00:00:00
Speaker 1: On today's episode of the Drive to the Draft podcast. Man, Jason, it's happened. We've done the draft. We've got new commanders here. We're going to talk through every single one of them, how they fit, why we like them, why we think the team liked them. Logan.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: We're going to give them some grades. And I want to tell you right now, I want to give you an A plus. Yeah.
00:00:19
Speaker 1: Oh my god, guys, go to hear that. It all starts right now.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Welcome to the Drive to the Draft Podcast. I am Jason Johnson here with Logan Paulson NFL that ten years Logan undrafted and it's that time. Man, what was happening in your football career this time coming out of college?
00:00:45
Speaker 1: What was happening in my football career? So I was I think I was in class at UCLA actually when the draft was going on for some reason, and my agent was like, Hey, you're not going to get drafted, just heads up. And I was like, thanks, that's what happens when you run a really bad forty and don't jump very high. And so I was like okay, and so obviously draft ends, and I got a call from Dallas, got a call from the Redskins at the time, and I kind of had to make a quick decision, and I and the other one was San Diego, and I'm from California and my wife was living in Irvine at the time, and I was like, oh my gosh, just be perfect. Maybe I'll go to San Diego and play there. But my agent, he's a beast. He basically went and made like a list of the depth charts for all the teams, and the best, best depth chart by far at the time was the Washington Redskins. Like they had two guys from the previous year they usually kept four, and then they had bought in a bunch of like older free agents who were like kind of getting ready to retire, and then they drafted a fullback in the fifth round. So I was like, all right, well, I guess you know, if I'm just looking at the depth chart, I gotta go. I gotta go. You got a shot. And so my agent's a beast. Beast love my agent. Like everyone's like, oh I hate my agent. Did like my agent like I don't know. I obviously like I had to do a lot, you know, myself, studying, working, but like he was such a great support system for me.
00:02:03
Speaker 2: How quickly after the draft ended that mister irrelevant got drafted that you got.
00:02:08
Speaker 1: That call immediately, Like it's like, that's like this this undrafted free agent process happens so quickly. It happened really quickly for me. So multiple teams are calling, my agent's calling me. I'm relaying information that they're giving me. There he's relaying information that they're giving him. And eventually it's like and the thing that finally, you know, settled. It was like my tight end coach in college, John Embrey was a tight end coach here and pretty much called me and said, we're thinking about signing this kid from Alabama. And I hated that kid from Alabama. I don't even remember his name, but I thought like, that's trash, he's bad, and so I was like, I'm gonna I'll go with Washington. So it all ended up working out in the end. That's pretty funny.
00:02:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, was the other guy that you were saying was trash and bad a future Hall of Fame tight end from your draft class?
00:02:54
Speaker 1: No, he was not, unfortunately.
00:02:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, what about Rob Gronkowski? Dude, you have told me this before. Were you like, I don't like that guy?
00:03:03
Speaker 1: I don't like that guy's not that good. Well, in college he was just okay, Like the people knew he was good, right, No, no, no, but it's any It is a funny story. But people knew he was good, but it was like people didn't know he was going to be this good, right and so but I remember watching him like his first game in the NFL, Like I was on the sideline obviously watching him play. We were playing New England, and I was like, that guy's a monster. Like what was I thinking? Yeah, just a little tight end rival. Yeah, I get it.
00:03:33
Speaker 2: That's the competitiveness dud that that players have.
00:03:35
Speaker 1: Man, And I will say, I'm I was looking back on it, I was I was competitive with everybody, Like we'd be in the weight room at UCLA and I was like racing to see who could put the weights off the bar quicker put them on. It was I was pretty psychotic back in the day.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: Well, there's some residual of that logan because when we ever this is a real thing that happens in production meetings. So let's say on Command Center or even better on Command Center cast where intern Amanda we're trying to coach up and teach her how to produce, and she does our third segments and she goes, I want to do trivia for the draft one. I went great. My advice is to take these questions and test them on other people before you enter that, before you enter the chat and and the podcast with this, because you've got three very competitive men that are going to get all over these if you say they got something.
00:04:32
Speaker 1: Wrong, and we've never done that.
00:04:33
Speaker 2: And she goes, okay, okay, okay, and we go in there and what is the thing that you guys immediately do immediately tear apart those questions. That's not what you said. I don't you didn't mean, that's not what they and got all over. You can go back and listen to this podcast a couple of weeks ago. So funny getting all over Amanda and I pulled Amanda aside. I was like, what did we learn? And Amanda's great, and she's like, well, I did test them with Caroline.
00:04:58
Speaker 1: And I was like, okay, so.
00:05:01
Speaker 2: We have to we have to establish do you need to go find somebody uber competitive that's gonna pick it apart? Where Caroline, while she's a D one champion three sorry D three champion, she's very competitive. She's not competitive in trivia, no, and she's not Logan. You are competitive in everything. I try to like play Santana and Fred.
00:05:24
Speaker 1: I try to play it off, you know, like, oh, I don't really care, but I care.
00:05:27
Speaker 2: One of the best decisions I ever made was turning the live reads in that podcast into a competition.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: You made, guys, decision. That was my decision. I said. I thought we were kind of doing at pseudo before that, even.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: You were, and then I was like, let's buy a trophy. Let's like make it an actual thing. Let's get fan votes. Because I saw the competitiveness and I was like, just gonna. But that's what I mean, Like, I'm not like, that's not magic on my end. That's like just seeing you guys are put a trophy on it and you guys are off and running.
00:05:56
Speaker 1: It is crazy because it doesn't mean anything, but like every week like they like.
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Speaker 2: And yet for Fred it means everything.
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Speaker 1: And Tanna too, and Tanna's like pretty low key about it, but like he he comes with it every week.
