Commanders ready to use secret weapon Luke McCaffrey

The Washington Commanders expect improvements in their offense in 2024. That's not a high bar to set after Eric Bieniemy failed to live up to expectations following his high-profile trade from the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

Since then, everything has changed. The Commanders have reduced their roster and appointed Kliff Kingsbury to replace Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. In Jayden Daniels, they have a potential franchise quarterback, a strengthened offensive line and pass catchers who should keep everything running smoothly.

The trade of Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles underscores the confidence that general manager Adam Peters has in the other wide receivers available to Washington, who will all see this move as a huge confidence boost and a great opportunity to establish themselves.

One player who has been relatively quiet in the offseason is Luke McCaffrey. The third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft hasn't looked out of place – quite the opposite. He just hasn't been used that often, which could potentially mean the Commanders are holding back a bit before using him as a secret weapon during the regular season.

This topic was recently discussed by NBC Sports' Matthew Berry during an appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show. The analyst believes the former Rice star will perform for the Commanders in a similar way to how Tank Dell did for the Houston Texans. It may not happen immediately and with the same numbers, but he is confident that this scenario will eventually come to pass for McCaffrey.

“At some point this year, Luke McCaffrey will play a role. Last preseason, I said this about Tank Dell. I promised that Tank Dell would play a role at some point in the 2023 season. I don't think he'll have a year like Tank Dell, but I do believe Luke McCaffrey will play a role at some point this year.”

– Matthew Berry, NBC Sports

That could be the case, although it would be overkill to ask him to reach Dell's level. McCaffrey is a smooth route runner with striking athleticism and sure hands. At the same time, he only has two seasons of experience as a wide receiver and still has a lot to learn.

There's a lot of buzz around McCaffrey right now, and rightly so. He comes from a strong NFL family, which brings its own potential complications, but his outstanding work ethic and commitment to improvement might leave the coaching staff with no choice but to throw him in at the deep end.

McCaffrey has faced every challenge throughout his career with the same attitude, and will continue to do so if given the chance. One only has to look at his status on the Commanders' unofficial rankings to see that there could be plenty of targets right from the start in 2024.

The Commanders have decided not to trade for Brandon Aiyuk this offseason, meaning they need one of their wideouts to emerge from obscurity and take on a prominent role.

For McCaffrey, it could go either way. But don't be surprised if Washington's supposed secret weapon succeeds.

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