Tag: UNC QB Drake Maye

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.”

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“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.

Robert Griffin applauds the Commanders’ GM Adam Peters

Robert Griffin III with some good analysis on the Commanders this time, concerning Adam Peters and the No. 2 pick.

Robert Griffin III believes his being the second overall pick by Washington in 2012 is impacting the decisions the Commanders will make in Thursday night’s draft.

Griffin, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, was chosen second overall by Washington in the 2012 draft, in which Washington traded three first-round selections (2012, 2013, 2014) and a second-round pick (2012).

A guest on the “Rich Eisen Show” Tuesday, Griffin saw his choice as analogous to Jayden Daniels for Washington Thursday night.

“Where did Adam Peters come from?” asked Griffin. He came from San Francisco. What did San Francisco just deal with two years ago? They had a highly drafted quarterback in the first round, and they had the last pick in the draft, which they used to pick Brock Purdy.”

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Now, Trey Lance, in all fairness to him, didn’t get a chance to play because he was hurt and didn’t get a chance to show that he could be that guy. But Brock Purdy was the last choice in the draft, was a guy’s guy. The whole team gravitated towards him. And I feel like Adam Peters was just trying to get a sense, which one of these quarterbacks do the guys gravitate towards?”

Griffin said that outside of Caleb Williams, the other quarterbacks are all athletic and very similar in ability. Griffin expressed that because there previously was such criticism of Washington, people still automatically wondered what they were doing last week, having all four quarterbacks in at once for a group activity.

“I would say, Rich, the highlights are on the film, but the character isn’t. The organization in Washington is just trying to find the right character guys to build a team around, and I actually applaud them for that. Because character is not really something the team has been associated with for the past twenty years.”

“So, I want fans to understand. If you create a negative environment for a guy like Jayden Daniels coming in, it’s only going to breed more negativity once he’s drafted.”

“I hope they just give these guys a clean slate, whoever Washington decides to take. It’s their decision; it’s who they believe in. I want that for them. The situation with me and Kirk Cousins in Washington in 2012 was a situation where the owner and the head coach were fighting against each other.”

“You don’t want that to be repeated. So, whoever they believe in, go draft that guy…I just believe, Rich, that Jayden is the best guy for them.”

Aside from Griffin presenting that he was a victim in 2012, this was actually his best interview regarding Washington in some time.

PFT says Commanders treated QB prospects like ‘lab rats’ during interviews

More nonsense from from Washington’s favorite critic.

Pro Football Talk blasted the Commanders on Friday.

The Commanders had entertained multiple players, including four quarterbacks, earlier in the week. It was a job interview, and apparently, Josh Harris and the Commanders were really out of line, according to Mike Florio and Myles Simmons.

“I think it is imperative to bring in these guys (quarterbacks) one at a time, know everything you can about them, get them all in with you. And that is where this has kind of gone off the rails for the Commanders. Because I’m hearing belief that maybe Jayden Daniels is not all that interested now in going to the Commanders,” Florio said during Friday’s installment of “PFT Live.”

Simmons replied: “You can pick up another asset (not picking Daniels and trading down), but is that going to be worth it if you are playing games and you don’t get the exact quarterback that you sensibly have fallen in love with throughout this draft process? To me, that would not make much sense. But, there are a lot of things about the way the Commanders have gone about, let’s call it, the last week that have not made much sense to me.”

Added Florio: “Here is the other thing I’ve picked up from somebody that I trust immensely, who is very plugged into the ownership scene. Josh Harris? A lot more involved than they thought he would be. … They brought them all in on the same day because that’s the day Mr. Harris was available to see them. That’s the only plausible explanation for having them there.

“Here is the danger, the David Tepper danger. This is when the owner is involved in any way. … At the end of the day, if you get it wrong, you better get it wrong with the guy the boss wanted. Your worst-case scenario is, the boss wanted this guy, and you went with that (other) guy, and that guy stinks. … Your long-term job prospects are best suited by giving the boss what you think the boss wants, and it all comes down to how vocal the boss is.

“You are the No. 2  guy. The people who know what they are doing, have Jayden Daniels as the clear No. 2 guy. So, when you have your visit to this team, that wants you supposedly, and the day is diluted by the three other quarterbacks being there. At some level you are going to be pissed. … There’s red flags there, and it all flows back to how the Commanders have handled it. It’s not anything about Jayden Daniels. It’s how the Commanders have handled Jayden Daniels.”

Wow, has it not yet occurred to Florio that comparing Harris to Tepper is extremely unfair to Harris? If Harris proves himself to be a Tepper, then yes. But for now, doesn’t that seem like attacking Harris prematurely?

Second, do Florio and Simmons fail to comprehend the Commanders have not presented any signs whatsoever that Daniels is obviously their guy?

Third, they are flat-out wrong because several analysts also think Drake Maye should be the second selection. The situation is not as simple as Florio and Simmons erroneously believe it to be.

Fourth, are any of the other quarterbacks who visited complaining about the process? So how can Florio and Simmons logically conclude it has to be the Commanders at fault in how they handled Daniels this week?

