Redskins Should Sign Cam (Phillips)

The Washington Redskins swung and missed on Amari Cooper during the opening hours of 2020 NFL Free Agency. The Redskins reportedly offered more money than Dallas, but Cooper — who maintained all along he never wanted to leave Dallas — chose to stick with the Cowboys.

It’s no secret the Redskins need help and wide receiver and tight end. While the team has three young players they love at receiver in Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims and Kelvin Harmon, a veteran pass-catcher is still needed.

Enter Cam Phillips.

Phillips dominated the XFL through five weeks of play leading the league in targets (44), receptions (31), receiving yards (455) and touchdowns (nine). No, Phillips isn’t a player on the level of Cooper, but he belongs in the NFL.

After a four-year career at Virginia Tech, Phillips went undrafted and signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent in 2018. He spent most of that season on the practice squad with the exception of two weeks on the main roster.

During his time at Virginia Tech, Phillips managed to break the school record for career receptions and receiving yards. He had a dominant senior season for the Hokies, yet went undrafted.

Why?

First, at 6-foot-0, 201 pounds, Phillips’s size is average. He didn’t participate in the 2018 Combine and his 40 time at his Pro Day was a disappointing 4.79 seconds. The reason Phillips didn’t participate at the Combine that year was due to offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia.

He was out of football in 2019 and was drafted by the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks for their debut campaign in 2020.

In just five weeks of the XFL, Phillips was named the league’s star of the week on three occasions.

He’s ready for his shot in the NFL.

The XFL announced on Friday it would allow its players to sign with NFL teams beginning on Monday, March 23. That means some of the league’s top standouts, like Phillips, can find an immediate home.

With the Redskins needing help at receiver, Phillips makes too much sense. A former standout at DeMatha in Hyattsville, Phillips would also join four other former Hokies on Washington’s current roster. And Phillips is versatile, too. He can play in the slot or line up outside. He can even contribute on special teams, which is often required of receivers lower on the depth chart.

The Redskins should absolutely sign Cam Phillips. He could bring competition to the wide receiver room and he is immediately better than players like Cam Sims and Trey Quinn, who are tenuously hanging on to roster spots at the current time.

People often get hung up too much on 40 times and size. All that truly matters is what happens when the game begins and Phillips has a track record of being a standout at every level.

Is Phillips the answer for the Redskins? Probably not. However, he can certainly help this football team now and in the future and he’s not going to break the bank.

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Bryan Manning has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and college basketball for almost 10 years for various outlets such as Bleacher Report, SB Nation, FanSided, USA Today SMG, and others. Bryan has covered the Washington Redskins for different outlets and currently co-hosts a podcast on the Virginia Tech Hokies for SB Nation. For his day job, Bryan works in engineering for a major communications company.