NFL Free Agency: A Will Fuller Problem For Washington?

Speed kills and will always be wanted on offense. Do coach Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew see it that way as it regards Will Fuller?

Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin were tagged before hitting the free market. For the Washington Football Team, that might make their decision on who add at wide receiver easier. 

As tampering period is on the horizon, WFT now knows who will be its targets. Detroit's Kenny Golladay, Carolina's Curtis Samuel and Tennessee's Corey Davis easily highlight this class and should be on Ron Rivera's wishlist of pass-catchers. 

However, does Will Fuller fit the mold of what Washington is looking for, maybe best of all?

Fuller's see-saw career has made it tough to evaluate the upside of what he can bring to a roster. Since being drafted out of Notre Dame, the injury bug has hovered over the Houston Texans' receiver, forcing him to miss five games or more each year since 2017. 

READ MORE: Dak to Dallas -- Good for WFT?

There's no denying the upside Fuller can bring as a vertical option. The 2020 season proved to be his best as the 27-year-old target finished with a career-high 53 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns. His 16.6 yards per catch was one of the highest in the league entering Week 12. 

Then, a six-game suspension due to breaking the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs cost him the remainder of his season. Houston would finish the season 0-5 to close out with a 4-12 record. 

It should be noted that Fuller will miss Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season to clear up his suspension. 

READ MORE: No Answers at QB for WFT?

Washington finished 27th last season in big plays of 20-plus yards or more with 31 strikes. Go-to weapon Terry McLaurin recorded 17 of them with No.2 Cam Sims only recorded nine. Despite playing in 11 games, Fuller tallied 14 big plays on the season. 

Will Fuller V

Will score VI

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— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 8, 2020

Sportrac predicts Fuller's market value as an average salary of $16.9 million. If anything, it shows that speed kills and will always be warranted on offense. Do coach Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew see it that way?

Fuller's prolonged history of injuries should knock value off his overall contract. Add in the PED suspension and there's a game check that should head back to D.C. On top of that, teams might be looking to add Fuller on a "prove it" deal rather than overpaying. 

Does WFT have faith that Sims can show off the big-play ability in 2021? Will Antonio Gandy-Golden develop into an upside perimeter target? What about the slot role? Earlier this offseason, we suggested that Samuel should be WFT's top speed option. 

This comes down to pricing. A $16.5 million salary for Fuller is pretty rich after failing to post a 1,000-yard season or play in 16 games. We'll guess that should that be cut to say $10 million APY, that might be worth pairing with McLaurin. Even then, Fuller's inconsistencies shouldn't prevent WFT from using a draft pick on adding another receiver. 

Although Washington's estimated $53 million cap space will allow them to splurge, the production needs to match the price. Speed is needed for the offense, but at top dollar, WFT has better — and frankly more consistent —options than Fuller on their radar. 

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