Tag: The Team 980

Could the Commanders trade wide receiver Jahan Dotson

What did Jahan Dotson’s number of snaps tell us last weekend?

What is going on with Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson?

Dotson played 32 offensive snaps against the Jets. What’s the big deal? According to the coaches, receivers Terry McLaurin and Olamide Zaccheaus only needed 11 and 10 snaps, respectively.

It’s no secret that Dotson has not produced as a player drafted 16th overall in a draft as expected. It is also no secret that general manager Adam Peters paused when asked about the roster he inherited, then replied that there were some good cornerstone players and that there was much work to be done.

The new staff wanted to see Dotson putting in more work. Might it be because coaches wanted to see him in the slot receiver role?

The Team 980 drive-home host, Craig Hoffman, went a step further on Monday. Hoffman suggested an issue might be that Peters had seen his receivers in San Francisco (Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel) be very tough, very aggressive receivers. Hoffman pointed to a deep route by Dotson, where he was easily rerouted by the Jets defensive back.

“I don’t think Jahan is weak-minded or anything. You have to learn the tools to ultimately fight through that stuff, and he hasn’t yet. Yes, there’s the weightlifting part of getting physically stronger…but it’s also him working with Bobby Engram in the position group to understand how to fight through some of that stuff.”

Proceeding one step further, Hoffman then asked, “For Jahan, I wonder if he fits what they want, and if not, he could fit better somewhere else…Dan Quinn and Adam Peters are trying to build their version of the Commanders. So, if someone came with a good offer for Jahan Dotson, it would not surprise me for a second if they were like, that’s good; we’ll take the draft capital.”

Hoffman was quite clear he was not reporting anything, nor had he talked to anyone about Dotson being traded.

So, are Peters and Quinn unsatisfied with what they have observed from Dotson? This week’s second preseason game against the Dolphins might reveal more to us.

Joe Theismann: Jayden Daniels shouldn’t play in the preseason

The Washington legend spoke about Jayden Daniels and the preseason. He had some interesting thoughts.

How many snaps should Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels get in his first preseason?

Joe Theismann knows quite a bit about playing in preseason games. In fact, when Theismann entered the NFL with Washington in 1974, NFL teams played six of them.

On Thursday on “The Craig Hoffman Show,” Theismann said the team has so many new faces and “Jayden Daniels isn’t and shouldn’t play in the preseason.”

The former Redskins quarterback (1974-85) continued that he understands Daniels was the Heisman Trophy winner and had a great final season at LSU; however, the NFL is much more advanced than even the SEC.

“I’ve watched him work; I’ve been at practice. I’ve sat and visited with him. I like him a lot. But our business is a tough business to learn,” said Theismann.

Theismann knows Daniels will have his struggles when the regular season begins. He recalls his own struggles with inconsistency, which resulted in his losing the job to Billy Kilmer for two seasons before being named the starter in the 1978 season.

When Theismann said Daniels “isn’t” playing in the preseason, was he revealing that he knows something that coach Dan Quinn or GM Adam Peters may have told him?

This was probably nothing more than Theismann’s way of saying Daniels would see very little action. In fact, Theismann later stated he thinks Daniels might play only a couple of series in the first two preseason games.

The Commanders will face the Jets (Aug. 10), Dolphins (Aug. 17) and Patriots (Aug. 25) in the preseason before opening the regular season in Tampa against the Buccaneers on Sept. 6.

Commanders Darrick Forrest enjoying the 2024 offseason

Darrick Forrest thrilled with Washington’s new leadership on and off the field.

Darrick Forrest is thus far enjoying the 2024 offseason.

The Commanders safety, now heading into his fourth NFL season, talked briefly with the Team 980 afternoon host Craig Hoffman after a practice last week.

“It’s been great, getting to know the new coaching staff and learning the new defense”, said Forrest. “Just having fun, getting to know each other.”

To get to know each other, Forrest told Hoffman that they simply got into a room and talked with one another and went over presentations about our lives, and there was boot camp with military coaches, and then as position groups, they also interacted.

“It’s about growing together. If our brotherhood is strong, then I know nothing is going to be able to stop us.”

Hoffman asked Forrest if he could share something he had learned about one of his new teammates. Forrest responded that being around new Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn, has been enjoyable. “Just getting to know his personality, just getting to see his leadership. It’s just great getting to learn from guys that have been able to do it (in the NFL).”

Hoffman asked what Bobby Wagner was like on the field. Forrest responded, “If you could put a gold medal on the field, he’s a gold medal man. He communicates; he sees some things before they happen. And he can get everybody lined up where they need to be. The way he goes about things, they way he gets in here early, the way he takes care of his body, he gets here early in the morning. He goes throughout his day with a routine.”