00:06:08
Speaker 2: The fact that Santana puts on the goat necklace means it's a big deal because he doesn't put things on.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Just because he's got like a he's he's always the fashion forward kind of guy.
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Speaker 2: And he's got a look.
00:06:22
Speaker 1: Right.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: He says, this is who I am and I ain't gonna change for nobody. And that means like, if you give me a hat, I don't like. Yeah, I love hats, I don't like that one. So him putting on the goat chain, which is ridiculous, right, but the knowledge it means I'm bought into this thing. Anyway, we have digressed way too far. Let's talk about the draft. This is our last episode of the year, logan, So let's break down the draft completely.
00:06:52
Speaker 1: We're gonna go through.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: We're gonna even hit some udfa's at the end very quickly. But let's just quickly go through. We've already talked about Sunny Style in a complete episode in Antonio Williams in a complete episode. You can check those out, yep, but very quickly, let's just briefly touch on them. And all I want you to do is basically give me a draft grade, like they're fit here basically for Washington. So for sunny Styles draft grade, what's his fit in Washington?
00:07:19
Speaker 1: Dude? So I don't know if he could have a better fit here, So I'm gonna give it like an A or A plus or whatever. Like, I just think he can do the thing that I The only risk here that I see is that you can do so much with him and he doesn't get comfortable at anything. Right, you got to kind of give him a home. I think, let him find his role and then then explore what he can be for the defense. Because I was talking on You've mentioned Findley today and one of the things that I in the middle of the conversation, like b was like, oh is he How's he like Michael Parsons? And I was like, he's like Michael Parsons in there in the flexibility he brings and then he's a freak athlete. But really, Michael Parsons was linebacker down a defensive line and we've seen that a lot. That happens all the time. He gives you, Sonny stals gives you flexibility from the linebacker level back, which is very unique. And so like I think when you look at Derontae Jones and some of the stuff they do from a coverage standpoint, I really believe you could have three linebackers on the field. You know, Frank E. Schanal Sonny and he could be like a pseudo Nickel for you, Like, I think he's that kind of athlete. I think he's that comfortable in space and so like it kind of plays like Nick Ammon Warrior almost like we can play bass defense. The Washington Commanders now to more stuff because of him. I think he can play a outside three four linebacker, Like he's got a lot of flexibility in this defense. And it's so fun because he's literally one of one from a size hyweight speed standpoint, and it's gonna be really fun to watch the museumer.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: And what you're saying is that you don't think because of how dan Quinn knows how to implement this stuff. And I'm gonna use Michael Parsons as an example. We all talk about Michael Parsons. Dan Quinn didn't unlock quote unquote Michael Parsons right away, as in he wasn't doing Michael Partson things as we know it now.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: Day one.
00:09:02
Speaker 2: It was like, as you said, we're slowly bringing you in and as we put more and more on your plate, you're becoming this monster, right And you're saying, that's what you think they should do with sunny styles like and DQ has done that before with players. Here's your superpower. Let's give you a nice simple We're making a cheese pizza.
00:09:22
Speaker 1: Yes, and by.
00:09:25
Speaker 2: I don't know whatever their timeline is. By game X, you're gonna be a supreme.
00:09:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're gonna have like pepperoni and sausage, maybe some veggies on there. Right, get that thing really cook get it spicy, get that thing cooked up. And I think it just depends on where he comes. Like I said, people forget this, Like Michael Parsons his first year started as a strictly off ball player, Yes, and then they blitzed. They started blitzing him more on vers second nine and kind of had him as a coverage player, started using them on third down. It was like, oh dang, Like actually, like this is really what he's good at. Exists this element of his game and then obviously he's blossomed into a tremendous player. I think you can do that with styles, which it should be a lot of. And I think it's also important to remember that linebacker touriusly hard to transition from from college to the NFL. I think Sonny Style is in a unique spot because he came from an NFL caliber defense at Ohio State.
00:10:12
Speaker 2: So all right, let's move on to Antonio Williams, the wide receiver that they took at seventy one. Yeah, overall pick Okay, we talked about him in depth of full episode when it in the last episode. So just like Sunny styles, give me a little grade here, and what I mean is by fit a grade of fit, not necessarily like what is as great as a wide receiver prospect, but what is as great as a fit here in Washington.
00:10:34
Speaker 1: So initially I would have said not like it was. It didn't kind of coincide with my thought. But like when you look at the player and what David Blow was accustomed to, kind of with Kevin O'Connell, with Ben Johnson, I actually think this is like a B plus a minus type of fit. And what I mean by that is like you really need a guy to move the chains on third down, kind of like your zach Ertz analogous here, a guy that can win in man coverage when versus his own a choice route. And the more I watch Antonio Williams went back and reviewed my notes to the combine like talk to people about his senior about his pro day like he we've talked about on the show here, Like the route running nuance is something that no one else in the room has. Like Terry mclaurin's a beast. He can't run routes from the slot the way that Antonio Williams can. Right, Treylon Burks is a beast in terms of physical big body guy can't run routes like this. Diami No, you know even you know Luke McCaffrey and Jalen Lane No, Like he is one of one here. So I think adding his superpower is route running correct So bringing that in here and with a guy and David Blau who's seen that work with am and ros Saint Brown, who's seen that work with Justin Jefferson. I'm not saying they are he is those players, but the route running technician is taking over the NFL. And the more you look at successful wide receivers, they have that technical element to their game. They're not big, high weight speed guys anymore, right, They're these technical guys. So I actually think this, if they deploy him correctly, he could be really impactful in a very positive way on Jade and Daniel's growth and this offensive efficiency.
00:12:05
Speaker 2: All right, So let's actually get in depth here for guys we haven't talked about. So we're moving down. The next pick was in round five. Waited a little bit. Yeah, those pick one forty seven and it was Josua Joseph's, the edge linebacker from Tennessee. I watched him, but ed forgotten about him, to be quite honest, when I did.