Simmons then proceeded to say twice the Commanders’ process was “disrespectful” to the prospective quarterbacks, expressing, “I am confused by this approach.”

Though Adam Peters and Lance Newmark stated there were both individual meetings and group time, this simply does not satisfy Florio and Simmons. Florio then called it “the strategy the Commanders concocted; I know people and am a student of the human condition. It’s disrespectful, it’s disrespectful to all of them.”

Florio then said the Commanders were treating the quarterbacks “like lab rats in a weird sort of way. … Let’s just put them in a room together and see how they act. Maybe one will kill the other three, and that will clearly be the right choice for us. … There is an element of evil scientist that comes through this, that is just offputting to me as an outsider.”

Florio then called it “this weird power-trip [expletive].”

Here is the video of their entire discussion:

 

 

One NFL draft analyst is clear who he’d take if he were the Commanders

This draft analyst makes it clear who he’d pick if he were Washington.

Adam Peters has a lot of pressure to nail his first draft pick, the second overall in next week’s NFL draft…which quarterback will he select?

Pro Football Focus NFL Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema spent some time with Al Galdi on his podcast discussing UNC quarterback Drake Maye.

Here is yesterday’s summary of his evaluation of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Here are selected quotes from Sikkema regarding his evaluation of Drake Maye.

“I would be taking Drake Maye, I really would. He is my quarterback No. 2; he has been since last summer, even with what people are saying was a down year. I would push back on that as well.”

“I believe that Drake Maye gives you the ability to step up and hit every single throw in every situation that is demanded of it.”

“Drake Maye does it on all three levels of the field. I mean that he does it short, intermediate, deep, and I also mean outside the numbers, inside the numbers and outside the numbers. He can do everything.”

“Yes, he’s got to clean up some things with his fundamentals. He had some frustrating misses this past year. All of that is correctable.”

“The natural God-given talent he shows, that is the stuff you have to gravitate towards. That is the stuff I always keep going back to. The overall arm talent, it’s that mentality. It’s something I look at and say, ‘Yes, give me this dude to draft and develop and invest in.'”

“Because he has great mobility, I think Drake Maye is always a threat to take it outside the tackles and run…I am not saying he is a one-read quarterback, because he is not…but he gets a little bit of ‘happy feet’. The feet are always bouncing and light but not always married up with where his eyes and arm are going.”

“Sometimes his feet are moving, and there is not really a rhyme or reason to it, and then all of the sudden you get these moments where, ‘Oh shoot, there it is, there is the throw, and I got to get rid of this football, the throwing window is right here’. But his feet are not always married up to where he is releasing the football.”

“That is a habit you have to improve with Maye to stay light on his feet, but be more compact, more married up, be more ready to THROW with more consistency and accuracy.”

Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye? Many analysts have lined up on both sides of the aisle, and Adam Peters has yet to provide a clue. We may not know until the card is read on Thursday night.

 

As expected Commanders hosting Maye and Daniels next week

The Commanders get some face time with Maye and Daniels next week — one week before the NFL draft.

Well, that didn’t take long.

Just 24 hours ago, Commanders Wire encouraged Commanders fans not to make too much of Tuesday’s announcement that Jayden Daniels would visit the Commanders next week.

Though Adam Schefter, Brian Kelly and Colin Cowherd had all said in the past week that the Commanders were going to draft Daniels, we said, yes, the Commanders may draft Daniels, but those guys don’t actually know whom the Commanders are going to select.

We also declared that Adam Peters would certainly have Drake Maye visit the facility and perhaps J.J. McCarthy as well.

So, Wednesday brought the announcement that North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye will also visit Ashburn next week.

Indeed, Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and owner Josh Harris have wisely not given any indication to anyone in the media who the Commanders will select with that No. 2 overall selection.

The possibility exists that the three may not only be acting wisely to not publicly declare their intentions. Seeing these three quarterbacks are also receiving such varied evaluations from the draft analysts, could it be that the Commanders trio of Peters, Quinn and Harris honestly, have not yet been able to be in unison regarding the selection?

Perhaps, being undecided, the Commanders are still continuing to do their necessary homework. If that is the case, could it be that this final visit/interview for each next week may be the determining factor in the end?

It’s a huge decision for Quinn and Peters. Just last year, the Panthers took Bryce Young, yet the guy selected next was C.J. Stroud, who had a much better rookie season.

With that in mind, the Commanders may want to conduct one more face-to-face interaction to observe how the young men refer to surprising questions or statements.

Ron Rivera chose Chase Young at No. 2 when quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert were not chosen until the fifth and sixth selections. Rivera never recovered and never obtained the quarterback he needed, either.

 

Are all signs pointing Jayden Daniels to the Commanders?

Some perspective on all of the Jayden Daniels’ rumors.

Jayden Daniels is comin’ to town.

Tuesday evening, Ben Standig of the Athletic reported that the Commanders are having Daniels come in for a visit on Monday, April 15.

Three big-name personalities have linked Daniels to the Commanders in the last seven days. Colin Cowherd said Monday he had been told the Commanders were going to draft Daniels.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly, when asked about Daniels last week, commented that Daniels will take good care of himself and that, “He’s going to get the ball out to playmakers and make plays for Washington.”

