Random Commanders Thoughts

[Chris 44]

I wonder if Kliff might be interested in any of the higher profile college openings that are starting to emerge, and if any of those schools might come after him.

He may, but being a HC for a major college football program today entails so much more than Xs and Os. I can't imagine Kliff would enjoy that.

 

[skinzplay]

Definitely a helluva lot more going on for college HCs these days. Some of the likely NFL options might be even worse

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Chip Kelly decided to leave college and be an OC in the NFL because he didn’t want to deal with college head coach nonsense.

 

[method man]

Kliff will certainly have a lot of competition for a HC gig. Josh Grizzard will probably be the hot name. Would be the third a year in a row a Bucs OC gets a HC gig after 1 year with the team.

Joe Brady, Klint Kubiak and Jeff Hafley will be some of the hot names

 

[McD5]

Dallas, Philly, and Detroit all lost.

That's a great start to the weekend for us.

 

[NickyJ]

Not quite the legendary 0.0 rating for Tim Hasselbeck, but man oh man, that's a REALLY stinky stat line.

This was Timmy's performance:

View attachment 13096

I remember being at that Timmy game. That was a life decision I wish I could revisit.

I tried looking for that game, but haven't found it yet. But I think you're being hard on him. Going off of this highlight video from 1.5 college football games and that time he caught a pass, I dare say he played like his hair was on fire. It wasn't his fault that he had no hair to burn.

 

[NickyJ]

Actually, I just didn't look hard enough. I'm not sure whether I should watch this before or after I get around to finishing the replacements vs. Cowboys game.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I tried looking for that game, but haven't found it yet. But I think you're being hard on him. Going off of this highlight video from 1.5 college football games and that time he caught a pass, I dare say he played like his hair was on fire. It wasn't his fault that he had no hair to burn.

They should expunge all records of that game from memory.

He did pass for a net of 52 yards, which is an amazing 62 net yards more than Fields passed for yesterday.

But the 4 INTs vs. 6 completions, I mean....

(And I will never pass up an opportunity for a Sarah Michelle Gellar image. Though this isn't her at her most attractive.)

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Kliff will certainly have a lot of competition for a HC gig. Josh Grizzard will probably be the hot name. Would be the third a year in a row a Bucs OC gets a HC gig after 1 year with the team.

Joe Brady, Klint Kubiak and Jeff Hafley will be some of the hot names

There is a "race to Black Monday" thread in the National Football League forum. It's going to get pretty active here shortly.

The question is going to be which teams have openings, and which coach's want those jobs.

I'm going to post more thoughts there. But I'm not sure how many jobs will be open and if there would be any Kliff would want.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Here's another random thought: I was just looking up things about coaches who might be on the hot seat, and I stumbled onto the Browns, and I had this "wait, they're still paying Watson, aren't they?"

And they are. And how. (We'll get to that in a second.)

So, how is this a Commanders thought? Remember back in 2022 when Ron was out there turning over every rock for a QB, Watson was one of the guys who was available through a trade. And somehow we avoided that debacle. Amazingly, every significant option on the table for Ron that year turned out to be a bust, it was just the wrong year to be looking for a QB:

- There was nothing in the draft. Kenny Picket was the first QB taken, he didn't work out. Thor Nystrom bet his life on Malik Willis, he hasn't turned out to be anything. Desmond Ridder, Matt Coral, Bailley Zappe, Sam Howell (who we drafted)
- Russell Wilson. Thank God we didn't succeed in that trade. He flamed out in Denver, then in Pittsburgh, now with the Giants.
- Aaron Rodgers. He ended up staying put. But he has looked washed the last several years and has been injured, and comes with immense drama.
- DeShaun Watson. Avoided not just a bullet but a nuclear bomb with that one.

So, while Ron got Wentz and that didn't work out, we managed to get out of it for just a mid-round draft pick and no future cost. So, all things being equal, thank God for that. The one thing Ron succeeded in doing was setting us up for success once he left. The cap was in good shape, he sucked so bad we had the #2 overall pick, and he hadn't traded future draft picks for immediate success. It's about the only thing which he did right.