00:12:24
Speaker 1: Do you watch them early? Is that what I watched him early? Isn't that funny when that happens him?
00:12:27
Speaker 2: And ed forgotten is the wrong word. But like I watched him, it was like okay, and like that was that was the end of it for me. But then when we drafted, I went back, I looked at my notes, rewatched him again. This is for fifth round. We got something here, Logan, talk to me about him.
00:12:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think this is one of the picks I'm most excited about because, like when you look at him, like the arm length is is thirty four and what is it? Three quarters? It's almost thirty five long arms, right, He's like scratching his knees standing up right, He's got a great first step off the ball. You feel his length in the run game. You feel his length as a pass rusher. I think he's very dexterous as a dropper. Like you know, most of these guys that have long arms are a little bit uncoordinated, a little bit ungainly when they drop. He does a great job with his drops, kind of relating to players, is good in space, is physical, and pursue to the football. I think the one thing about him is the high side rusher, you know, kind of a taxi outside shoulder of the tackle and does not have great power. I think he can develop great power because his arm length is so good, Like develop that long arm, two hands in good bull get too extension, that type of thing. But like if a tackle is able to cover him up, he has a hard time. Now he's able to get away with it in college because his first step so good, he's so long. But I think he has the potential. Like in potential is a dangerous word when it comes to NFL prospects because it can get you fired. But I think taking a shot on a guy in the fifth round with his physical tools his upside. How hard he plays, Like, I think he could carve out a role year one in this defense and be really impactful. So I think he's a I think I think in terms of fit, like for the defense, it's like an A right, like a plus maybe even more efficient than maybe Sonny styles because like when you look at like vang Ginkle, everyone says, oh kayle Mont chas On or Leo Chanal is Van Ginkle. This is Van Ginkle. Right, He's long armed, long limbed, can drop, can rush, and all of a sudden, that pass rushing nuance which people are worried about, doesn't matter because we're gonna what are we gonna do. We're gonna, you know, go all out blister. You're gonna good mashups, rush, the highest side pursuit of the quarterback, be violent against the run. I think I think there's something here in terms of what it means for this defense with this player.
00:14:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's six to three and an eighth two hundred and forty two pounds and then the long arms right, thirty four and one fourth inch arms, which that's what that's what you're drafted here, I think is the athlete that you have here with the with the body type. In eleven games this year, he had thirty three tackles. But let me tell you something, Logan six of those were tackled for losses, four sacks, three PBUs which I think you're talking about to the dropping you getting those long arms up, three forced fumbles, like the guy has. He has a I don't want to say playmaker because he's not taking over games when you watch him, but he's got that juice in him where he is going to make a play or two on the defense.
00:15:15
Speaker 1: Were you yeah? And I think he has like I don't remember the exact number, but it's like a thirty three or thirty four percent pressure rate, which is very, very high. He doesn't turn all those into sacks because I don't think he corners super well at the top like has been to turn to finish isn't good. But he's a disruptive player. And I think there was a conversation early on in the process where who's maybe going to be a like for sure a second round pick, you know, but obviously you know it wasn't as productive. Things change. But I think is a is a great find here in the fifth round. I think he fits the defense really well. I think he I would imagine, you know, like there's certain players I don't know if I told you this, there's certain players that you identify and you say like, that's a dan Quinn guy. Like last year, I was able to be like, oh, Kane Madrona was that guy, right, hyper athletic, good in space, can play multiple spots and this sky very early on, Joshua Joseph identified as like someone that dan Quid would love to work with because of the length, because the burst, and here he is in Washington, so I'm very confident they have a vision for him.
00:16:09
Speaker 2: A funny little stat about him is that his first career sack that he had in college was against It's just a fun little little thing. I'm sure when they meet each other in the building that might be something that comes up. Okay, then we move on to round six, Pick one eighty seven. Running back was something that a lot of people talked about with this team. So here's where one gets drafted. It's k Tron Allen, the running back from Penn State.
00:16:35
Speaker 1: Logan.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: I mentioned this to you when he got drafted. I go, see Rod left, you're missing that type of runner, that type of guy here.
00:16:42
Speaker 1: This is it.
00:16:43
Speaker 2: This is basically I don't want to say a Sea Rod replacement. That's not fair to the Chris Rodriguez, but it's that role that has been vacated that wasn't filled by Jerome Ford or Rashad White is now possibly going to be filled by k Tron Allen. I mean, we'll see how it plays out, obviously, but it looks like that's what they went for, that type of role at running back. Kate tron Allen fits that bill.
00:17:07
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think you're one hundred percent on the nose there. And I think like when you look at him, like like everyone's like, what, like what is he good at? Because when you look at him, he's five to eleven, he's two. He probably is playing closer to twenty. I think he weighed in at two seventeen at the combine, but I think he's bigger. He plays I think heavier than that. He's he's pretty fit. Like it's not like a bad body at two twenty, but like big guy, good contact balance. He's not fast, he's not super explosive in terms of lower half power. But the thing is is he plays running back so well, Like he's just got a really good feel for like setting up blocks. I call it like running cracks, like when they're you can kind of the lines washing away on an outside zone or a tight zone. He just knows kind of how to glide that thing and then crash into that little two inches of air and get you four when it's blocked for two kind of deal. And so again, that was a big characteristic of Sea Rod. He was able to kind of maxim my muddy runs. I think there's a little bit more natural fluidity to him, right, a little bit more natural playmaker. But yeah, not going to be super fast, not going to be super explosive. I will say this about him, kind of a fun little anecdote. We went to the Senior Bowl this year, right, yep, and you know, Mike Washington's there, the running back from Kentucky's there, the running back from Oklahoma's there, Like all these guys that are really good players, right, really dynamic players. The guy that was the most explosive running back day in and day out was none of those guys. It was k Tron Allen, right. His ability to kind of feel those runs, find those creases, like, that's what he brings to this offense. And I think that that Jacob, that Chris Rodriguez style, you know, David Montgomery, you know, if you're thinking about a comp and the Lions offense, I think that's kind of what you're looking at here. And I think he's a got a little bit better feel than like Rashad White or Jerome Ford as a kind of a guy who can run those cracks in an offense.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's the Penn State all time rushing yards leader. That means something, right, and he's got size and balance.
