Commanders sign Treylon Burks: Washington reportedly adds former first-round WR to boost thin group

The Washington Commanders are taking a flier on a former first-round pick at wide receiver, as NFL Media reports they plan to sign Treylon Burks to the practice squad. Given all of the injuries Washington has seen at receiver recently, Burks, who spent his entire career with the Tennessee Titans before being waived earlier this month, could be elevated quickly.

Commanders star wideout Terry McLaurin has missed the last three games with a quad injury, and did not practice on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday. Deebo Samuel is also dealing with a heel injury that has held him out of practice this week, and Noah Brown was recently placed on injured reserve. 

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Jeff Kerr

Samuel played through the heel injury on Monday night during Washington’s 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. He caught four passes for just 15 yards. Chris Moore was actually the Commanders’ leading receiver in Week 6 with 46 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Moore, Luke McCaffrey and rookie Jaylin Lane have been called upon to step up in the past few weeks.

Despite the thin receiver corps, the Commanders, now 3-3 on the year, are 1.5-point road favorites (via FanDuel) against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. 

Burks reportedly visited with Washington this week. The former No. 18 overall pick cleared waivers earlier this month after Tennessee parted ways with him following three unproductive seasons. He has played just 27 career games, and caught 53 passes for 699 yards and one touchdown. Burks has struggled to stay on the field, having never played more than 11 games in a single season. He tore his ACL in practice late last season, then broke his collarbone in training camp just three months ago. 

The 25-year-old pass-catcher certainly needed a change of scenery, and could potentially get his career on track in Washington. Burks has legitimate size at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, and was a versatile playmaker during his days at the University of Arkansas.