Just a note on Watson: Here is the remainder of Watson's contract according to

The Browns are going to have to figure out how to navigate either having Watson on the roster for $80m next year, or figure out how to cut/trade him and deal with the $131m of dead money. I find it hysterical he will cost $25 in the cap in 2027, the year after he's absolutely no longer on the team.

I have no idea how they are going to navigate this. I don't really care so much. This year was manageable. $36m against the cap. Next year at $80m for a player you want to get rid of? That's going to be fascinating to see how that plays out.

Thank you Ron/Dan for not being THAT stupid. It's really possible the first year they could legitimately have a good cap situation is 2028. In 3 years. Because of this deal.

Also, thank you Browns for pushing the Albert Hayensworth contract debacle to 2nd worst in the history of the NFL.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Entirely not game related, but Charles Leno, Jr. retired. He picked the exact moment his wife miscarried 2 years ago to announce his retirement. 😢

Here's the article from ESPN by Keim:

Ex-NFL OL Leno retires on solemn anniversary

Former NFL offensive lineman Charles Leno Jr. announced his retirement on Tuesday -- two years to the day after his wife suffered a miscarriage.

www.espn.com

 

[Conn]

If only we could consistently make a 50+ FG, our ST’s would overall be elite

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

So proud of my team. What a difference a different owner makes.

Washington Commanders Make History with Groundbreaking 3-Year Life Transition Program for Players​

In a groundbreaking move that could set a new standard for NFL franchises, the Washington Commanders have unveiled a pioneering three-year life transition program aimed at supporting players who are either released from the team or retire from football.

The program, which officially launched today, offers former Commanders a comprehensive set of resources designed to ease their transition from professional sports to civilian life. These include career mentorship, education stipends, financial support, psychological wellness services, and family guidance resources. This initiative is designed to address the multifaceted challenges that players face when stepping away from the game, a phase that can be as difficult as it is life-altering.

Washington Commanders Make History with Groundbreaking 3-Year Life Transition Program for Players

Blog detail page

goodday.feji.io

 

[Conn]

That’s pretty awesome

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

It is pretty awesome. Sometimes people do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. This seems like one of those times.

 

[DCSkinz2023]

It's hard to imagine that losses to the Bears, Packers, and Falcons won't become an issue at the end of the year when it comes to tiebreakers.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

It's hard to imagine that losses to the Bears, Packers, and Falcons won't become an issue at the end of the year when it comes to tiebreakers.

Unless they win the east. Which might have seemed impossible but they’re a game back of the Eagles and play them twice.

Clearly winning against Dallas is a must for that to happen though.

If Dallas wins, they’re actually in really good spot to challenge the Eagles for the division.

The winner of this game has a really good shot in the division.

 

[SkinsFTW]

The winner of this game has a really good shot in the division.

Not if they win but keep going win loss win loss win loss.

 

[method man]

So proud of my team. What a difference a different owner makes.

Washington Commanders Make History with Groundbreaking 3-Year Life Transition Program for Players​

In a groundbreaking move that could set a new standard for NFL franchises, the Washington Commanders have unveiled a pioneering three-year life transition program aimed at supporting players who are either released from the team or retire from football.

The program, which officially launched today, offers former Commanders a comprehensive set of resources designed to ease their transition from professional sports to civilian life. These include career mentorship, education stipends, financial support, psychological wellness services, and family guidance resources. This initiative is designed to address the multifaceted challenges that players face when stepping away from the game, a phase that can be as difficult as it is life-altering.

Washington Commanders Make History with Groundbreaking 3-Year Life Transition Program for Players

Blog detail page

goodday.feji.io

I think the business mentorship under Magic, Mitch, etc was one reason Wagner came here.

It’s a great selling point for players

 

[Faithful Fan]

- Aaron Rodgers. He ended up staying put. But he has looked washed the last several years and has been injured, and comes with immense drama.

I wouldn’t say that Rodgers has looked washed. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, had a down year in 2022 but still finished 11th in passing yards and 7th in TDs, and did not play after getting injured in week one of 2023.

Last year he was stuck on terrible Jets team, but he was top 10 in passing yards and touchdowns. This year he is leading a much better Steelers team, which is 4-1 and poised to win their division, and his current passer rating of 105.4 puts him in the top 10. I really expect the Steelers to make a run this season.

I still wonder what could have been if we took Aaron Rodgers instead of Carlos Rogers in 2005.