BGO Blind Pig: Post-Ravens After Action Report

[Boone]

The guys discuss the Commander's surprisingly exciting preseason win over the Ravens, talk about final roster spot dark horses, and take a break from worrying about the offensive line long enough to worry about the defense.

 

[Boone]

Something we talked about briefly… how visible Josh Harris has been…

It’s understandable early on, him being in the locker room after games, doing interviews, being very visible at practices… I think he’s trying to reassure fans that he is ‘all over it’ and going to be very involved in setting the franchise up for success.

So my question is, is that positive and something we want to see going forward and for the long haul? Once we have a GM, I’d personally like to see him fade into the background and just sign checks. I also have wondered how the others in this huge ownership group feel, because if you didn’t know better you’d think Harris owned the team outright.

Just a fleeting thought and question.

 

[burgold]

I think it's overall a positive as long as he's slapping backs and cheering the team. If he tries to get on the headset and start coaching players or exerting favoritism towards certain player then the good falls down that slippery slope. But lots of owners want to be a part of the celebration after a big victory. Heck, they should be. Their team just won.

I mean you don't want an over-active owner, but you also don't want an owner who's solely counting profits either. You want one who's engaged and excited about the team doing well.

 

[Om]

Because this came up last night ...

 

[Neophyte]

I'm with burgold on this. What I don't want to hear about is Sam Howell meeting Harris for dinner or Chase Young spending Saturday afternoons at Harris's house. That would destroy the chain of command by undermining the authority of the HC and the Coordinators (like we saw with RGIII and the former owner).

Otherwise, I'm good with Harris (and other members of the group if the opportunity arises) being the public face of the franchise for a while.

 

[Bulldog]

Harris has smiled a lot on camera and shown energy, but he refuses to telegraph any moves the team is considering or may make after 2023.

That's the smart thing to do.

He seems on the personal side to be a rather quiet guy, one who operates in private on a strategic level.

I don't see him as a Snyder-type that comes in and spends a lot of time focusing on everything from the furniture in the Park to the admins in the offices and the cheerleader costumes.

I would think most of his time outside of seeing the team perform is coming up with plans for enhanced branding and new stadium development.

It would be a shock to see him hanging out at bars at the Potomac Waterfront with players from the team, etc.

That was 'jock sniffer' Dan's MO.

 

[burgold]

Yeah, I think he also recognizes in the short term he is part of the Commanders story. HIs purchase is a big part of the feel good vibe the Commanders have so right now he actually needs to be visible if only to say, "Hey! I'm not that guy!"

 

[Canadian Hog]

I know we sent a lot of praise Sam Howell's way in last night's episode (and rightfully so) - he has done a lot of nice things thus far.

I came across this today from Dan Orlovsky, and I thought it was pretty interesting as well though. It serves as a quick reminder that there will undoubtedly be some growing pains along the way, as we all know. Ultimately, the key will be how to adjusts to adversity, and how quickly he rebounds.

 

[Boone]

Great stuff CH - thanks for sharing. Two things come to mind. In our previous pod when we were talking about concerns surrounding our TE group (and 2 catches from Cole Turner shouldn’t make anyone drop those concerns). Hopefully EB is designing an offense where there is almost always a safety valve or hot read to beat the blitz. My concern with Turner is that they seem to want to use him more as a WR than the kind of TE who can serve as that short pass safety valve.

The other thing I wonder about (as we wondered with Scott Turner) is what degree of authority Howell currently has to either change the protection or even the play at the line of scrimmage -if at all - and will they give him more freedom to do those things as he gets more experience?

 

[SkinsOrlando]

Great pod as usual, my lack of attention span for pre-season football makes the pod's this time of year even better. I depend on your analysis, and IT BETTER be correct lol. As far as Harris visibility, get seen, get known, then stay in the owners booth, we don't need Jerruh jr. CH did they pass "open carry" in Canada, saw them guns were out.

 

[Canadian Hog]

Great pod as usual, my lack of attention span for pre-season football makes the pod's this time of year even better. I depend on your analysis, and IT BETTER be correct lol. As far as Harris visibility, get seen, get known, then stay in the owners booth, we don't need Jerruh jr. CH did they pass "open carry" in Canada, saw them guns were out.

I apologize for the attire last week...I literally scrambled to get back home in time for the pod from the tennis court. I will wear football gear next time and not look like I am planning to participate in the US Open qualifiers.

In regards to Harris, yes, I agree - there definitely needs to be a line or point beyond which the owner's don't cross. When I brought his name up in the conversation, the main thing I was trying to get across was that he, to this point, seems to be everything Dan wasn't - personable, relatable, and he doesn't seem to have a "holier than thou" aura about him. It's refreshing and hope it stays that way.

 

[Boone]

And actually, Snyder was at every Washington event. He was always in the locker room, and if things hadn’t gone well, you’d see him talking to the head coach with a scowl on his face over in the corner. Can’t ever imagine Harris doing something like that, but once we get a GM in place I’d prefer he put some distance between himself and players/coaches. He doesn’t need an office at the park imho.

 

[Chris]

If you’ve got ‘em, flaunt ‘em. 😉

 

[SkinsOrlando]

Watcha gonna do brotha when CH and the bgoaholics run wild on you. CH, now I expect to see the McEnroe headband and racket throw on the next pod.

 

[Boone]

This speaks to exactly what we were discussing Wed night. Look at the disparity between KC and Washington last year. How far left and up do we move on that chart? I’m betting it’s going to be a dramatic shift.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

Not surprising, we were a defensive control the clock team. With an OC that loved 5 wide empty backfield and....let it go, let it go , fuck you Turner , I couldn't let it go.