New Washington quarterback Carson Wentz has made a positive impression with his teammates this spring. Head coach Ron Rivera has spoken of how Wentz has been a good fit in the locker room thus far and, in the early part of OTAs, appears to be developing a solid rapport with his wide receivers, most notably rookie Jahan Dotson.
One player we haven’t seen Wentz throw passes to yet is No. 1 wide receiver Terry McLaurin. McLaurin is skipping the voluntary portion of on-field work during OTAs as he seeks a contract extension. McLaurin was present for the earlier phases of Washington’s offseason program, allowing him to connect with his new quarterback.
Wentz met with the media after Washington’s OTAs Wednesday and acknowledged he has spoken with McLaurin “quite a bit.”
“For sure. I’ve spoken with Terry quite a bit,” Wentz said. “We’ve been around him a couple times already. Excited for when we do get back out on that field together.”
Wentz is likely speaking of seeing McLaurin when he was around the team complex in April before the NFL draft. And, while he didn’t say, it sounds like the pair have been in contact since that time.
While Wentz enjoys throwing to Dotson and Washington’s other talented pass-catchers, he knows what McLaurin brings to the table.
“Everybody knows what he brings to the table, and I’ve now been watching film and seeing different things and seeing him just continue to make play after play,” Wentz said. “The dynamic he brings will just elevate us. There’s no doubt about it. He’s extremely talented guy and a great, great person I’ve already learned, and a hardworking guy. So I know he’ll be ready to go when that time is.”
While it’s never good for a new quarterback to miss his top receiver in offseason work, it has allowed Wentz to get comfortable with other players, specifically Dotson. When McLaurin does return, Wentz will have his top receiver and Washington’s offense should be much better next season.
If you’re looking for optimism, it’s a good sign that Wentz and McLaurin have remained in touch despite never playing together. Hopefully, Washington can soon get McLaurin locked into a contract extension.