Player: TE Darnell Washington
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: The second-year tight end, Darnell Washington appears no closer to breaking out as a receiving threat this year. Having once billed himself as a sixth lineman, it appears that will continue to be his job moving forward. Based on accounts from reporters who watched OTAs, he has not found his inner Travis Kelce.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Darnell Washington, everybody threw up confetti. Viewed as a third-round steal, the team talked about him as though he was the complete package. The thinking was he just didn’t get to show off his receiving chops in a run-first offense with Brock Bowers also at tight end. Bowers earned first-round status this past April, but Washington is no closer to becoming a human JUGS machine.
That is the assessments of reporters such as Ray Fittipaldo, who watched OTAs and minicamp. He said last week, for example, “I watch the Steelers practice and I never ever think they should throw to Washington more”.
He and others such as Gerry Dulac have also previously claimed that the Steelers view him as a one-contract player. That is because of the condition of his knees, which they suggest the team believes will limit Darnell Washington. They point out an awkward stride as he runs, and a general gait that acknowledges less than elite athleticism.
But the thing is, we are judging Washington under false pretenses. He doesn’t have to be a major contributor in the passing game to be a very good tight end. He is already a good blocking tight end who could be much better. Now, he hasn’t exactly reached the heights of his position in that phase yet, and if he doesn’t, it will be a big disappointment.
But we can only take so much away from a springtime notion that Washington won’t be a big-time receiving threat. Nobody really anticipated that he would be this year. The Steelers already need to find ways to get Pat Freiermuth involved more before they worry about that. And they have Connor Heyward as a tight end who can play a bigger role in the passing game. Still, I think many have gradually recalibrated their expectations for Washington, and that alone is enough to acknowledge.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