00:19:09
Speaker 1: That's what I.
00:19:10
Speaker 2: Wrote down here back when I originally watched him and patient with good vision, like that's a superpower he's gonna be And to me, Chris Rodriguez right, like he's gonna run hard, little patient hit the whole right, He's got the size, speed, may not be there right hands. We're not super sure a Penn State pulled him off the field one third down a lot. Some of that may be because of pass pro, but you mentioned me and you even showed me clips of him at the Senior Bowl looking back doing pass pro look pretty good. Yep, So Ken do it. Maybe just wasn't asked to do it at Penn State. Yeah, he's just not going to be that home run hitter, I don't think. But he's going to be you block for five yards, here's six, you block for two yards, I'm gonna grind it out. I'm gonna get you four, right, He's keep you one schedule back.
00:19:58
Speaker 1: I think that's exactly right. And I think people sleep on the value of a player like that, you know, like because again that is something when you watch Penn State's offense, for example, like they obviously valued it. Like when I coach high school football, know it's very different, Like I value the runner that can do that. I know Kyle Shanahan used to value that tremendously. I think that's one of the reasons they draft keon black out Indiana because he can keep you on schedule with tough money runs. I think Alan does that here. And again he's got to earn this role. Like we're kind of projecting what he can be. But first and second down, I think is where he's gonna make his money. Kind of him and build together in that. And I think they complimentary compliment each other really really nicely. Yeah.
00:20:37
Speaker 2: Last thing about him is you, guys, by the nickname fat Man. I'm sure you've heard that by that, Yeah.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: But everyone thought it was because he was fat, But his mom used to call him that as like a baby.
00:20:45
Speaker 2: His mom caught him that as a baby because she thought he was chunky, but he very quickly developed into the physique of a running back. Yeah, that's what at least this article says. It's a lot like Penn State has these guys that have these nicknames where they're athletic freaks, but apparently as kids they were chunk. Oh chop Robinson. Why is he called chop? Well, they called him pork chop because he was a sixteen pound baby. That's crazy and he was huge, so they're like, that's a pork chop. And then he turned into an athletic.
00:21:17
Speaker 1: Freak specially Yeah who.
00:21:19
Speaker 2: Could get like had the best what was it ten yards split for a a.
00:21:23
Speaker 1: Guy over two fifty ever maybe in the combat.
00:21:25
Speaker 2: So I wonder if Penn State's recruiting strategy was just fine people with crazy nicknames that references when they were fat.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: Once upon his heart. Yeah, but I'm excited about him, like I think he'll be he'll be a lot of fun here, especially with David Blouse, like outside zone gap scheme stuff, Like he's run all those runs like some of these college backs they run kind of in the gun they're in, you know, it's just not a natural projection from what they were doing in college to what they'll be here, and I guess Penn State there's a lot of that. And again for a guy who's not super fast, did a great job with the outside zone, did a great job the gap scheme stuff and has And it's it's the feel that he's got as a runner, that is, that's the thing you're not. It's not gonna I think he's gonna look a little bit disappointing in shirts and uh shirts and shorts, you know, kind of in the OTAs. But when we get the pads on, I think that's really when you're gonna feel him as a runner.
00:22:17
Speaker 2: Okay, so Logan, I watched three hundred guys this year, which is crazy. I should have watched three O two because I didn't watch either of these next two picks, which just goes to show how in depth teams get when they're looking at guys, even though I probably should have. I probably should have watched these. Did you watch our round six pick two oh nine, number two and nine overall? Matthew Glubling, goobleing, Gooblin, Gooblin. I think it's the center for Michigan State.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: Did you so? I didn't watch him first? I've watched him now obviously, but I didn't watch him initially, like he just like because you know, we get where we are kind of bootlegging what teams do. Like we get lists of players, like, yep, here's a top ten center list, right, here's the top fifteen receiver lift and so those guys go on our list, and we're kind of all the time listening to podcasts hunting for names, and during the entire predt process, Googling's name never came up.
00:23:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's not a good player, logan, because this is what why teams have area scouts, correct, right, is because you have an area scout who has seen every center in the Lake area, yeah or whatever, and it's like, oh, yeah, Michigan State guy have been on them for three years. Yeah, and then he'll come up to you in a meeting that they have here wherever that Adam Peters is in I'm assuming this is how it happens, and then the area scout goes, Yo, check out this guy.
00:23:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's really there and that.
00:23:40
Speaker 2: Doesn't leak out anywhere. That's just in the building.
