Kendrick Bourne buzz makes Commanders' stance on Luke McCaffrey clear

After only taking through five wide receivers onto their roster, the Washington Commanders quickly set up a meeting with veteran Kendrick Bourne following his release from the New England Patriots. Whether he joins or not remains to be seen, but it makes the team's stance on Luke McCaffrey crystal clear.

The Commanders will bring in Bourne on Tuesday, and they've also reportedly sorted out the contractual aspect ahead of time so that he can get involved immediately. They aren't alone, with the San Francisco 49ers also scheduling a visit with the pass-catcher on Monday.

Washington is arguably a more attractive destination for Bourne, although getting the chance to rejoin the team that took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent will be tempting. Adam Peters knows the player well, so hopefully, he can do enough to convince him that the Commanders are the place to galvanize his career.

Commanders' wide receiver pursuit could be bad news for Luke McCaffrey

Time will tell on that. However, it doesn't exactly bode well for Luke McCaffrey's chances of carving out a bigger role for himself in Year 2 of his professional journey.

McCaffrey flashed promise once again this summer without quite having the consistency needed. The No. 100 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is still a work in progress. He also seems lower down the pecking order than ever, at least from the outside looking in.

Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel Sr., and Noah Brown are the projected starting trio. Rookie fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane's seamless transition this summer hints that a bigger role than expected could be in his immediate future. If Bourne also comes into the fold, that might plunge McCaffrey to the No. 6 option.

This won't be lost on McCaffrey. He'll play a key role on special teams, but fans were expecting more. At the same time, the Commanders cannot wait around after their seismic shift into a win-now club with grand ambitions to reach the Super Bowl.

The gauntlet has been laid down to McCaffrey. He needs to maximize every opportunity coming his way. They might be fleeting once again, especially if Bourne signs on the dotted line, but the Commanders have no room for passengers. Anyone not pulling their weight will be sent to the fringes.

Whether it's Bourne or someone else, the Commanders are looking for another wide receiver. And McCaffrey should be nervously looking over his shoulder until something is confirmed one way or another.

More Commanders news and analysis