We are winding down the final days until the official start of the 2024 NFL season. This time of year is usually dotted with player news about which teams have cut which players. We don’t often get significant trade deals this close to the start of the season. It is especially rare to see an inter-division deal. But that is exactly what we got when the Washington Commanders traded their former first-round pick, Jahan Dotson, to the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles. In this article, we will look at the effect Dotson has on his new squad. Let’s examine the former Penn State star’s return to the Keystone State.
Eagles Roster
The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the most loaded rosters in the NFL. They are especially strong at the wide receiver spot. They currently have two of the highest-paid WRs in the NFL with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both players are top 10 in the league in WR salaries. Last season, both players proved that salaries weren’t the only area they led the pack. A.J. Brown finished the year as the WR8 in ppg after averaging a healthy 17.0. For his part, DeVonta Smith came in as a solid WR2 finishing as the no. 21 overall WR by putting up 14.2 ppg.
Remember when AJ Brown and Devonta Smith teamed up to break the commanders 1st round rookie 😂
— Laz🇱🇷🦅 (@Philly_Laz) June 30, 2024
Happy Birthday to the man that’s Always Open #FlyEaglesFly #Eagles pic.twitter.com/HLB1OOhfSo
The Eagles also boast some high-end talent at their other skill positions. Dallas Goedert is one of the more athletic tight ends in the league. He has a top-5 league salary for the TE position. Goedert was a low-end TE1 (TE12) with 9.7 ppg. You can also add new running back Saquon Barkley and his top-5 positional salary to the mix. His numbers last season aren’t as important given this will be his first year with the Eagles. Suffice it to say that he has been an All-Pro in the past and looks to regain his footing after struggling to find consistent success behind a brutal New York Giants offensive line.
Saquon Barkley is absolutely going to remind people to “put some respect on his name!” Call him Birdman because this Eagles RB is ready to soar to new heights! Career year incoming! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/HyokoEtcXS
— Joshua Cho (@jbchoknows) August 21, 2024
This high-end machine is driven by one of the more dynamic young signal callers in the league with Jalen Hurts. The quarterback also boasts a top-10 position salary, completing the full house when it comes to the Eagles’ skill players. To say that the Philadelphia Eagles are a talented roster is quite an understatement.
Dotson In D.C.
Jahan Dotson saw some early success after entering the league as a first-round pick out of Penn State. The talented playmaker displayed quick feet and a good nose for the endzone. He was able to use his quick-twitch ability to get open in small spaces and present his quarterback with an open and reliable set of hands.
| Games | Receiving | Rushing | Total Yds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Att | Yds | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV |
| 2022 | 22 | WAS | WR | 1 | 12 | 10 | 61 | 35 | 523 | 14.9 | 7 | 26 | 50.8 | 61 | 2.9 | 43.6 | 57.4% | 8.6 | 2 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | -3.5 | -0.6 | 0.2 | 37 | 13.9 | 516 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | 23 | WAS | WR | 1 | 17 | 16 | 83 | 49 | 518 | 10.6 | 4 | 27 | 48.2 | 33 | 2.9 | 30.5 | 59.0% | 6.2 | 0 | 49 | 10.6 | 518 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||
| Career | 29 | 26 | 144 | 84 | 1041 | 12.4 | 11 | 53 | 49.3 | 61 | 2.9 | 35.9 | 58.3% | 7.2 | 2 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | -3.5 | -0.2 | 0.1 | 86 | 12.0 | 1034 | 11 | 8 | |||||
On the heels of his rookie season, Dotson was drawing some hefty praise. In particular, I remember renowned wide receiver guru Matt Harmon of Yahoo! Sports and Reception Perception charting Jahan Dotson’s impressive route tree.
Jahan Dotson’s rookie year #ReceptionPerception was outstanding. RP already loved him as a prospect and he still exceeded expectations.
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 22, 2023
– 80.1% success rate vs. zone coverage
– 87th percentile success rate vs press (!!)
– Had a top-10 contested catch rate
– Near elite success… pic.twitter.com/GkvypGelVX
For whatever reason, Dotson saw his productivity take a noticeable dive during his second year in D.C. Despite seeing more targets and catches, his efficiency metrics took a noticeable dip as well. Following the season, the Commanders made coaching changes across the board. It seems that Dotson simply didn’t fit into new OC Kliff Kingsbury’s plans.
Dotson’s Role In Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles have been searching high and low this offseason for a third wide receiver to complete their formational set. They first attempted to fill the role by signing former Miami Dolphin and New England Patriot pass catcher DeVante Parker to a one-year deal. This fell through when Parker decided to retire instead of continuing his career.
The Eagles next sought to fill the void by bringing in former Indianapolis Colts’ second-round pick Parris Campbell. This seemed like a nice fit initially. He would provide a speed element to the third WR spot that Parker would not have. Recent reports have indicated that this might not be going well as Campbell made note of playing for his job in a recent article.
Now enters Jahan Dotson. Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman sent a 2025 3rd-round pick along with a pair of 7th-round selections to the Commanders for Dotson and a 2025 5th. Roseman has a noted eye for talent and I believe he was paying attention last year.
There is one thing I would like to point out about Dotson’s numbers in 2023. Despite his overall poor showing, he played particularly well against one team: the Philadelphia Eagles. Dotson scored half of his season touchdowns against the Eagles and had his lone 100-yard performance (8/108/1) in the second game. In the first contest, Dotson made a really nice TD catch at the end of the game to send the contest to overtime.
Dotson’s biggest catch was against the Eagles. Granted, terrible defense and coverage and a great throw, but still. This trade will be a slight overpay if he doesn’t develop, but still a decent trade. But if he develops it’ll be a steal. pic.twitter.com/AqbdgMqxjG
— Mike (@Boston__Sucks) August 22, 2024
In Philadelphia, the pressure should be taken off of Dotson. He will almost assuredly play the slot role in the Eagles’ high-powered offense. His presence will have little-to-no effect on A.J. Brown or Devonta Smith. The player’s fantasy value I believe he will most likely hurt is Dallas Goedert’s. Both players will operate primarily between the hashes. Jahan Dotson’s greatest impact will likely be for Jalen Hurts who has now gained yet another quality weapon to distribute the ball to.
Dotson’s Dynasty Value
This trade will send Jahan Dotson’s dynasty value into the cellar. Once looked upon as a potential successor to an aging Terry McLaurin, Dotson will now be buried on the Eagles’ stacked roster. Both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith just signed extensions within the past year. Neither player is going anywhere, anytime soon.
If you manage Dotson, now is likely not the time to trade him away. Unless you have some hardcore Eagles fans in your league, it’s hard to imagine you can get anything of value for the former first-round pick. It is probably best to hold him and hope that an injury infront of him on the depth chart opens a selling window where you can get some form of return on investment. You will almost certainly never get what you paid for Dotson, but something is likely better than nothing. It is just too hard to see him providing valuable points weekly while competing with Brown, Smith, Goedert, and Barkley.
Final Thoughts
I think this was a brilliant move by Eagles GM Howie Roseman. Jalen Hurts will surely benefit from adding yet another talented playmaker to his arsenal of weapons. The Eagles will once again be a team to reckon with in 2024, but Jahan Dotson will likely not help your squads as much as he will his new NFL team. Keep an eye out for our take on the Commanders’ side of this trade with our very own @CoachStevenP breaking down the other side of this trade.
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