00:23:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just their job to kind of be like, hey, these are some people I think are draftable and then yeah, you know, the process is interesting because the coordinators come and they say, this is what we're looking forward to each spot. Right. Then the scouts go back and they kind of review their notes and they bring that back to their regionals. So the area scout goes to the regional scout. The regional scout to digest that, they go to the director of college Scouting, who then goes to Adam Peters, right, And so it is that's what the that is the value of an area scout is that they, like you said, have been on this guy for four years probably right, Yeah, and the guy that was watching him at Purdue and then watch him transfer for Michigan at Michigan's s eate they probably talk to each other, right, Like that's that's the lifeblood of a good team, is this area of scouts. So let's talk about him a little bit. I actually when I started watching them, he's a little uner side. It was he's sixty three three to zho five something like that, three oh three. Not a big man, but just is Jason is wicked smart at center. Okay, Like you see him down you see him down there on the ball with his hand on the ball, and he's calling the protections right, He's identifying the mic point. He's kind of offloading that responsibility from the quarterback. One of the reasons that they chose to go to allegh Ready over Tyler Biattish was they felt like he could handle the the kind of mental load of the position more. It feels like this guy can Like he's got a really good feel for angles. Like so, for example, there's a clip versus I think Michigan they've got a five technique, so a defensive end and a three technique guy on the outside shoulder of the guard. They run a stunt. He does a really good job taking a nice angle. He feels the sunt's able to overtake the three they're able to hit like a nice game out the front side. He's just got a good feel for line movement, defensive spacing, targeting things, understanding where the pressure is coming from. And it's hard to see as a center because he like they have n't get his hand on the ball first, so he's kind of doing it from like a squatted stance. And the other thing I'd say too, really good feel for like when it comes to like reaching shades, so like guys on his shoulder, understands where the hat needs to be, understands how to apply pressure good like in terms of grip to kind of keep it flat down line of scrimmage. I do think there are times where you see him kind of I don't know, like I don't want to say he's a he's not like a plus athlete. Like so sometimes when you watch a center like Jason Kelcey for example, like oh my gosh, this guy's like super twitchy, he can move around. He's he's not that kind of guy, but he's got good balance, he's got good feel for again where the hat needs to be, where the hands need to be, angles to the second level, good on screens. So I think there's a lot here at like he does feel more like a like a I'm going to compete for the center spot. I'm probably gonna be a practice squad guy and then we'll see where it goes from there.
00:26:09
Speaker 2: So recently we went and played golf couple of guys here at a Santana's charity event. And what I like to do is get out my driver at the tea box. Yeah, just swing as hard as I can. Let that sucker. Go, I have a slice, try and play it every now and then there's a little dog leg right perfect, perfect, Yeah, I'll hit it now. Another guy on our team, our boss, Ryan Yokum, because we played best ball, right Ryan Yokum, won't touch a driver. He's like, no, I can't control this thing. Gets out his uh little three iron, nice shot straight down the center every time? Ye every time? Now is it far?
00:26:49
Speaker 1: No?
00:26:49
Speaker 2: But does it land right in the middle of the fairway every time? He gives us something to play with every time. Yeah, that's what this is. I think that's a really good comp Yeah. I think that's a really good comp because that's exactly what he is.
00:26:59
Speaker 1: Like, he's just he's smart, he understands, he's technically sound. There are and even in passportal like you'll see guys kind of push pull him. He's got good balance. He can kind of recover and kind of stay engaged. He's competing. He got a little grind of people down, pushing them in the ground, like, you know, just keeping them on the ground the longer than need to. Like. I like that about him. A little nasty, a little nasty there you go, and uh, and I like him I like the prospect. Again, there are some physical limitations to him right like in terms of like arm length and just general size, but I think he overcomes that stuff with just a really good understanding of the position, understanding his own strength and weaknesses, and also understanding like the the mental side of the position.
00:27:43
Speaker 2: One of the things that we know that they love drafting around here is when they have a seal in their chest. My man was a captain, so you know that's that's always going to play when you start the last couple of drafts that DQ and AP have had together, when you start getting later into the draft, almost all these guys have a sea. They just love that about them. It's obviously something where they like, they love football, they like being like you said, they're probably smart on football, they're in the book. They just let they just love it. That's where the team captain is. They're going to be a leader, and that's what they want here. That's that commander Mark, not just captain, but a commander Mark.
00:28:18
Speaker 1: All right.
00:28:19
Speaker 2: So our next uh selection and our last of the draft was round seven, Round seven, number two, twenty three, And I'm gonna learn it really quick. But I haven't learned it yet, go for it. I'm gonna say Ethan doesn't. I don't know if he gets called Ethan, but there's eight against Ethan. Yeah, sure is Game of Thrones. Like name here with the spelling of it, Ethan, you got it. Cala Cali cac manis, Cala kac manis. I think that's actually I think Cala kacmanis. Just let me sit with it for a second.
00:28:57
Speaker 1: Ye, Calia kac manus is, I think is how you say.
00:28:59
Speaker 2: Cala kac mana. Sorry to QB out of Rutgers now Logan via via Minnesota Minnesota. Yep, now I'm going I'm gonna pose this question.
00:29:08
Speaker 1: Go for it.
00:29:09
Speaker 2: May sound ridiculous. We have Jane and Daniels, we have Marcus Mario. Why are we drafting a quarterback in the seventh round?
