One of the longest-standing rivalries in the NFL will write its next chapter on Sunday afternoon when the Washington Commanders face off against the Dallas Cowboys. While the stakes haven't been as high in recent years, the bad blood between the two fan bases remains, and the Cowboys can add a bit of fuel to that fire by making a roster move between now and the opening kickoff.
Washington made headlines this week by signing former first-round pick Treylon Burks to its practice squad and, as a result, the Commanders waived WR Tay Martin, and that has caused a bit of a stir among fans in the DMV. The reality of Martin's situation is that Washington had already exhausted his three elevations to the active roster. Rather than signing him for the rest of the season, the Commanders released the wideout. Now, Dallas should take advantage of his knowledge by bringing him into the fold.
Dallas Should Sign WR Tay Martin After Release by Commanders
Beyond the fact that Martin has an intricate knowledge of Washington's offensive attack after spending roughly half the season as part of the Commanders' roster, the reaction from the fan base shows that the wideout was highly thought of as a depth piece in the WR room. Choosing to release Martin while keeping the likes of Noah Brown, Chris Moore, and Robbie Chosen clearly struck a chord with some fans.
With George Pickens having a breakout season and CeeDee Lamb rounding into form following an injury, there isn't a dire need for another wideout on the Cowboys' roster. If we're being honest, not much about Martin's preseason performance would suggest he is a diamond in the rough waiting to be saved by Dallas, either. Martin ended the exhibition campaign reeling in five catches on six targets for 57 yards and zero touchdowns.
At this stage of the season, no one is truly 100% healthy, and it never hurts to get a closer look at a potential piece of the puzzle. This scenario also has the added value of knowledge that could be directly fed to the defense, as they need all the help they can get on that side of the ball. If that help comes from signing a player primarily for the information he can provide, then so be it.
Given the wins that Dallas has already left on the board this season due to its defensive issues, the Cowboys owe it to Dak Prescott to do what they can to not waste the stellar season he has put together thus far. This Dallas offense is far too potent to be forced to constantly play catch-up because the defense is incapable of getting timely stops. We saw this play out in their latest loss to the Carolina Panthers, and it cannot happen again in a rivalry game.
Should this be a move that Dallas elects to make, they will need to move quickly, as Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff is only inching closer with every passing minute. At the very least, it is something that Jerry Jones and the front office should strongly consider.