Who Should I Start? James Washington or Allen Lazard

Sunday, August 18, 6:18 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver James Washington has been released by the organization on Sunday. It looks like Washington was the odd man out as the Falcons needed to cut someone to add safety Justin Simmons to the roster. At this point, Washington is nothing more than depth on any NFL roster. His best season came in 2019 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Washington recorded 44 receptions, 735 receiving yards and three touchdowns during that season. Since then, Washington has regressed appears to be nothing more than a back-end depth option. He could land elsewhere before the season begins, but Washington is unlikely to make a big impact anywhere.

Friday, February 14, 5:38 PM

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard is fully expected to be released after Year 2 of his disastrous four-year, $44 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2023. Lazard was downright bad in 2023 and played only slightly better with quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year before getting hurt late in the season. The 29-year-old was one of the most drop-prone receivers in the league and admitted that he struggles when Rodgers isn't on the field. The Jets will sav $6.6 million in salary cap space if/when they cut Lazard while taking on $6.5 million in dead money. If he's a post-June 1 cut, the Jets would save $11 million with a $2.1 million dead-cap penalty. Lazard was a major miss, catching 60 passes for 841 yards and seven touchdowns in his two seasons with the Jets. If Rodgers retires this offseason, Lazard would be pretty bummed.