00:29:16
Speaker 1: Yeah? I think so. A couple of things We talked about this in our quarterback show, which nobody listened to. Totally reasonable because who cares about quarterbacks if you're Washington com management. But I will say this about you always want to have somebody that's kind of developing in the building. And I think don't look any farther than like Philadelphia, for example, they you know, Carson Wentz, they draft Jalen Hurts, Carson Wentz, they have Jayden Hurts, they have Tanner McKee. Right, they just drafted a guy, yeah, Cole Peyton from They always have someone on deck because that becomes a valuable trade piece at some point. Look no farther than Malik Willis with Green Bay, Right, if you have a quarterback, it's the same thing like your philosophy with offensive lineman. Sometimes just draft offensive lineman, developed them, and then you can trade them because they become very, very valuable because no one else develops all linman. It's the same thing with quarterbacks. Right. So I'm not saying Aiden is that the same Aiden, Ethan, Ethan, Let's go Ethan Taller, MacManus, whatever his name was about Akak, I like that, clap it up for Jason everybody. So Ak, I'm not saying Ak is this like high ceiling guy. But when you look at the quarterbacks that we did a lot of issues with, like offensive design, anticipating throws, tight window throws, throwing people open. And then when you put on Ak's film, one of the things that comes to the forefront is like I'm working NFL progressions. I'm working tight window throws. I'm throwing people open, right, I'm throwing with anticipation, I'm throwing on time. And I was like, all right, I respect that. Now people are like, well, Logan, why isn't he going higher? If he's doing all these things. I think he's got a I think he's got good footwork, polish footwork. I think he's got a decent arm. But there is this inconsistency to him. Like so, for example, I'm watching I think it was doesn't matter Illinois. I was watching Illinois. He throws this beautiful hitch on time, anticipation. The guy's don't even have of his break yet, ball is right there. Boom catches it. Awesome, a little bit of zip on the football. Next play, the guy runs a go. Receiver on the right side runs a go kills. The dB puts the ball up and the receiver has to stop, jump up, catch the football right like. Underthrows that one. And then I find myself oftentimes watching his film being like was that ball tipped? Because it'll be two yards in the dirt or three yards behind. And so he has these great moments of awesome accuracy, awesome consistency, balls on time kind of peppered with just odd odd consistency moments. So I think he has something. There's something there, and I think you bring him in as a three, let him compete with Sam Hardman and hopefully one of those guys kind of establishes and said, I deserve to be practice squad quarterback. I'm a good dude. If you've watched his press conference, you understand he's a good dude, and there's something there. From a talent.
00:32:07
Speaker 2: Perspective, let me be sunshining rainbows, go for it, Okay.
00:32:11
Speaker 1: So I'm going to give you some status. He's a little bit outside of your norm though.
00:32:15
Speaker 2: I'm going to give you a little bit. I'm gonna give you some stats. Six two two, sixteen okay, whatever, yep. Average Okay in twenty and twenty five this past year, sixty two percent completion percentage three one hundred and twenty four yards, eight point five average, twenty touchdowns, seven interceptions, one hundred and forty seven point seven rating very solid solid Okay, doesn't really run no Okay. So in twenty twenty four, he had ninety two carries for two hundred and fifty one rushing yards three touchdowns. This past season, he had ninety six carries. I'm going to say this stat and you're not going to believe me. Okay, ninety six carries for no negative twenty six rushing yards, four touchdowns. Okay, now what does that mean. I haven't seen enough. I've watched one game, and I watched every throw versus Ohio State this past year. That's all I've seen of him, So I have no idea. But what I will say is against Ohio State SAand through a sieve in that offensive line, Yeah, running for his life, as you could imagine against Ohio State, so he is running around trying to make things happen. A lot of sacks. Those are considered carries once you break the pocket negative yardage. Okay, If he has that over a season, ninety six carries for negative twenty six, I think this guy was running for his life. I don't know that that's true. I'd have to go back and rewatch it. But maybe what I'm saying is pretty good passing stats for being in constant duress.
00:33:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, so versus Illinois, and I think I did watch the Ohio State game, but basically he will stand in there hell or high water. He is standing in there to throw football, and kudos to him, right, And that's why some of these balls look weird coming out because people are stepping on him. They're bumping into him, like he's trying to be on time. He's trying to anticipate the rows and he does like you know those like those throws that like Matthew Stafford makes where like someone's in his lap and he kind of side arms it and it's going to a spot. He's got some of that in the arm's not there. It's not the same arm as Matthew Stafford, who's a generational arm, but some of that kind of from the pocket moxy. Yeah, that from the pocket playmaking and the physical courage to stick in there. So I came away being like, if we had done the quarterback ranking list again, I probably would have had him much higher than the last probably three or four guys kind of in that like Smier type range. YEP, So I think there's something here. Again, I don't know if he's ever going to be a starter. I don't know if he ever makes the fifty three. I don't know that, but I think if you're looking for someone to take a flyer on in the seventh round to compete for the third quarterback spot that could develop into a long term backup. This seems like a pretty good flyer.
00:34:56
Speaker 2: He's got that dog get him. I'm gonna say, he's got it. So he's going to be competitive. He's going to try and make plays, but he's not going to do it outside of what's being asked of him to do, if that makes sense.
00:35:07
Speaker 1: He's very traditional. He's very traditional.
00:35:10
Speaker 2: He's going to read progressions, he's going to throw to spots. All these are things that are good when it comes to quarterback mentality that you want. So then my next question is even if he does compete and ends up being something, he's not going to replace Jane and Daniels. So then the question is why are we drafting a quarterback? And what I what I want you to explain to me is explain to me the importance of good depth at a quarterback room, even when you have a superstar, elite quarterback in it like Jane and Daniels.
00:35:41
Speaker 1: So look at look no further than last year, right, Like we've got Josh Johnson in the building, right, a guy that we had to bring in. You know it was Jane Daniels Marcus Mario to Josh Johnson, right? And how many games did Josh Johnson played for US last year? A lot? Right? And so if that guy is your in house three practice squad guy that you feel like could elevate to be a arder, that's huge because they know your offense. You're not handcuffed by the limitations of Josh Johnson coming it off the street or whatever. Right, it's this, It's just an opportunity to be like, hey, you've been here, we trust you, we know your strengths and weaknesses. We can call a game a little bit easier, right. I think that's what you're looking for here, because hopefully this guy develops into something more maybe at two at some point, but having that three that is competitive. Think about like everyone's like, why isn't Sam Hartman playing late in the year. They're telling you how they feel about Sam Harmon when they make those decisions, right, because they don't think he can do it. I want a guy in the building that they think at some point can do it. I think that's ultimately what this is. It's like we're trying to find a guy in a later round that we can develop into something that maybe at some point we can trade, maybe at some point can win us a few games if we have to at a pinch. He can't do that right now, but maybe in a year or two. That's what we're looking at. And that's just the landscape of quarterback at the moment. Is you want a developmental guy in the roster. I think he fits that. Bill.