With new coaches, come new schemes, new emphases. “Now I have a lot more roles, so I am going closer to the line of scrimmage. It’s really about learning the full defense. It’s about knowing how to communicate. I can’t come out here and BS because I know it like the back of my hand. I am still learning things as I am going.”

Forrest also expressed that he is learning from Frankie Luvu. Both Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu were veterans brought in this offseason, and according to everyone, the two linebackers are having a positive effect on the players.

 

Longtime Commanders’ reporter deliveres a huge one-liner about the team

Some proper perspective after a hopeful June.

John Keim has been on the Redskins/Football Team/Commanders beat since the 1994 season.

That means Keim has reported on head coaches Norv Turner, Terry Robiske, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs (2.0), Jim Zorn, Mike Shanahan, Jay Gruden, Bill Callahan, Ron Rivera and now Dan Quinn.

The leading passers for those teams: Heath Shuler, Gus Frerotte, Trent Green, Brad Johnson, Tony Banks, Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, Robert Griffin, Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith, Case Keenum, Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell.

Keim sat down with the Team 980 afternoon host, Craig Hoffman, on Tuesday, discussing this current Commanders offseason practices. Yes, practices have looked good under Quinn. Thus, at one point, Hoffman reminded himself and his listeners, “Of course, it’s June. You always want to put that caveat on it.”

To which the veteran Keim succinctly replied, “It was June last year.”

Wow! Did Keim ever pack a punch with so few words?

In addition, Keim though quiet, was so confident. “It was June last year.” Hoffman clearly got the message, following up with Keim that he thought the overall process was cleaner this June than in recent years.

Keim, again, echoed his earlier declaration with, “It’s been a better June than they have had in a long time (pause), for sure.”

Every offseason, NFL fan bases are optimistic.  But this was John Keim. “It was June last year.”

Keim saw Ron Rivera desperate to keep his job and hire an offensive coordinator no one else in the NFL pursued. He saw what happened to the offense last offseason. By training camp, Ron Rivera had already heard and had enough.

The Harris Ownership Group was not permitted to begin until NFL owners finally officially approved their taking over the franchise in July.

Just how bad was last June, according to Keim?

Keim had heard Rivera vault untested Sam Howell to QB1 and not adequately replace defensive backs coach Chris Harris. Chase Young actually thought he should have been extended the option year, and Keim was unimpressed with the four Rivera draft classes and free-agent signings.

Now, of course, in 2024, they are still in shorts, and no one is getting hit.

To which Keim might most likely respond, “Yes, and that was the case last June.”

Because of Keim’s experience, it’s safe to conclude the Commanders are trending upward this June.

Santana Moss likes what he sees in two Commanders rookies

Santana Moss already likes what he sees in a pair of rookies.

First impressions are important in life.

What did former Redskins receiver Santana Moss think this week when he first watched Commanders’ first-round draft choice, quarterback Jayden Daniels?

“First, things looked well. I don’t like to get too high on a kid,” said Moss. I don’t like to put too much pressure on anybody; it doesn’t matter who you are.”

Moss was a guest with the Team 980 show host, Craig Hoffman, on Thursday.

“Looked like a quarterback; looked like a second overall pick quarterback. Some of the things that was glaring was his footwork, how that ball jumped out of his hand. Those things like that, you either got it or you don’t.”

“When you look at a kid that they talk so much about, and that dynamic was because of how well he ran the football, they never try to highlight how well he threw the football.”

Moss told Hoffman he thinks Daniels has shown the ability to both throw and move well, and that is going to be so important because defensive pressure comes so often from those getting bigger and faster.

Hoffman added that he liked how the coaching staff efficiently used the time that all four quarterbacks were passing and how one phase of a drill led to another phase of the game.

With the Jets and Redskins, Moss recalled how he was coached well on some teams and not so well on others. He thought watching the energy and intensity of Dan Quinn might also help explain why the Dallas defense improved in 2021 upon his arrival.

Catching 732 NFL passes for 10,283 yards and 66 touchdowns, Moss knows how to play receiver in the NFL. He told Hoffman he liked what he saw from third-round pick, receiver Luke McCaffrey.

“Every cut, every plant is very violent.” Moss pointed out he could already see McCaffrey has a discipline and a motor. “He doesn’t look like a rookie right now. It’s early, I’m not trying to get too far ahead of myself, but I like what I see.”

Is Commanders punter Tress Way giving his No. 5 to Jayden Daniels?

Could Jayden Daniels officially be wearing the No. 5 by the end of this week?

Tuesday morning, the airwaves in the DMV conveyed that the Commanders are releasing a video on Friday.

During the “Kevin Sheehan Show” on The Team 980, Sheehan and his producer, Denton Day, discussed the rumor that the Commanders are releasing a video on Friday. The video is said to consist of Tress Way and newly drafted quarterback Jayden Daniels. The logical conclusion is that the Commanders are about to issue Daniels his first Commanders jersey.

