What would free agent WR James Washington add to the Saints offense?

The New Orleans Saints are hosting former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington on a free agent visit Monday, but what would he add to their offense?

On the surface, Washington looks similar to a receiver the Saints signed last summer: slot specialist Jarvis Landry, both standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing around 205 pounds (Landry’s listed weight has fluctuated from 196 to 205 pounds, while Washington’s varies from 205 to 213). But that’s where the comparison ends. They’re very different players stylistically.

For one thing, Landry has run 67.2% of his routes from the slot during his pro career, including a staggering 70.1% of them with the Saints last year; Washington has only run 23.9% of his routes from the slot in the NFL, peaking with 38.4% in 2021, his last year in Pittsburgh (he spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants last season).

For another, they’ve played at totally different depths of the field. Landry has seen an average depth of target at 8.0 yards in the NFL, gaining 5.0 yards after the catch per reception while catching 52.2% of his contested targets. Washington’s average depth of target has been 14.8 yards, picking up 4.1 yards after the catch per reception. He’s also caught just 40.7% of his contested targets, so while he has a reputation as a physical receiver he hasn’t made those kind of plays consistently enough.

And for one more point to consider, both players run faster than their listed times would suggest, but Washington has another gear that Landry doesn’t match. He timed the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds and posted league-average numbers in all other pre-draft testing drills, while Landry bombed across the board (timing the 40-yard dash in a baffling 4.77 seconds). Washington is not an elite athlete by any means, but he does offer more juice than Landry, and it’s part of why he’s been so successful on vertical routes downfield.

Washington predominately lined up at the Z-receiver spot, or flanker, early in his Steelers career. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said of him last July, per Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein:

“He’s a strong player, he’s a physical player. When you break down the receiver position, he has a lot of flanker traits from the split end side (like) his ability to go out there and dig out safeties, run the crossing routes. He has the vertical speed. The vertical stem routes are definitely a strength of his. I can’t yet give you an analysis of him in the…