Washington Redskins: Terrelle Pryor, Josh Doctson set to star in 2017

The Washington Redskins lost a pair of 1,000-yard receivers from a year ago, yet may not miss a beat in 2017.

Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson combined to catch 135 passes for 2,046 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016 for the Washington Redskins. In March, both players became former Redskins after accepting lucrative deals elsewhere. So, how are you supposed to replace your top two receivers in the same offseason?

Well, for Washington that may not be as difficult as it would be for other teams. Immediately after losing Garcon and Jackson, the Redskins inked Terrelle Pryor to a one-year deal worth up to $8 million. The former quarterback had a breakout season last year in Cleveland after moving to receiver. Washington also gets back 2016 first-round pick Josh Doctson, who missed virtually all of his rookie season due to a mysterious Achilles issue.

The addition of Pryor and the return of Doctson are excellent news for Washington. However, it’s third-year slot receiver Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed who are the Redskins’ top receivers. Crowder was outstanding last year and is in line for a bigger role in 2017, according to head coach Jay Gruden, via J.P. Finley of CSN Mid-Atlantic.

"“When we go two receivers, we’ll mix-and-match however we do it,” Gruden said. “We’re going to try to keep him on the field as much as possible.”"

That means when Washington goes with two wide receivers, Crowder will line up on the outside and not in the slot in order to keep him on the field. As for Reed, the only issue for him is health. He’s battled concussions and suffered another in 2016. If he could play 16 games he’s in the conversation for the best tight end in the NFL.

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OTAs started this week and it was Pryor and Doctson everyone was talking about. Quarterback Kirk Cousins in particular seemed enamored with Pryor, per John Keim of ESPN.com.

"He’s going to hold me accountable because he knows where the ball should go. I like it because I’ve never had a conversation with a receiver like I’ve had with him where he said, ‘Yeah, it was two-invert, so I took it to the post. It was quarters on the backside.’ He really can see it and he’s going to hold me accountable, so you take the good with the bad. I love it. He’s an enthusiastic guy. He’s always wanting to run another route."

Cousins is right. Pryor’s past at quarterback should give him an edge. And the two have already seemed to develop a strong rapport. The sixth-year passer probably loves Pryor’s size, too. At 6-4, 230 pounds, Pryor’s catch radius is much bigger than what he’s accustomed to.

For as excited as Cousins is about Pryor, everyone (including Gruden) is thrilled with Doctson’s progress thus far. Sure, it’s only been a few practices, but Doctson looks dominant on the field. Now, it’s about knowing when to push him and when to back off. The Redskins can ill-afford a setback with the former first-round pick.