Daniels wore No. 5 at LSU, so it would not be surprising that the Heisman Trophy winner wishes to wear No. 5 during his NFL playing career as well.

Way earned the Washington punting job for the 2014 season and has maintained a strong hold on in each of the ten NFL seasons (2014-23). Way was issued the No. 5 jersey during his initial Washington season and has worn it all ten of his NFL seasons.

If Daniels were going to be issued a jersey other than No. 5, then why would Way be included in the video? Consequently, it appears Way has agreed to part with No. 5 after ten seasons, permitting Daniels to begin wearing No. 5 this 2024 season.

After all, in this case, we are talking about Tress Way. Way has demonstrated love to his fellow teammates, resulting in his being a true team leader. More importantly, Way has exhibited maturity in placing his NFL employment in proper perspective in his life.

The former Oklahoma Sooner recently declared during an interview with “Sports Spectrum” that making the Pro Bowl a second time did not necessarily fulfill his life. He talked of losing his life for Jesus’ sake and actually finding a truer significance in his life as a result.

Thus, it would not be a surprise to find Way gladly giving over his No. 5 jersey to the younger Daniels as a token of welcoming Daniels to the franchise and, more significantly, demonstrating a selfless love for his new teammate.

Who does PFF analyst prefer the Commanders take at No. 2 overall?

PFF analyst discusses the top three QB options for the Commanders.

Sam Monson was a guest on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” and discussed the top quarterbacks available when the Commanders are on the clock, Thursday night, for the second overall pick.

Here are some selected quotes from Monson.

Each of these guys (quarterbacks) has something that scares you:

“Drake Maye misses way too many of these layups…it’s true, why is it there? And can we fix it?”

“Jayden Daniels’ great season was when he was throwing to multiple first-round receivers. That is absolutely a factor…He, for his career, has had a really concerning, problematic pressure to sack rate…generally, that data translates well to the NFL.”

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5375″ ]

“J.J. McCarthy has a real lack of tape. He just didn’t have the same responsibilities and requirements of the other top quarterbacks. He was on a dominant national championship team that didn’t want or need him to throw the football.”

“Maye had the most big-time throws of any of the other quarterbacks the last two seasons…he has an incredible volume of big plays and the capability to do special things.”

“Michael Penix has a lot of talent, and coaches love that guy. Whatever are the intangible things they are looking for, he’s got them…He has the arm to make things happen. He has the athleticism, way more than he ever deployed in college. Maybe extending plays and scrambling can be a bigger part of his game at the NFL level.”

“The conversation (Commanders pick) has been a lot about Daniels; the narrative on Maye has been overwhelmingly negative. Be prepared; the NFL likes that guy (McCarthy) more than anyone else does. He is going to go higher than you think he will. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that McCarthy goes No. 2.”

“He (Daniels) needs to change the way he plays in that regard (running). He makes special things happen, but come on, we need you to slide at the end of this play. We need you on the next down. Jayden takes some of the most ridiculous hits for a guy his size and ability.”

“He (Daniels) plays the game with this Josh Allen recklessness, only minus 35 pounds. That can’t work at the next level. You need to be more cognizant of protecting yourself.”

If he were selecting at No. 2 overall, Monson said he would select Drake Maye.

Commanders should sit Drake Maye for a least a year

If the Commanders draft Drake Maye, should he sit for one season?

Thursday, Logan Paulsen said he strongly feels the Commanders should draft North Carolina QB Drake Maye if they keep the second overall selection in April’s NFL draft.

Should the Commanders start Maye at quarterback in 2024?

If not, would they start Sam Howell? Or might they start another veteran?

Friday, on the “Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky offered his thoughts on Drake Maye starting in 2024.

“I think Drake Maye has to get the Jordan Love treatment. You have to sit Drake Maye for at least a year or two. Orlovsky recalled Tar Heel coach Mack Brown telling him, “Mechanically, Maye is so raw.”

Orlovsky continued, “If you sit him for at least a year, you have a chance to have a really good player. But you can’t play him early.”

Both Orlovsky and The Team 980 show host Craig Hoffman voiced on Friday that Maye really needs work on his feet. Hoffman went as far as to say that the UNC offensive line was not very good, and thus, Maye, unlike Jayden Daniels, couldn’t be as smooth due to the pass rush he was facing often last season.

Hoffman also feels that Love learned and improved his footwork, sitting, and learning from watching Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

Hoffman suggested that Maye needs a veteran (other than Sam Howell) from whom Maye can learn footwork. He suggested Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, and Tyrod Taylor.

