Dotson with a promising Noah Brown at a fraction of the salary that Dotson was getting paid.
