Random Commanders Thoughts

[MikefromOH]

Telling a grown man who is paid millions "you need to prove it" to me...is asking for another cousins style issue. If I was Young I would inform Rivera I would play my ass off, but expect me to not just sign back with you if you aren't willing to invest in me now.

 

[MikefromOH]

Rivera also said that Howell starts the off-season as QB1. That is sure to attract people looking for a fair shot at starting at QB.

 

[Boone]

Young was the wrong pick in that draft. I’m ambivalent.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Telling a grown man who is paid millions "you need to prove it" to me...is asking for another cousins style issue. If I was Young I would inform Rivera I would play my ass off, but expect me to not just sign back with you if you aren't willing to invest in me now.

Yeah, I’m with you Mike. These doesn’t seem like a great way to run a team. It puts players on edge and also puts something between them and the team. Just like we saw with Cousins. Something we have all complained about is the lack of continuity and not building from within. Statements like this don’t help build that continuity. They also set a precedent for other players, which maybe they already did with the Payne situation.

I’ll add this caveat though. If the team has seen something with his injury that they believe he won’t ever be 100%, then this is the right move. But I still don’t like saying that “we won’t pay you” as motivation. I just don’t think that works for most people.

 

[Chris]

It’s one thing to not pick up a team’s option or to not extend a contract.

It’s another thing entirely to say you might not because you think that will increase a players motivation or likening it to duplicating the result of your course of action (or inaction) with another player by thinking that you have uncovered some psychological secret.

Sometimes, hell always most of the time, it’s best to keep your mouth shut publicly and handle such things privately.

Remember that Rivera and Mayhew refused to even marginally praise Curl at the end of season presser because they didn’t want to give his agent any ammunition in negotiations.

 

[DixieFlatline]

To be fair....reading the article they haven't ruled the option year out. Although I guess by now you probably already know what you want to do unless you are working on your salary makeup for the team. e.g. Are they trying to sign Payne.

 

[MikefromOH]

I had a guy on my team I knew I was going to fire for a while now. He didn't perform the way I wanted, he argued a lot, and it was bringing down the team. I tried working with him, and I coached him up as much as I could.

But, I didn't tell him he was most likely not going to make it until I had someone ready to come fill his spot. If I had I risked losing a worker and making my life hell until I found someone else.

 

[Chris]

I’m starting to get the impression that Daron Payne is being criticized because his best season was in a contract year.

I wonder if the fact that he was possibly/probably misused under Sam Mills as an on-the-ball NT was the primary cause of that.

 

[burgold]

I’m starting to get the impression that Daron Payne is being criticized because his best season was in a contract year.

I wonder if the fact that he was possibly/probably misused under Sam Mills as an on-the-ball NT was the primary cause of that.

This is actually a really interesting question. The line as a whole was so much improved after Mills was replaced by Jeff Zgonina and Kerrigan.

 

[MikefromOH]

The year before our entire line was beat up. Allen, sweat, young ..he was the only one basically.

It's much harder to find a stud NT than an edge rusher who can get pressure.

 

[burgold]

The year before our entire line was beat up. Allen, sweat, young ..he was the only one basically.

It's much harder to find a stud NT than an edge rusher who can get pressure.

That's fair, too. It's kinda sad though. When we drafted Young I had a daydream that he and Sweat would become the 21st Century version of Mann and Manley. That could still happen, but because of injuries and lack of discipline the Young's star has lost a lot of its luster.

 

[DieselPwr44]

 

[Om]

Yup. Absolutely consistent with my thinking ... the new owner/group is going to have a lot of the groundwork already laid.

 

[Neophyte]

Yeah, nice to see some validation of the thought process a lot of us had.

Also nice to see Sean pay a little respect to the former glory of our beloved team and say that it will come back. He has forgotten more about this game than I will ever know.

 

[burgold]

Yup. Absolutely consistent with my thinking ... the new owner/group is going to have a lot of the groundwork already laid.

Yep. You don't shell out seven million dollars without doing your due diligence. They're going to come in with a plan. Maybe they will be forced to wait a year, but I bet they have had consultants map out everything they can about the team, the facilities, the personnel and staff. The new owners aren't going to enter the room like Gomer Pyle and say, "Well, howdy. What's cookin', Andy. Sure is a nice place you got."
They'll enter like Scrooge McDuck

 

[Chris]

Yep. You don't shell out seven million dollars without doing your due diligence. They're going to come in with a plan. Maybe they will be forced to wait a year, but I bet they have had consultants map out everything they can about the team, the facilities, the personnel and staff. The new owners aren't going to enter the room like Gomer Pyle and say, "Well, howdy. What's cookin', Andy. Sure is a nice place you got."
They'll enter like Scrooge McDuck

7 millionnnn dollars

 

[Boone]

I don't think this is getting enough attention

I have a bunch of thoughts/questions regarding Payton's comments, in no particular order...

1. Doesn't this imply Bezos? My thinking is, would one of the other wannabe bidders approach a future Hall of Fame coach with this kind of proposal? I mean, I can't imagine contacting him and seriously pitching 'Hey, if I'm able to buy the Commanders would you....' Seems like that would require some serious gravitas and someone highly confident they were going to prevail?

2. What's Ron Rivera thinking hearing that interview? I'll tell you what I'm thinking, and that's 'I'm dead coach walking'. We've theorized how short Rivera's leash might be with a new owner, but the conventional wisdom has been that he's safe in 2023 because of the 'timing' of an ownership change. Well - I guarantee you, whoever approached Sean Payton wasn't talking about 2024. They were talking about right now. I view this as good news, because Rivera needs to know it's now or never, and maybe even just never.

3. The Denver Bronco's have a GM already, George Paton, and reports are that both he and Sean Payton will report to the owner directly. But my question is, this report has a prospective new owner directly reaching out to Sean Payton. Was the offer to become a GM/Head Coach or just a Head Coach? And if that wasn't the offer, does that imply that whomever this potential owner is has already got a GM all but in place (and they've agreed Payton would be the dream pick) or is this a scenario where the prospective new owner plans on hiring the Head Coach himself and worry about the GM later? Lots of potential questions around that for me?

4. If this was Bezos and he didn't convince Sean Payton, have he (and possibly a GM in waiting) already convinced another Head Coaching candidate to take the deal? Who would be on that list of guys you are willing to blow it up for in 2023 and send Rivera packing for?

 

[Boone]

For what it's worth...

 

[Kel Varnsen]

4. If this was Bezos and he didn't convince Sean Payton, have he (and possibly a GM in waiting) already convinced another Head Coaching candidate to take the deal? Who would be on that list of guys you are willing to blow it up for in 2023 and send Rivera packing for?

My guess has always been Payton first, Jim Harbaugh second. It seemed odd that Harbaugh was ready to go to the NFL, then all of the sudden he was going back to Michigan. I have a feeling he will be in the NFL in 2024 and may already be talking to potential owners about what could come. He can't talk to any current ownership while they have a coach, but he can talk to potential owners who are making bids. This is just my opinion based in zero factual evidence.

 

[SilentThreat]

Doesn’t this violate the confidentiality also?