The Redskins added experience to their wide receiver corps by signing Cody Latimer, the team officially announced March 30.
Latimer (6-1, 222) is entering his seventh NFL season after originally being selected in the second round (56th overall) by the Denver Broncos in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Latimer has appeared in 66 regular season games (15 starts) and registered 70 receptions for 935 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned 47 kicks for 1,132 yards. Here are five things Redskins fans should know about the new wide receiver.
1. He was one of the best receivers in Hoosiers' history.
Latimer only played with the Indiana Hoosiers for three seasons before entering the 2014 NFL Draft, but that was enough for him to make a lasting impression.
Latimer, who joined the Hoosiers as a touted athlete from Dayton, Ohio, ended his career as a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection. He accrued multiple individual honors, including Indiana's Anthony Thompson Most Valuable Player and the co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week against Iowa in 2012.
By far his best season came in 2013 when he had 72 receptions for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns. He was third in the Big Ten in yards, led the team in receptions seven times and had five 100-yard games, which is third-best in school history for a single season.
Latimer had 135 catches for 2,042 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 15 yards per reception. He's tied for fourth in career 100-yard games (seven), seventh in receiving yards and receptions.
2. He played with both of the Manning brothers.
There are many players who can say they had the honor of playing with either Peyton or Eli Manning when they were in the league. There aren't many who have played with both.
Latimer was a second-round pick by the Broncos in 2014. Peyton, who signed with the Broncos after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, was entering his third season with the team. Ironically, Latimer only caught one pass from Manning. His first-career reception and touchdown came from Brock Osweiler, who had replaced Manning at various points in his last two seasons.
Latimer's time with Eli and the Giants was a bit more successful. In two seasons, he had more starts (12) than he did in four years with the Broncos. He had a better catch percentage (60.3% to 57.4%), more than twice as many yards per game (23.3 to 9.9) and almost as many targets (58 to 61). He also caught three touchdowns in those two seasons, which equaled his production in Denver.
3. His son helped change his life.
By his own admission, Latimer was not ready for the NFL when the Broncos drafted him. He told the New York Post that he was "young, dumb, hard-headed."
But then his son, Jacolby, was born, and that's when Latimer's career began to change.
"I got to do it for him," Latimer said in 2018. "You don't want [him] to see his dad be a failure. He made me focus on life and see it from a different perspective."
The numbers certainly tell a similar story. Prior to his son being born, Latimer had 16 catches for 158 yards and one touchdown. Since then, he has 54 catches for 777 yards and five touchdowns.
When the Giants signed him to a one-year deal in 2018, Latimer dedicated himself to learning the new offense. He spent time with Eli running routes and even fell asleep a couple of times while spending long hours studying.
Sometimes people need a little extra motivation, and it looks like Latimer found his.
4. He's coming off his best statistical season.
Latimer might not have been a highly-coveted free agent, but there's no denying the Redskins signed him after a high point in his career.
With Eli and 2019 first-round pick Daniel Jones as his quarterbacks, Latimer started in 10 games last season, which is double his starts from 2014-18. He recorded career-highs in targets (42), receptions (24) and receiving yards (300). His two touchdowns tied the most he's had for a single season, and his 20 yards per game was the third-most of his career.
Latimer started the season off strong with three receptions for 74 yards against the Dallas Cowboys and went on to start in the next eight games. He didn't match that production again, but he was targeted in 14 out of 15 appearances. He even caught a touchdown pass from Jones against the Redskins in Week 16.
5. He's now the most experienced Redskins receiver.
The Redskins now have 10 receivers on the roster; only one of them -- Latimer -- has been in the NFL for more than three seasons.
Washington has a young receiver corps, but there has been a lack of veterans on the team. At one point, rookies Terry McLaurin, Kelvin Harmon and Steven Sims Jr. were the starting receivers. Both of the most experienced options -- Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn -- ended the season on Injured Reserve.
Head coach Ron Rivera and the Redskins like their young players, but they still wanted to bring in a player who had seen more time in the league. Although he's just 27 years old, Latimer will supply that leadership the team is looking for.
