Welcome to the Commanders - Jayden Daniels

[Boone]

One comment about the 'group think' thing...

The fact that Adam Peters and his scouting and analytics experts landed on Jayden Daniels does not in any way indicate group think, or that they somehow acquiesced to it - does it?

I myself have doubts about all of the top QBs. It's the nature of the beast. Highly drafted QB prospects frequently fail. It's a fact. So no matter who you take, that is a risk. But Jayden Daniels has been listed almost universally as the 2nd best QB in this draft and I am going to suggest that it's because, he may well be the 2nd best QB in this draft.

If they'd gone with Drake Maye - it sounds like we'd feel better, because the Front Office went against conventional wisdom. But does that make any real sense - knowing that sometimes conventional wisdom is exactly correct.

I think you could argue that Drake Maye would've been a 'safer' pick since there seem to be fewer 'concerns' about him and his ceiling is perceived as so high. Peters and Company did not make the 'safe' pick. They picked the guy they think is going to be the best QB.

Anyway, my 2 cents on the topic.

 

[Henry]

... he's so thin.

 

[Neophyte]

Let me be very clear - every single guy who pulls on the B & G gets my support and respect. Every single guy drafted or signed by this team gets a chance from me.

That includes Jayden Daniels. I want him to succeed.

As of today, he is my QB. Period.

However, I'm pretty sure I never said "I'll be happy with any guy" because I knew all along I wouldn't be excited about a couple of them.

 

[Henry]

I’m not happy or sad about this pick. I never am happy or sad about draft picks, unless the front office made a bad value pick that they could have traded down for or should not have traded up for. That’s not the case here.

This was the guy projected to go second and we picked him second. That’s fine. We really don’t know anything about this guy as a pro until he actually takes the field as a pro. Until then, it’s fine.

… but he is really thin.

 

[Boone]

Just to reiterate, I'm not the fan police. I do have some concerns (but would no matter who they took). As fans we've all earned the right to feel however we feel.

 

[Neophyte]

One comment about the 'group think' thing...

The fact that Adam Peters and his scouting and analytics experts landed on Jayden Daniels does not in any way indicate group think, or that they somehow acquiesced to it - does it?

I myself have doubts about all of the top QBs. It's the nature of the beast. Highly drafted QB prospects frequently fail. It's a fact. So no matter who you take, that is a risk. But Jayden Daniels has been listed almost universally as the 2nd best QB in this draft and I am going to suggest that it's because, he may well be the 2nd best QB in this draft.

If they'd gone with Drake Maye - it sounds like we'd feel better, because the Front Office went against conventional wisdom. But does that make any real sense - knowing that sometimes conventional wisdom is exactly correct.

I think you could argue that Drake Maye would've been a 'safer' pick since there seem to be fewer 'concerns' about him and his ceiling is perceived as so high. Peters and Company did not make the 'safe' pick. They picked the guy they think is going to be the best QB.

Anyway, my 2 cents on the topic.

You are 100% correct and I nearly said something similar in my first post. Picking Daniels is not evidence of bowing to the consensus of the slabbering horde and it doesn't mean they didn't settle on Daniels based on their own findings. I did not mean to imply that I thought they did.

What I wanted to convey is that this pick is not more evidence of walking their own path. Like they did in the coaching search. Like they did in Free Agency. Because when you do exactly what everyone says you should, even if it's the right thing, it cannot be used as evidence of being your own person.

I'm not saying it's a bad decision. I'm not saying it's the wrong decision.

I am saying that I, personally, am not excited about it today and that one of the reasons I'm not excited is that we validated the talking heads.

And, like John, I had concerns about every single option we had at QB.

 

[Neophyte]

Just to reiterate, I'm not the fan police. I do have some concerns (but would no matter who they took). As fans we've all earned the right to feel however we feel.

No worries, brother. I haven't taken anything you have said today like that.

To be honest, I'm a little frustrated with myself for feeling this way.

 

[Boone]

Yeah, I respect all that Bob, I really do. I think the important thing to keep in mind though is that the goal of this exercise is not for our GM to prove he is his own man and an independent thinker. It's to draft a franchise QB. We may or may not have done that and skepticism on that front is certainly understandable.

 

[burgold]

The RGIII thing is about his frame and body. I actually am excited about Daniels potential as a quarterback. My fear for him is that he won't be able to take the punishment NFL QBs absorb. It's very similar to the fear many of you expressed last year when we drafted Forbes.

As a QB, I think we have an amazing prospect. The nagging worry is about his availability. So far in college career that seems unwarranted, but part of his narrative is that he is frail and opens himself up to vicious shots and seems to lack that self-protective instinct (which other than his frame is probably the other thing that connects him to RGIII.)

 

[Boone]

No worries, brother. I haven't taken anything you have said today like that.

To be honest, I'm a little frustrated with myself for feeling this way.

I think the day after Christmas analogy (whether you made that or burgold did?) is an apt one. I get that feeling. I think all it will take is a couple of games seeing what Daniels is capable of to shed those feelings.

 

[burgold]

I bet you are right. Heck, it may dissolve if we get glowing May minicamp reports.

For now, I want someone to ship him a Black Panther vibranium jump suit. You know, the kind the absorbs kinetic energy.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I have my concerns....


