By Nick Brinkerhoff
No one ever claimed that Washington was good at fixing problems.
The best thing about sports is how a city can identify with or rally around a team. But then there’s the flip side of things, where no one wins. The Washington Commanders are an organization that is plagued by scandal, much like the city, it’s supposed to represent.
In that respect, things are going very well.
They have a shaky signal caller at best with quarterback Carson Wentz and haven’t had stability at the most important position in sports since the 1980s. Luckily for Washington, they have another potential quarterback waiting in the wings.
Tight end Logan Thomas.
Alright fine. I’m kidding. Maybe.
Regardless, the former college quarterback turned tight end will play a big role for the now-Washington Commanders. Yeah, that’s going to take some getting used to.
Can Logan Thomas rediscover his 2020 form?
Thomas began his career under center after a three-year run as a starter for Virginia Tech. The Cardinals took a chance on him in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, in which he only played two games before being released.
After being unable to stick anywhere over the next few years as a quarterback, Thomas found himself being faced with a decision, one that would change everything.
As the world shut down in 2020 due to a global pandemic, many people began to begin other journeys. Some opted to find new hobbies, skills, or jobs. Others enjoy the new work-from-home culture. Others pursued a route to fame on TikTok, doing some of the most mind-numbing things imaginable for likes. That may just be the greatest example to date of how fresh air is in fact good for the brain.
But the big-bodied Thomas didn’t decide to twerk for views or make whipped coffee. He instead opted to transition to playing the tight end position. There’s a joke in there, but I’ll be mature and leave it alone. Feel free to laugh accordingly though.
Now a member of the Washington Football Team in 2020, Thomas broke out. In his first year playing the position, he hauled in 72 receptions on 110 targets, recording 670 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.
The days of Jordan Reed’s injuries and the aging Vernon Davis were now drifting away as Washington got something right for a change.
But then came 2021.
A Lost Season
After playing in only six games in 2021, Thomas lost his season due to a Torn ACL in Week 13. This was after missing six games because of a hamstring injury earlier that season. His stats were down across the board and were on pace to finish below his 2020 totals.
Thomas has missed the entire offseason as he rehabs from the ACL injury, although there is optimism he can be ready for Week 1.
The team was once again plagued by poor quarterback play and, in theory, should be upgrading with Wentz. Then again, it’s really hard to get much worse.
Wentz is known for targeting the tight end position in the passing game, notably having success with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia before being dealt to the Colts where they did not feature a prominent player at that position on the roster.
The new Commanders quarterback likes to throw to big-bodied targets and it’s hard to see how Thomas doesn’t stand to benefit from that reality. Especially when Ertz, Goedert, and Alshon Jeffrey proved to be vital in the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2018.
It should also be noted that the Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr. enjoyed a great 2021 season as well.
So while much of the attention is focused on Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and rookie Jahan Dotson, Thomas stands as the only guy in this conversation taller than 6’1”.
Bet on it
Finding a bet on Logan Thomas is almost impossible at this stage due to the lack of options given to us by the sportsbooks. However, we already know that Wentz prefers bigger receivers and the Commanders have designed an offense that is almost the exact opposite of that, outside of Thomas.
So here’s what we can do. Terry McLaurin’s season-long receiving yard total is set at 1000.5 on DraftKings at a price of -110. We will take the under on that total, with a $110 bet bringing home another nice even $100. While you’re there, maybe consider an under play on Jahan Dotson’s 611.5 receiving yard line as well.
For fantasy purposes, Thomas is worth a look over some of the other, higher-ranked tight ends because of his size alone, but it also helps that he has talent, something many of those viral TikTok-ers can’t say.