QB or not QB

[Kel Varnsen]

I don’t know how they argue that when reportedly Daniels is the only one who they met at the airport?

Most talking heads aren't that smart to find out that information. They just run with the narrative of "They didn't treat him like a king, so that's disrespecting him and not showing him the love he deserves".

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Incidently, that's also why I think Howell stands a very good chance of being a pretty good QB a couple of years from now. What we saw last year was raw, but if Seattle take their time with him, I think he'll reward them.
It's sad that if he does blossom, it won't be here, but I also understand the need to Washington and it's new FO/Coaching structure to start afresh.

I understand why they may have wanted to start afresh. However, was it a need? Did they really have to jettison Howell?
There are a lot of reports today that teams are calling the Commanders about the availability of the #2 spot in the draft, and are being told the Commanders are not shopping it out. Of course they aren't! They got rid of Howell.

I think we all remember the RG3 trade. I just wonder, Howell plus some savvy moves... I just don't know if that would (or even could) be worse than one of the three QBs we have available and... less support. While I like the return they got for Howell from a perspective of what he has truly shown in the NFL to this point (I am not blind!), I do think some potential may have been missed.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

As much as a rip off as that trade was, it led to the Rams not winning until they fired Fisher and reset with McVay in 2017. It just proves that no matter what picks you have, no matter how many players you pick, they have to be the right ones and you still need the coaches to put it together on the field. The Rams did pick a handful of good players in there, and I guess you could argue the quantity of picks increased their chances of picking good players. But only Brockers and Ogletree made it to 2017 to see a winning season with the Rams. It's hard to imagine that the plan was to be worse than the Redskins over the following 5 seasons after that trade.

Rams:
2012 - 7-8-1
2013 - 7-9
2014 - 6-10
2015 - 7-9
2016 - 4-12
31-48-1

Redskins:
2012 - 10-6 - Division Winner
2013 - 3-13
2014 - 4-12
2015 - 9-7 - Division Winner
2016 - 8-7-1
34-45-1

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

As much as a rip off as that trade was, it led to the Rams not winning until they fired Fisher and reset with McVay in 2017. It just proves that no matter what picks you have, no matter how many players you pick, they have to be the right ones and you still need the coaches to put it together on the field. The Rams did pick a handful of good players in there, and I guess you could argue the quantity of picks increased their chances of picking good players. But only Brockers and Ogletree made it to 2017 to see a winning season with the Rams. It's hard to imagine that the plan was to be worse than the Redskins over the following 5 seasons after that trade.

Yes, honestly, the crazy moves they made with the capital they got from the Commanders surprised me. I didn't remember it all; I remembered the original trade (of course; I think we all do for the most part), and then I had a vague recollection that they moved one or two pieces of it for "more" but wow. This was a surprise.

No, I think the Rams went overboard with their trading back, and there is a lot of context that is missing of course. My main focus on today is, given the word that there are many teams calling WAS for the #2, it seems there is a hot market for it. Personally, I think it's too bad we don't even have an option to consider that now. I know a#2 pick is great for media, it's great for "excitement" - but I am not sure Howell + more high picks would be worse than what we get this way. Anyway, we will likely never truly know because of all of the factors involved; even if Howell succeeds in Seattle, that isn't a guarantee that he would have succeeded here. There are always a lot of factors.

For now, I definitely am going to hold onto hope- but I can't say I liked jettisoning Howell. The one thing for sure - it was nice to Howell if he wants a more legit chance to start. Sometimes though, thinking of how Kirk + RG3 worked out, or even Frerotte and Shuler, it's nice to have a couple of QBs. I feel we had a decent one with still untapped potential. So, for me, the jury is out on that decision, and I will watch what happens in SEA.

 

[Neophyte]

Bill Belichick said he did this all the time in New England. It's not unique, the media just wants us to believe it is. Because, Washington

The unique part, and the part I think has set the media off (and maybe Daniels), is that we brought in 4 top QB prospects at once.

