AFC rival rips Commanders for draft bust’s lack of progress

The Washington Commanders were expecting Dyami Brown to become an important part of the team's long-term plans. Unfortunately for the player and the franchise, this didn't go according to plan.

And his new employers believe there is a reason for his failure that they are looking to rectify.

The Commanders spurned other gifted wideouts in favor of drafting Brown out of North Carolina. He never got going and was used sparingly by two separate regimes before coming to life down the stretch and into the playoffs last time around. That was enough for the Jacksonville Jaguars to make him an offer in free agency that general manager Adam Peters was unwilling to match.

Liam Coen doesn't believe the Commanders utilized Dyami Brown effectively

Jacksonville thinks it has the key to unlock Brown's true potential. Liam Coen took a not-so-subtle swipe at the player's development, claiming that his route tree wasn't expanded enough by the coaching staff in Washington. This is something he's looking to resolve in pursuit of making him an important option for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

You didn't really see him work the intermediate that much [in Washington], and I think over the course of this spring, Trevor [Lawrence] and him have gained a little bit of a chemistry on some of those intermediate in-breakers, curls, maybe outcuts. Part of the selling point to have him come here was, 'Man, we really want to continue to diversify your route tree and have you do more. You're not just a screen, jet sweep, vertical threat.'Liam Coen via ESPN

This might be true, but it doesn't change the fact that Brown largely underperformed when opportunities were given.

He was seen as a deep threat, but nothing more. Concentration issues continued to rear their head, even in the NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That was probably the final straw for the Commanders, who stopped at nothing to provide quarterback phenom Jayden Daniels with the enhanced supporting cast needed to excel.

Brown only got a one-year deal, so the pressure is on to produce. He seems to be behind Brian Thomas Jr. and No. 2 pick Travis Hunter in the receiver pecking order currently. That doesn't mean he won't be involved, especially considering Coen comes with a strong reputation as a shrewd offensive mind.

It'll be interesting to see if Brown can become an asset over all three levels of the field. But make no mistake, the Commanders were right to go in a different direction.

More Commanders news and analysis