I also have my starting QB that's been invested in. The move is less about Jayden Daniels and who he is today, because it doesn't matter anymore. It's what happens now. Is Daniels able to protect himself? Is he able to shake the 'fatal flaw' of pressure to sack % we heard about when everyone was using that metric to explain why Howell wasn't a quality starter? Do the coaches develop him beyond those two things to become an NFL caliber QB. Are we going to surround him with the talent needed to compete at an NFL level (this question would be posed with ANY QB we drafted)? Do the coaches implement a scheme that can compete in the NFL? Again, another question to be asked regardless of who you draft.


I have my concerns.... but i also have my quarterback, time will tell.

 

[Enforcer]

The cool thing about this forum, unlike say Twitter, or some other spots on the interwebz, is you can disagree, or just express your perspective - and it's all good and civil. Twitter can be a cesspool, LOL.

Anyways, I did come across this pic and thought it was cool.

 

[Boone]

The RGIII thing is about his frame and body. I actually am excited about Daniels potential as a quarterback. My fear for him is that he won't be able to take the punishment NFL QBs absorb. It's very similar to the fear many of you expressed last year when we drafted Forbes.

As a QB, I think we have an amazing prospect. The nagging worry is about his availability. So far in college career that seems unwarranted, but part of his narrative is that he is frail and opens himself up to vicious shots and seems to lack that self-protective instinct (which other than his frame is probably the other thing that connects him to RGIII.)

I'm not poo-pooing the concern I just think it's overblown. The kid played 5 seasons of college ball and never missed time due to injury. So the 'frail' narrative is simply wrong. Yes - it's the NFL but I do think that may indicate it's less of an issue than some are making it out to be. Forbes is a DB who has to tackle huge players. Big difference. And Daniels looks like Hulk Hogan compared to Forbes. I do think Daniels has a history of recklessness and putting himself at risk. I don't know how easy it is to coach someone out of that but that's a valid concern.

 

[burgold]

As I said yesterday in the chat, I loved how amped he and his mother both seemed to be. HIs mother even did some homework hoping he'd land her and sang a bit of that "Left hand up" anthem to tell us all she wants to be one of us.

I don't know that the "Left hand up" thing is still a thing, but the fact that she glommed onto it was cool.

 

[burgold]

I'm not poo-pooing the concern I just think it's overblown. The kid played 5 seasons of college ball and never missed time due to injury. So the 'frail' narrative is simply wrong. Yes - it's the NFL but I do think that may indicate it's less of an issue than some are making it out to be. Forbes is a DB who has to tackle huge players. Big difference. And Daniels looks like Hulk Hogan compared to Forbes. I do think Daniels has a history of recklessness and putting himself at risk. I don't know how easy it is to coach someone out of that but that's a valid concern.

Your making me go further than I mean to, but the players Forbes takes on size-wise (WRs, some running backs, and tight ends) aren't big compared to the defensive linemen looking to crush the QB every down. Corners don't deal with the same size as QBs.

Still, I think/hope your overall point is correct. People have been nitpicking for weaknesses and they hit on one which is probably a button for me because of our past QB issues. His history suggests he can survive and thrive in this game. More, he has good coaches who are used to working with mobile QBs. They'll work with him to shore up the worst of his habits.

 

[Boone]

Your making me go further than I mean to, but the players Forbes takes on size-wise (WRs, some running backs, and tight ends) aren't big compared to the defensive linemen looking to crush the QB every down. Corners don't deal with the same size as QBs.

Still, I think/hope your overall point is correct. People have been nitpicking for weaknesses and they hit on one which is probably a button for me because of our past QB issues. His history suggests he can survive and thrive in this game. More, he has good coaches who are used to working with mobile QBs. They'll work with him to shore up the worst of his habits.

You're not wrong at all - I'm just saying the QB is trying to evade pursuit and contact where a DB is trying to initiate it. Sort of a big difference but of course, both situations include risk.

 

[Chris]

Jayden was not at the top of my list, mostly due what I consider reasonable concerns about his frame and body type. When he runs I will be watching through my fingers like a Joey Slye XP attempt. There is no doubt in my mind that he can be a very good QB, but I hope he can be an ‘available’ very good QB.

In hindsight, I need to walk-back my over-the-top JJ love a tad. Though his intangibles are off the charts to me…I don’t think he brings the skills to the position that Jayden does if Jayden stays healthy. I also think that ultimately JJ landed in the absolute best place possible for him and I will watch his journey with interest.

Overall, I just didn’t see in Drake what so many did. There is certainly a lot to like and he seems to be a high quality young man, but I have had and still have concerns in my gut that are difficult to articulate. So I won’t try. Those concerns may be completely wrong and therefore I am pretty happy that he is going to NE and not NY.

 

[Chris]

At least we aren’t fans of the Atlanta Falcons this morning. 🤣

 

[Neophyte]

At least we aren’t fans of the Atlanta Falcons this morning.

I'm still scratching my head over that one.

So too is the Falcons fan I was sitting next to at the school function last night.

You sign Cousins to a big-money, 4-year deal, then draft a guy in the single digits to back him up knowing that unless Kirk gets hurt or suddenly retires you will have decide on a 5th year option without ever seeing Penix on the field in the regular season? Seems crazy to me.