Wyvern

Llevron, unfortunately I don't have access to NFLN, on all the interviews -- I was just curious about the person behind the stats, and all I had access to was YouTube and the occasional "X" video-excerpt. I'll be offering up my thoughts soon enough, and expect I'll be well-schooled by those who don't agree with my perceptions. I don't mind that, because I need character reasons to like (at least a little) the person who Washington selects to lead this team forward. I want to be able to cheer for the person, not the laundry (as Seinfeld joked.). For example, if Snyder/Rivera had decided to sign DeShaun Watson -- I really couldn't have enjoyed cheering for someone with all that "baggage" regardless of his skills. (I digress, but I'm one of those folks on the "character matters!" side of fandom.)

Thanks. I'll hold off on my views a bit longer -- but I'll say that your feedback was really helpful for me as you bring up things I didn't see in my initial review.

I was having a little free time one evening, and decided I could add a little more material for ES fans to discuss while debating the plusses and minuses of Daniels vs Maye. I'm just curious how folks will react to the media interviews they gave after their Pro-Day. After all, one of them could be the face of the franchise and likely would be trotted out after each game to face the media. I'll grant that the venues and format interviews are in somewhat different -- but after all, the media probably wanted to interview some of LSU's receivers as well as Daniels. But I suspect you'll see some other differences between the two ... I'm curious what people think/feel from the pressers and if it might be a factor in the Washington coaching staff and front office's evaluation process. Here's the YouTube of Drake Maye's presser after his pro-day: Here's the YouTube of Jayden Daniels' presser after his pro-day: I have some observations -- but will hold off on my comments, because I am trying not to influence anyone's initial reactions to them performing something that both will have to do as part of their jobs. Mainly, I just wanted add a little more material for folks to "chew on.". Please let me know if you want me to include J.J. McCarthy's interview -- he held a longer one at the combine which would be a good comparison as he gives some insight about himself. (If this was already posted somewhere in this massively-long thread please accept my apologies.)

Sorry, I typed Bolles, autocorrect liked Holmes better. 😑 I have to watch autocorrect like a hawk. Thanks, I went back and fixed it..

Are there any decent left tackle FAs still available, besides Mehki Becton (underperforming so far), Donovan Smith (who seems eager to go to the Jets) and David Bakhtiari (aging, injury history)? Garrett Bolles might have been a possibility, but still under a $16+ million contract in 2024, and would need Denver to agree to some kind of trade. I'm having difficulties finding other candidates for Washington to build depth at Tackle, especially Left Tackle. And I can't help but think that Washington really needs to address their issues at both tackle positions -- neither of the current starters seem to be a long-term solution, heck, maybe even a season-long solution. I ask about FAs, because a lot of the quality Tackles who might be available to Washington in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft, tend to be Right Tackles, or Tackles who'd likely become Guards in the NFL. Or do you think the plan is to wait to see which Left Tackles become possibly available after the draft... and/or hit the waiver wire at the end of the preseason?

Wow, McNichols has really bounced around the league -- Usually released and then resigned to so many different team's practice squads. M-a-y-b-e he can stick as a special-teamer? Or maybe he gets stashed away on Washington's practice squad as an insurance call-up should Ekeler have to miss a game or two?

If such a poll is set up ... it should be a two-part poll: Poll 1: Who you think they should take. Name the QB you want Washington to take. But include one of the following three letter codes with the name of your choice to indicate -- A. You want them to trade up for your choice, or --B. You want them to select your choice at #2, or, -- C. You want them to trade down and hopefully pick your choice at wherever spot they traded down to. Also, include one more option --called "Other" -- which means wait until 2025 draft for drafting a QB, and meanwhile for 2024 try to trade for (or sign in FA) another short term QB backup for Mariotta. Poll 2: What you predict the Commanders WILL do in the draft: Basically the same options as above, including the indicators.

Is this the scouting network of the Snyder/Allen/Rivera tenure? ...Or has Peters had time to overhaul that group? I recall that former Redskins' Exec. Scott McCloughan (who was well-regarded for scouting management) had tried to overhaul the Redskins' scouting network, but was stopped by Allen in a power-play. And considering Rivera's drafts, it may have still been needing some "re-calibration."

I believe the low numbers of onside kicks (and successful ones) in the 2023 season, might have been caused by the rule changes in 2023. The onside kick numbers fluctuate due to the what rules are in place at the time. A few years earlier, I recall reading in the Washington Post how the onside kick was coming back (I think it was referring to the 2021 results) partly due to some rule changes designed to help foster more attempts. Go to earlier times in NFL history and onside kicks were attempted a lot more often, and with better success than seen in 2023. As for, only only two surprise onside kicks being attempted in 2023, from all the games I watched I thought I saw more instances than that number attempted. However, to really make my case, I'd probably have to really research all the games' play-by-plays that were logged in the ESPN game summaries ... and frankly, that's too much work. So I'm going to do that, and won't press the point. (Maybe someday, just to see if I rendered correctly, I'll check just the Lions game, because seem to recall Coach Campbell trying that more than once.) Anyhow, thanks for suggesting how the new rules, outlawing the surprise onside kick, was wasn't a big deal to fret about ... at this point, it's a done deal (at least for a year anyhow.),so I should relax and live with the change. I can do that.

