Washington receiver could be an Arizona Cardinals trade target

The Arizona Cardinals are heading into the draft with a need at wide receiver, Washington receiver Josh Doctson could help solve that issue.

When Washington drafted the 6-2 Josh Doctson with the 22nd pick in the 2016 draft, many expected the Texas Christian product to flourish in Jay Gruden’s offense. However, that hasn’t quite happened in Doctson’s three years of play in Washington and he very well could be on the trade block because of it.

While there are little concrete rumors that Doctson is on the trade block, Washington has been adamant about overhauling their receiving corps and roster outlook this off-season. They also have rarely been afraid to cut ties with a player that just hasn’t worked out.

At just $12.5 million in cap space and with a draft pool estimated to cost $8 million, per Over The Cap, Washington might need to make sacrifices after acquiring Landon Collins, Case Keenum, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Alex Smith‘s heavily guaranteed contract combined with the uncertainty that he will ever play again will also continue to stress their cap space.

In 2020, the Redskins will be paying Alex Smith $21.4 million and Landon Collins $14.2 million — a combined $35.6 million for a duo consisting of a box safety and quarterback that might not play again. If they were to keep Doctson, they would need to pay an additional pricey sum due to the nature of the fifth-year option in 2020. Or, they would let him walk and see little compensation in return.

This is where the Arizona Cardinals come into play. Not only do they need Doctson, but they also can afford to take on his contract including the fifth-year option on it if they choose to trade for the TCU product.

For as disappointing as Doctson has been, the Arizona Cardinals are in a situation where they would benefit greatly from the 26 year olds services. He’s built like a number one receiver and has the catch radius to boot. He’s also a weapon in the red zone and is an excellent vertical route-runner.

However, Doctson would be on his way out for a reason outside of cap constraints; he needs to get better at creating seperation, and his 1,100 career receiving yards are far from inspiring.

Washington could also be looking to part ways with Doctson simply due to shedding themselves from a bad draft pick — a notion often practiced in the NFL. On the other hand, the Arizona Cardinals are in a spot where they can take on a guy that has failed to live up to expectations. Their depth behind Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk is also quite slim.

If the Arizona Cardinals were to acquire Doctson, a middle-round pick could do the trick. In 2019, his cap hit if traded would be around $1.9 million, per OTC. However, remember that nothing is concrete and this is pure speculation on a receiver that hasn’t worked out on a pricey team.