In a calendar year, the Washington Commanders shed their title as one of the most inept franchises in professional sports and transformed into a lovable NFC East contender on the rise, which makes the impending Terry McLaurin contract drama even more consequential.
McLaurin has spent his entire career near the nation's capital, catching passes from 14 different quarterbacks and enduring some of the darkest times in the club's history.
Despite coming off an All-Pro campaign and being a model employee throughout his tenure, McLaurin's impending 30th birthday has been a point of contention in negotiations.
If the Commanders can't reach an agreement with McLaurin, perhaps replacing him with a disgruntled former Super Bowl standout could patch up their depleted wide receiver core and give Jayden Daniels a much-needed extra weapon.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Kristopher Knox pitched Washington sending Noah Brown and a third-round pick to San Francisco in exchange for Juan Jennings.
"Even with Deebo Samuel now in Washington, though, the Commanders could have interest in Jennings," Knox wrote. "The Commanders could include Noah Brown, who racked up 453 yards in 11 games last season before suffering a lacerated kidney. He's entering a contract year but would help San Francisco replace Jennings."
Jennings is not an ideal alternative, but he's a big-body X wideout who can play on the boundary with similar jump-ball skills to McLaurin.
Daniels loves to take the cover off the defense, and Jennings might not have natural vertical speed, but his height and jumping ability help him pluck the rock out of the sky.
If the Commanders could get a lower asking price (maybe a fifth-rounder instead), it's a short-term solution with some decent upside.