00:36:57
Speaker 2: I also here tell me if I'm right or wrong.
00:36:59
Speaker 1: Here.
00:37:00
Speaker 2: I also hear that he's a good vibes guy. If you watch his interview, interview guy, competitive dog, but also fun right, wants to be around once to have football, keep people loose. This is important. That's important, right, It's with basketball. There's a term that goes around. It's like he's just a chemistry guy. Yeah, why is he won this team? It's because he's at the end of the bench. This is a lot in college basketball, on the end of the bench. He maybe comes in in the blow out, lost with two minutes left, but what is he always doing every three He's got some sort of bow and arrow thing. He's gonna not be stirring the pot he's got. He's dancing chemistry guy. And I'm not saying that you're drafting somebody in the seventh round to just be a chemistry guy.
00:37:44
Speaker 1: Because we just talked everything you just just talked about he has some upside ability.
00:37:47
Speaker 2: But in addition, he's going to be on this team where he's going to be in that quarterback room as a chemistry guy. And as you mentioned, throwing the spots, staying in there, sticking with it, got that dog reading for aggressions. He's going to bring that into the quarterback room in the sense of they must feel because they've talked to him several times. Yeah, if we give him a playbook, he's going to study it, he's going to know it, and he's going to be an asset for Jade and Daniels in all the information Jane Daniels needs to digest in a week. Yeah, he can be there to help him.
00:38:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I also think that, like Jane Daniels is special, he's magic, he he's creative, he's all this thing. But like, you know, could he be a poor man's version of Jared Golf, which David Blou knows really well and and has seen people win with. Right, Like That's what we're talking about here, is like can you get to that level, and I think you Ken, I mean, that's probably an optimistic take, but like that's what he's doing at Rutgers, right, and I think he has like he can throw an anticipation, keep some of that confidence. I think there's a shot here for him, depending on you know, you know, how how he is in the room and all the development. Yes, but that's why you drafted seven.
00:38:56
Speaker 2: It's the vibes that you can bring it immediately, it's being competitive, it's the things that he's he can do mentally at the quarterback position. And then Marcus Mariot isn't going to be here forever and you want to develop somebody, so get a quarterback competition. Dan Quinn has said several several times this is not a secret. I want everybody feeling like they have to compete, correct everybody, because it rising tides raises all boats. Correct, So quarterback competition, even at the third QB that's important to them.
00:39:26
Speaker 1: It's important, and I think it's also I think it's underrated. If you can get somebody at the third quarterback spot with some ceiling like that's really valuable. And I think that's kind of what we're looking at here. He's not gonna take Jane Daniels job. He's not gonna take Marcus Maro's job. But can he can he win that third practice squad spot? Maybe can he learn from Jane Daniels and marks for a couple of years and could he maybe be a backup? Yeah, Marcus isn't gonna be here forever. That's kind you' that's kind of what your eyeball on for him.
00:39:52
Speaker 2: Okay, So let's very quickly talk about udfa's. I want to talk about only two right now that are quote unquote official because it's one NFL.
00:40:00
Speaker 1: You'll explain that real quick. So like basically, like there's a I think there's eight guys that are listed as UDFA signings for the team. Yeah, but right now, only two of them are confirmed through.
00:40:08
Speaker 2: The firm, through the NFL. And the reason I'm saying that is there are a bunch of lists that are going around and most of those come off of like, well, they're agent tweeted out correct that they're going to be here. That's not we're a part of the team. We can't we don't know. We don't know, but if the NFL dot Com says it or commanders say it, we can go with that. So we're going to go with two udfas that the NFL dot com is reporting is going to be here. We'll just quickly talk about him. The first one is Robert Henry Junior, the running back from Texas.
00:40:39
Speaker 1: San Diego, Sie Antonio.
00:40:41
Speaker 2: Sorry, yes, San Antonio, not San Diego, that would be weird. That would be California, Texas San Antonio. He's five nine and a half five nine in a quarter, one hundred and ninety six pounds, ran a four five two forty thirty seven vert ten to four broad one hundred and fifty one carries one thousand, forty five five yards nine touchdowns. He was third in FBS at four point nine yards per carry.
00:41:05
Speaker 1: Do you have a ten yeard s foot for him? By the way, I can look it up, So basically when you look at him, it I get a lot of Bill Crosskey merrit from him. Bill's a bigger guy, He's got a little bit more of play strength, He's got a little bit more natural feel. But like talk about a guy that's got a little like little wiggle to him, and it's not a wiggle, it's just like that jitterbug kind of like I'm attacking lone of scrimmage. I can put my foot in the ground violently and escape with good acceleration. I don't have the top end burst necessary, like you see him get run down, but he's got a little bit of home run hitter to him, kind of like Bill, right, Bill's got that really good acceleration through the hole. He's got that kind of really dynamic lower body strength where I can put my foot in the ground and cut move and there's an explosive element to him. I think he catches the ball well too. I mean the level of competition is crazy, like because it's not very good, but you see something to work with there from an explosive movements point, and I think it's a guy that you want to keep an eye on and say, like if you have a good camp, like could you end up squeaking on the roster as a fifty third guy, return some punts, return some kickoffs. Maybe something like that is what you're looking at. But there is something there from a explosiveness standpoint. It's just like where, like how big of a jump is it for you coming from UTSA.
00:42:21
Speaker 2: One six two ten yards split?
00:42:22
Speaker 1: Which is pretty good, but again, get put that in context, Bill Krossky Merrits is a one five oh, which is one of the best ever.