There was also ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter: “I know we are not supposed to spoil picks. We’ll see how the Commanders decide to move forward with the No. 2 overall selection. But a little over a few weeks out, I think the signs continue to point to Jayden Daniels being the second overall pick at number two.”

In addition, is now the report from Standig that Daniels is coming to Ashburn, so Daniels must be the pick, correct?

Not necessarily.

First, Daniels quarterbacked the last two seasons at LSU. Kelly is simply pumping up his guy to be selected high because, in doing so, Kelly is lauding his football program. What is Kelly supposed to say, “Personally, I think Daniels could be the fourth quarterback drafted?”

Schefter told his listeners he was not supposed to spoil the picks, and then what did he do? He told his audience all signs point to Daniels being the pick.

Further, what did Schefter mean, “The signs continue to point to Daniels …?” What signs? What Adam Peters has been saying? No.

What Dan Quinn has expressed? Not at all.

What owner Josh Harris has publicly said about how they feel about Daniels? Certainly not.

Commanders fans need to remember that John Keim, Ben Standig, JP Finlay, Nicki Jhabvala, and Sam Fortier claim the Commanders have provided no evidence toward any particular quarterback.

But Adam Schefter knows?

Schefter wants his audience to “think” he knows, but what did Schefter actually say?

What about Daniels visiting next week?

Well, don’t you think Adam Peters is also going to bring in Drake Maye for a visit? Might he also bring in J.J. McCarthy?

Commanders fans, it’s true; no one in the media “knows” whom the Commanders are going to draft at No. 2 overall.

 

Commanders’ brass to attend two QB pro days this week

Another big week for the Commanders and their search for a quarterback.

It’s a busy week for the Commanders’ Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.

Monday and Tuesday were the NFL Owners’ meetings in Orlando. Wednesday will be the pro day of potential Commanders selection LSU’s Jayden Daniels. If that is not enough, then the North Carolina pro day is scheduled for Thursday.

Last week the Commanders had some attend the USC Caleb Williams’ pro day workout, followed by the Michigan (J.J. McCarthy) pro day as well.

A major question leading up to the Jayden Daniels workout on Wednesday will be just how much he weighs after all. At the Scouting Combine, Daniels was the only quarterback to not weigh in.

The LSU roster for the 2023 football season had listed his weight at 210 pounds. However, Daniels chose to not weigh in at the Combine. The other top quarterbacks weighed in accordingly: Caleb Williams (214), Drake Maye (223), J.J. McCarthy (219), Michael Penix (216), and Bo Nix (214).

Consequently, flags were raised as interested teams naturally began to wonder, just how much did LSU exaggerate Daniels’ weight on the season’s roster? For had Daniels actually weighed 210 at the Combine, there would have been no big deal with all the other top quarterbacks weighing in at 214 to 223.

Drake Maye will be the object of the Commanders’ attention later in the week. Maye is less experienced than the other top prospects, which is one reason many have speculated he may have a higher ceiling than currently realized.

Meanwhile, Tuesday in Orlando, Commanders General Manager Adam Peters addressed the Commanders quarterback spot briefly, expressing, “We have 2 QBs on the roster right now with Jake (Fromm) and Marcus (Mariota) and we want to go to camp with 4, so we’re going to add 2 one way or the other.”

Report: Commanders and Patriots are ‘apprehensive to trade down’

A new report suggests the Commanders and Patriots are reluctant to move down.

The NFL owners meetings are taking place this week.

There is discussion and voting regarding rule changes, and the media, of course, is finding ways to still talk about the draft ad nauseam until the day it arrives, Thursday, April 25.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter Monday recalled, “At the meeting last year, lots of talk on Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson. This year, it will be the teams trying to come up to Washington’s spot at 2 and New England’s spot at 3 in the draft. Though, both teams are apprehensive to give up those picks.”

The thinking behind such a comment is that both the Commanders and the Patriots are in such dire need of a starting quarterback that they will be more inclined to not want to move back in the draft, choosing to stay put at No. 2 and 3 and therefore selecting their new respective quarterbacks.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy had his pro day last week and impressed, making a good enough showing that he is being projected even higher up the draft board by increasing numbers of analysts.

He is a good enough athlete that he has entered the second tier of Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and now McCarthy. McCarthy had initially been graded much lower due to the fact that the Michigan offense was a run-dominated offense.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn recently referred to Daniels simply as a “game changer.” The signing of Marcus Mariota, also led to many instantly responding it meant the team was going to draft Daniels. But this conveniently ignores the Commanders actually first pursued Sam Darnold prior to Mariota.

All three of the second-tier quarterbacks have much growing to do in their NFL careers. Yet, they have displayed enough talent and mobility that they are considered to be high first-round selections.

If you are the Patriots or Commanders, you don’t want to get too cute here and trade down too far, not obtaining a quality quarterback in the draft.

Thus, the teams might indeed be increasingly apprehensive to trade down, just as Schefter expressed on Monday.

We still have another month of this…