If the Commanders hope to get the most out of Maye in 2025, perhaps the most effective method will be to spend the 2024 offseason and regular season being prepped daily, on reading defenses, mastering his footwork, while avoiding the fire of NFL pass rushes and blitz packages.

Rodgers, Love, and Patrick Mahomes are very good examples of current quarterbacks who have sat for at least a season and reaped the benefits.

Logan Paulsen: Are the Commanders taking Daniels or Maye at No. 2?

Logan Paulsen weighs in Drake Maye vs. Jayden Daniels. He likes both a lot, but has a preference.

The Chicago Bears take USC quarterback Caleb Williams first overall; who does Logan Paulsen feel the Commanders take at No. 2?

Paulsen discussed the Commanders’ choice with Craig Hoffman, kicking off hour 3 Thursday of Hoffman’s The Team 980 show. As always, Paulsen provided much thought-provoking content in comparing/contrasting quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.

Drake Maye:

“For me, Drake Maye is a guy I was not very high on when we started the process.”

“When I watch the film, the throws Maye is making are to me, more NFL translatable. Go to YouTube and watch Drake Maye highlights 2023. You will see throws over the middle of the field, fades, comebacks, timing throws, off-schedule stuff.”

“He is a good athlete, a good leader. His interviews went well at the Combine.”

Jayden Daniels:

Jayden was so dynamic, the best player in college football. His ability to extend plays, create off-schedule, to run, his deep ball, is very intoxicating.”

“I like Jayden a lot, but the complexity of the offense (LSU) isn’t there.”

“There were opportunities with Daniels with what I would consider NFL-open throws, that he is turning down and running. I don’t want to knock him for throwing to good receivers or speaking to his skill set. But I do feel I have seen guys with that ability turn down NFL-open throws and never develop into NFL passers.”

“(When you watch his 2023 highlights), you see explosive runs, and you see box fades, some of the most beautiful box fades you have ever seen thrown in your life. But that is not viable consistently at the NFL level.”

Paulsen, Whom do the Commanders select at No. 2 overall?

“When you look at his big-time throw ratio, pressure to sack ratio, throws over the middle of the field, big-time throws over the middle of the field, all of those numbers favor Drake Maye pretty dramatically.”

“I understand they are different football players, and Jayden Daniels finds explosive plays outside of just throwing the football. He runs and that’s another way he beats blitzes.”

“The way Maye looks at the field, handles protections, it seems like an easier jump to say he projects better to the NFL level. I still like Jayden Daniels quite a bit. But I think Maye is a more NFL-ready product. His arm is not Justin Herbert but it is still pretty good.”

“I think that is the pick at No. 2, quite honestly.”

Commanders’ Dan Quinn: ‘It’s not just a job’

Dan Quinn talks why he loves coaching so much.

Becoming an NFL head coach did not come easily or quickly for Dan Quinn.

The Commanders new head coach spent some time Friday with The Team 980 show host Kevin Sheehan.

Quinn has certainly put in his time in 11 previous coaching jobs. As a result there has been much learning about football and also working with people.

When Quinn wanted to enter the coaching profession, his first opportunity came at William & Mary (defensive line) in 1994. From there, Quinn has held jobs with VMI, Hofstra, the 49ers, Dolphins, Jets, Seahawks, Florida, Seahawks, Falcons, Cowboys and now Commanders.

Sheehan asked Quinn when he was interviewing for this job, “What was the most important thing for you to get across to them?” Quinn responded, “Number one, I wanted to make sure they knew that over the time I left Atlanta and went to Dallas, I had time to really dig in and recognize the things that went well leading to success, but also wanted to make sure I learned from the adversity too.”

Quinn offered he conveyed in the interview that since his first head coaching job with the Falcons, he knew he was much stronger for this opportunity.

Sheehan inquired as to why Quinn thinks he is so well-liked and well-respected. Laughing, Quinn thanked Sheehan for saying that but also admitted he didn’t know about that being true in all cases.

He then added, “There are a lot of things I love about coaching. The relationships with the players and coaches, front office and personnel, those are the things you do, I just love being part of a team, man.”

“You get those experiences, and you map it out together. That’s what it is all about. You have these really competitive moments that bring you together. You just get closer and tighter, Kev”

“It’s not just a job when you are competing at the highest level. There is a loyalty there that goes way past the job. There’s a brotherhood that can connect you forever. I love that part of the game and the relationships that come out of it. But at the end of it, pushing one another to get better, that is probably one of the reasons.”

The Commanders have not had a winning record since Jay Gruden was the head coach and Kirk Cousins the starting quarterback in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The franchise has not won a playoff game since the 2005 season when Joe Gibbs (2.0) was the head coach and Mark Brunell the starting quarterback.

Getting better and winning certainly sounds good doesn’t it, Commanders fans?