The Washington Commanders are dealing with some severe injury problems this season. This is having a detrimental impact on the team's chances to be successful, and things are teetering on a knife-edge at 3-4 with some challenging games upcoming.
These health concerns have been especially evident in the wide receiver room. Noah Brown finally went to injured reserve despite being missing since Week 2. Second-team All-Pro Terry McLaurin has missed the last four games, and there is no telling when he'll return. Deebo Samuel Sr., who's been toughing it out with a heel problem, wasn't risked in Washington's defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
That left the Commanders with Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey, and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane to shoulder the load. Robbie Chosen was called up from the practice squad, and Washington recently signed Treylon Burks after he departed from the Tennessee Titans.
Commanders should call Tyler Lockett after his mutual departure from the Titans
While Burks and Chosen could help, there is just no telling for sure. The Commanders shouldn't stop looking to upgrade, and there is an eye-catching insurance policy that has just become available.
According to Adam Schefter from ESPN, Tyler Lockett has asked for and been granted his release from the Titans. The move to Tennessee didn't pay off, and the pass-catcher clearly didn't want to spend the whole season on a bottom-feeder that's already fired its head coach.
Lockett is reportedly free to sign with another club after 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday. He was never a good fit in Tennessee, but there should be interest in the 33-year-old. And the Commanders could do far worse than examine his credentials in greater detail.
The former Kansas State standout should be sharp enough to help immediately. Lockett's traits look well-suited to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's schematic concepts. He's also the sort of experienced presence general manager Adam Peters has sought throughout his recent recruitment.
More importantly, this represents a chance for Lockett to get on the field immediately. The Commanders might be in a slump, but there is still time to turn things around. At the same time, the 2015 third-round pick could be looking for a team with more legitimate chances to contend.
It'll be interesting to see where Lockett ends up. The Commanders might be satisfied with what they have right now, which is a gamble. But it wouldn't cost Peters much to find out if the pass-catcher would be interested in coming to Washington.
Time will tell on both fronts.