Free-agent receiver Stefon Diggs was seen working out alongside Washington Commanders receiver Van Jefferson and tight end Lawrence Cager, among other NFL players, in a session with trainer Myron Flowers, per a Monday report from Washington Commanders On SI’s Philip Hughes, with images surfacing on Flowers’ Instagram. Diggs has spent the offseason training at his alma mater, Maryland.
A July workout with future or possible teammates is routine — players across the league are ramping up before camp, and nobody should read a contract into a training photo. But the context is why this one drew attention. Diggs remains unsigned, Washington’s No. 2 receiver job behind Terry McLaurin is the most unsettled spot on the roster, and the Maryland native said in a June interview that he has “100 percent” thought about playing for his hometown team. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Fowler reported on July 14 that Washington and Baltimore were the two teams to watch, with Diggs’ market expected to firm up closer to training camp. That window is now: Commanders rookies report Thursday, with veterans due July 28.
Jefferson’s presence in the session is its own subplot. The 29-year-old, who caught 29 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown with Tennessee last season, earned public praise from Dan Quinn during the offseason program and currently sits atop the list of in-house WR2 candidates. Whether the front office lets that competition play out or ends it with a veteran signing is the first real roster decision of Washington’s camp.
For fantasy purposes, this is a situation to monitor before drafting any Washington pass-catcher other than McLaurin. A Diggs signing would immediately reorder the target pecking order behind him and cap Jefferson’s sleeper appeal, while a quiet camp week would leave Jefferson as a late-round dart with a legitimate path to starter snaps alongside Jayden Daniels.
— Potomac Reed