If this had been Daniels and 10 guys at other positions I think it's a non-story but it wasn't. It was Daniels, Maye, McCarthey, and Penix - all at once.

Consider that for months now, Daniels has been treated almost like the #1 pick in the draft because Williams has been the top pick in this draft since before the last draft. Everyone says this draft starts with #2 and that is where the media attention has been focused. How much have you seen about Caleb Williams? I've seen nothing and I don't even live in the DC area so you know it isn't because of some kind of media bubble focused on the Commanders.

Daniels and his agent have been reading for months that Daniels is the best guy in this draft not named Caleb Williams (and that is when Williams gets mentioned at all).

You have to believe that getting off the plane in DC he thought he was coming to a confirmation of his rightful place. I'm sure it was a shock.

I'm also sure that Peters and Quinn wanted it to be a shock. And if you don't believe that, consider for a minute that no one knew anything about it before it happened. There was no press coverage of a large group visit and zero mention of the team have 4 QBs in together. Think about how much work it took to arrange that without word getting out.

Everyone is mad because Washington out-smarted them and did it well.

How long has it been since we could say that about our front office?

 

[Om]

* whispers into Adam Peters' ear * ... "what color is Jayden's helmet now?"

 

[Om]

* whispers into Adam Peters' ear * ... "what color is Jayden's helmet now?"

 

[Primus Porcus]

The unique part, and the part I think has set the media off (and maybe Daniels), is that we brought in 4 top QB prospects at once.

If this had been Daniels and 10 guys at other positions I think it's a non-story but it wasn't. It was Daniels, Maye, McCarthey, and Penix - all at once.

Consider that for months now, Daniels has been treated almost like the #1 pick in the draft because Williams has been the top pick in this draft since before the last draft. Everyone says this draft starts with #2 and that is where the media attention has been focused. How much have you seen about Caleb Williams? I've seen nothing and I don't even live in the DC area so you know it isn't because of some kind of media bubble focused on the Commanders.

Daniels and his agent have been reading for months that Daniels is the best guy in this draft not named Caleb Williams (and that is when Williams gets mentioned at all).

You have to believe that getting off the plane in DC he thought he was coming to a confirmation of his rightful place. I'm sure it was a shock.

I'm also sure that Peters and Quinn wanted it to be a shock. And if you don't believe that, consider for a minute that no one knew anything about it before it happened. There was no press coverage of a large group visit and zero mention of the team have 4 QBs in together. Think about how much work it took to arrange that without word getting out.

Everyone is mad because Washington out-smarted them and did it well.

How long has it been since we could say that about our front office?

And to take this a step further, I better never hear ANYONE talk back about the team saying they were decietful or anthing like that.

Players literally focus train to get their 40 time from a 4.8 to a 4.6 just to put their 'best' foot forward, but in reality a lot of them simply will not, and have not, been at that level. They'll spend MONTHS trying to test well ahead of the combine and other metrics simply to pad the numbers. Transparency is not the priority in ANY level of this. Players leverage teams against eachother, teams and players both utilize Media to try and maximize their own agendas, transparency is not some sort of moral expectation. To set Daniels up to see his reaction is genius imho. The guy has been rehearsing every word for the last 4 months to get ready for tomorrow night, and as soon as his name is called... all rehearsing is DONE. It's put up or shut up time going forward. To see some aspect of his true character in a completely unscripted moment could be absolutley invaluable in the evaluation process, good or bad. The more I think about this, and read about this, the more I'm enamored with just how it went down and how effective it may have been.

 

[tomwvr]

In my opinion daniels failed the test the team gave him. Now if that is the deciding factor in who they draft I am fine with it. The three qbs after Williams are all pretty close in how folks look at them.

 

[Neophyte]

I'm not sure we can say he failed or not. We were not there and no one, team or player, has really talked about how things went down when Daniels figured it out.

Pretty sure only Peters, Quinn, and a few others know if Daniels "passed" or not.

Equally sure we are not ever likely to know.

