Washington head coach Ron Rivera spoke to the media Monday ahead of this week’s 2022 NFL draft and covered several topics. Rivera discussed players returning from injury, quarterbacks, and draft plans.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s potential contract extension was also discussed. General manager Martin Mayhew confirmed there had been dialogue between the two sides but did not offer further details.
“Yeah, we’ve had dialogue with Terry and his agent,” Mayhew said. “Have great respect for both of those men. We’re really excited about the opportunity to have Terry continue with us for a long time. So we’re working on that. Won’t get much into detail about what’s going on there, but we have been having dialogue.”
Rivera followed up and said whether McLaurin’s extension gets done sooner or later will not impact Washington’s draft plans.
“And whether this is done or not in the next few days or afterward is not going to affect what we’re thinking about in the draft one way or the other,” Rivera said.”
That means a wide receiver is still in play for the Commanders in the first round. Right? Rivera could be posturing to keep Washington’s draft plans a secret, but he also reiterated that stance when discussing Curtis Samuel.
According to the coach, Samuel, who missed most of last season with a groin injury, is healthy and looking good. However, Samuel’s pending return will not impact the draft either.
“I don’t think it does,” Rivera answered when asked if Samuel’s return changes draft plans. “I mean, again, we’ve had to continue as we go through the process of the draft, what happens in front of us, what happens in each round. You know, those are things that really dictate and indicate really what you’re thinking and where you’re going.”
It’s good to know Rivera isn’t counting on Samuel in 2022. In an ideal world, Samuel and Dyami Brown would take big steps next season, but you can’t enter the season expecting anything more. If Samuel is healthy and Brown develops, the Commanders suddenly have a deep group of wide receivers.