@Dan T. I thought the 2023 rules shaping the system of kickoffs before this latest "hybrid kickoff system" had made kickoffs almost automatic touchbacks, and that was boring. But I just didn't think that much of the latest fix, so I'm glad it's on a trial basis. Perhaps all the touchbacks that could have been fixed by simply moving the kicker back further, or making touch backs result an even better field for the receiving team. I think there should have been some scrutiny on eliminating the fair catch option for kickoff returns, because that stopped a lot of runbacks was well. Or, you could really liven things up by creating certain times where "squib kicks" that first landed before the 15 yard line but rolled into the end zone would be still considered a live ball, unless the receiver could bat it out of bounds for a starting point less favorable than the starting point for a touchback caused by the ball sailing directly into or through the endzone. I know this is just an amateur fan's point of view, and I suspect the NFL Rules folks looked at this more deeply than I did -- but as fan, I just didn't want to see the surprise onside kick go away, which the latest rules have now done.

These new "hybrid kickoff" rules killed the "surprise" onside kick, as well as being able to opt for onside kicks in the early parts of the game, because onside kicks would only be available in 4th quarter. Due to the new kickoff format, NFL teams would have to declare that they want to pursue an onside kick.. They can only declare to do so in the 4th quarter, and only twice. (My understanding is the declared onside kick might use the old formation rules, but that was not made clear.) I'm glad it's on a one-year trial basis, because I feel it's changing the occasionally exciting kickoff into essentially a running play which starts some 10-15 yards behind the line of kickoff scrimmage but where the defender has 9-10 defenders in the box. (I'm curious to see how this affects the makeup of the special teams. --- maybe we see more burly linemen rather than speedy LB'er types.). I also wonder how many kickoff return TDs the XFL saw after they put in these kinds of kickoff rules.

I hope that the Washington coaches perform their due diligence on Stromberg -- I thought he was one of the better centers coming out of the 2023 draft, but wasn't well developed/groomed for what I thought was his natural role at Center. The Rivera/Bieniemy offense poorly handled their responsibilities for developing a decent O-Line, and they should be held responsible for those never-ending breakdowns in pocket protection by Wylie, Gates, and to some extent S. Charles. Something that reinforced my view emerged from a Keim podcast interview with Charles Leno. Leno's assessment of Stromberg which was very positive; please check his interview with Keim (linked below) ... the part on Stromberg starts at around the 21 minute mark. BTW, this interview also gives me a sense of some of the dissatisfaction with how the offense was coached (starts a little before the 24 minute mark). It gave me a good sense of why Bieniemy isn't running an NFL offense this season, because I'm sure other teams noticed the same thing. Hopefully Stromberg's talent wasn't adversely impacted by his 2023 injury, and that he gets a real chance to showcase his talents to the new staff. I suspect the 2023 signing of Gates forced him to play out of position -- but I still feel he was one of the few 2023 selections that Rivera's staff got right -- even if might have been for the wrong reasons. If he is able to stick on Washington's 2024 roster, I suspect he'll really benefit from learning the ropes under the veterans Deiter and Biadasz -- and then make a really good center for some team, hopefully Washington's if he keeps patient. iv widget

According to PFF Rumors, Deiter's contract with the Texans wound up producing more starts than expected, because the Texans needed him due to injuries along their front. To put his 2023 year in perspective, after the 2023 preseason, he was released, and then reacquired to the Texans practice squad and eventually activated to provide IOL depth to ensure decent protection for Texans new QB. Deiter's time with the Dolphins was mostly at guard in his rookie year and after that he didn't get many snaps for the next three years at either Guard or back up Center. I'd note he did get a stretch of snaps in 2021 as a center, ; however no snaps in 2022. Oddly, he shared a season with Tyler Biadasz on the 2018 Wisconsin team, and had a good year-- leading to his selection by Miami in the 3rd round. I wonder if Biadasz put in a good word for him. My take: Good backup IOL, especially if Nick Allegretti can't play. I still think Stromberg will be a better center than he had a chance to show under Rivera/Bieniemy -- but if not, and Biadasz can't play, the Deiter's good insurance there too.

Thanks Redskinss!. I also think "recalibrate" is a better word for downplaying the actual scope of the change -- it gives the media the impression that this team is close to being a decent competitor, and is just needing a few more good parts. And that impression is a wise way to project things to the media, at least so the next batch of free agents aren't reluctant to sign up with an organization that's being portrayed as 'on the rise', and not that far off from being a competitor than can contend for postseason action. Of course, the eventual proof will be in how well this team performs with its new roster, coaches, and play-schemes. And here, I remain cautiously optimistic, since I feel the team performed below its potential last year, and still has some very good players, assuming they buy into the new culture that Quinn will foster.

@Est.1974 Exactly! But I remember one of his earlier interviews when GM Peters rejected to say that what was going on, was a "rebuild" -- and that led me to believe he was going to re-sign more of Washington's first-string players who were hitting free agency, and just address the more obvious weaknesses like the O-Line, and the LB corps. That's before Fuller and Samuel were allowed to leave, and then more departures such as trading Howell and letting Curl sign elsewhere. Moreover, I'm now getting the sense that the front office is going to move on from (or quickly replace) a lot of Rivera's second and third stringers too. But even with an aggressive UDFA signing effort plus a lot of waiver wire pickups, that kind of roster overhaul/turnover can often take up to two years, not one. So, even if/when Washington drafts new QB at #2 (or at #1 or #3) I'm tamping down my expectations for 2024.