 

[burgold]

Part of me think these tweets are the usual sabotage trying to get a player to slip in the draft. Part of me thinks that Daniels is allowing these whispers out and may be a malcontent. Not sure which part of me I believe the most.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I'm not sure we can say he failed or not. We were not there and no one, team or player, has really talked about how things went down when Daniels figured it out.

Pretty sure only Peters, Quinn, and a few others know if Daniels "passed" or not.

Equally sure we are not ever likely to know.

Its all been skuttlebutt so, take it for what it's worth... but if the reports are all true, it's a concerning reaction.... but we're wading in the pools of silly season so a lot of things are over-reported on this time of year.

 

[Chris]

Is “cool” being taken as not excited? I take it as ‘everything’s good’. But, I’m a Boomer, so what do I know?

 

[Chris]

Uh, oh. 😮

Maye would prefer to play for an offensive head coach!!

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Part of me think these tweets are the usual sabotage trying to get a player to slip in the draft. Part of me thinks that Daniels is allowing these whispers out and may be a malcontent. Not sure which part of me I believe the most.

I’ve heard some former Raider players and radio hosts who like the Raiders say this. He does have an existing relationship with Pierce, so this makes sense. But that’s not how a draft works. That’s how free agency works. The Raiders won’t get Daniels unless they trade up. He’s not falling to them under any circumstance as there are too many QB needy teams ahead of them. And if he’s not taken at 2, he’s almost certain to be taken at 3. If he falls out of the top 3, then it’s a free for all. But the Vikings with 2 picks in the first round this year have the immediate payoff for a team trading down. So they are in the best spot to stay ahead of the Raiders. It’s just going to take a lot for the Raiders to get him no matter how much “whispering” happens. And how much damage does that do to the team long term without the ability to pick players to give him support?

 

[Chris]

So Drake doesn’t want to come to Washington. I would never draft a player that doesn’t want to be here. 😡

(Am I doing this right?)

 

[Enforcer]

Lol, yeah a lot of nothing-burgers. Literally every prospect in the draft has their "favorite" landing spot to play for if they had their choice. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't be excited to get it going w/ whatever team drafts them.

 

[Boone]

Neophyte you make a good point about it being a 'first time' for multiple QB prospects being invited at the same time - except we don't know that to be the case, just as we didn't know that Belichick brought in numerous prospects at the same time repeatedly. But you may be right, that part may be unique.

As to the whole 'genius' of the Top Golf outing/multiple prospect visits, I think it's beyond overblown. And again, of all the factors a GM/scouts are looking at, how Jayden Daniels reacted to it (assuming this was really targeted solely to evaluate his reaction - which to me is a gigantic assumption) would seem to be #105 on the priority list. It would concern me if this somehow were a significant factor in who we select if I'm being honest.

 

[Boone]

Am I the only one waffling on who I want us to draft at QB on a daily basis?

I can make a self-argument on any one the top 3. I guess the good news is, I'll understand and support the selection no matter who it ends up being.

 

[Bulldog]

Too bad for the Raiders and Vikings that #13 and #11 are too low to be the best pick we get back in a trade, assuming Peters would consider a deal.

I think Peters has his head on straight in one regard - unlike Ron Rivera that took four years to come this realization - if you don't have a quarterback you are not going to win in the NFL.

You can have the best defense (Jets), the best wide receiver (Jefferson in MINN), some of the best edge rushers (Dallas) but in the end the play of your quarterback is the largest determinant on whether you advance into and through the playoffs.

The Chiefs are a 9-7 wildcard team that loses in Round 1 of the playoffs without Mahomes, perhaps less than that.

He allows the team to feature a former #7 draft pick in Pacheco at running back and wide receivers that in the main would be #3's on other clubs.

Yes, he won in 2023 with a solid to very good defense but that was really the first year the defense was there as a strong assist to the Magic Man.

Their first title in 2019 and their 38-35 victory over the Eagles in 2022 were really a showcase for Mahomes to come in and make the difference.