00:42:28
Speaker 2: So right, okay, Then the corner, which the secondary wasn't addressed in this draft. That doesn't mean it won't get addressed. Is going to be another wave of free agencies plus udfa's. But immediately they went out and got some corners, and that was Fred Davis, the second out of Northwestern previously Jacksonville.
00:42:50
Speaker 1: State, jackson State.
00:42:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, they have to look that up. Yeah.
00:42:53
Speaker 1: All these guys bounce around quick.
00:42:55
Speaker 2: Yeah. And he's six foot one, ninety pounds. He ran a four six two forty thirty eight ten to three broad thirty two and a half inch arms with a seventy eight inch wing span. Tell me a little bit about him.
00:43:07
Speaker 1: So obviously not a burner, and he's almost he's above minimum threshold for a corner, which is why he probably didn't get drafted. I would assume like that four six two not great. The thing I will say about him is, dude wants to play football. What I mean by that is receivers coming to block him. Most dvs kind of like hand on, let me run around this whatever this dude. The ballcarriers tackled, he is going to give you the business. Receivers, Beware when you come up near him, right, he's urgent to go make the tackle. Right, there's a ball carry, he's kind of spinning around. He's going to run and put his hat on you. Right. Like when I was watching him, I was like, man, maybe long term you move to safety. At Northwestern played predominantly zone. I think has a really good feel as a zone player. What I mean by that is he's got good vision, He's got a decent clicking clothes. I think the issues in his game show up when you get people attacking him down the field. A little bit clunky on his like transition from backpedal to running with a route, gets a little bit sticky on double moves right because he kind of breaks and then he doesn't have this great lower half strength to transition out. So again, there's a reason he wasn't drafted. There's a reason the other guy, the running back, wasn't drafted as well. But I think there is a competitor here, right. I think that's something that gets me excited. The competitive toughness, the grit, the kind of like want to for the corner. It gives me a lot of optimism that he could make it. It's like a teams guy. You know, he did some stuff in the Senior Bowl as like a gunner, a vice guy, and you see that kind of like that rabid dog mentality come up in the one on ones at the Senior Bowl. Very competitive, very hands, he very grabby, probably compensating for his speed a little bit. But that's what you're getting. You're just getting to me when you watch it tape. There are certain guys you like watching. And again he's not the best athlete, but I like watching kind of the like this is a dog on a leash and he's frothing at the mouth because he wants so badly to play corner and compete. And I think that's when you talk about what a commander is like, it's about the competition. I think you bring some of that.
00:45:02
Speaker 2: Here, Logan, this is our last episode of the year. Man, it's crazy, right, So I want to kind of end.
00:45:08
Speaker 1: It with this.
00:45:09
Speaker 2: Throughout this whole process, from when we first started back right after the season ends, we immediately get in it because the shrine bolt was coming right up.
00:45:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, from that moment.
00:45:20
Speaker 2: To here, what is the most exciting thing about this whole process where you like, now that we're here looking back on it all, you're like, man, this gets me juice. This is why I do it.
00:45:31
Speaker 1: So the most exciting thing for me, honestly, honestly was when we were watching the draft here with Bram and London, and right before the draft starts, Brahm goes, Man, no way Sunny Styles get there. And here I am. I've studied everything, I've listened to every I've looked at the draft betting odds, and da da da da, and I'm like, there's no way. So he's the second best player in the class, Like, there's no way he gets to us at seven. And then you see that pick with Tennessee and your heart takes a little bit of a flutter and you're like, oh, they just they just took a receiver. They just took somebody that's not supposed to be in the top ten by most consensus. That's us just not me saying that's like betting consensus. Oh shoot, what are the Giants gonna do? They take carval Rees? Oh shoot, man sort of Lane sitting there, Kansas City trades up, and all of a sudden, Sunny Styles, who was a guy that remember I think he was one of the first people that I watched in this process. I remember talking to you about him, and I just like, he is awesome, Like I could see Washington tak him at seven. And then for all of that work, watching every Ohio State game, going through the whole process, up and down grades and rankings and going all these different events and seeing all the level and then to have that moment happen where the pick of Sunny Styles, I was just like, this is incredible, Like just the that's the beauty of the draft, the reality TV element of it, which is pretty cool.
00:46:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm gonna agree with you. It's the notion of like for whatever this part specifically the whole analysis thing, yeah, is that I had Sunny Styles as my number three.
00:46:54
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:46:55
Speaker 2: And to be a fan of a team picking at seven, huh and get who youth is number three? Is exciting crazy, It's exciting. And it's not I think he's number three because how it used to be where I listened to a podcast or I watched it. It's just watch the people have told me. It's because I sat down and said this guy and then to see him go to seven for whatever reason and come here.
00:47:21
Speaker 1: It is thrilling.
00:47:22
Speaker 2: I can't imagine what they felt like, Yeah, in that draft room with Sunny Styles sitting there, knowing how after all the press conferences and all the talks and the interviews with AP and Q afterwards, how they felt about him, Like if I got this juiced, how man, they must have been losing their minds.
00:47:40
Speaker 1: So I was talking to one of the one of the people in the building over there, and we were talking kind of shooting the talking about how, like you know, TV is so far behind the actual draft reports they coming early. And he was like, oh yeah, dude, like we knew they made the pick fifteen minutes before the pick was announced because everyone we could hear them screaming with joy from the football side, And I was like, all the way, And so, Jason, you watched about three hundred guys this year? I probably I think I went back and recount. I was like two hundred and thirty five something like that, Like little bit off, but like when you watch two hundred people, right, three hundred people in your case, and you've made the decision that this guy is the second or third best player, Like every Shrine Bowl, every senior Bowl watching every linebacker, the guy from Pittsburgh and then he's the guy and he's here as one of the as the best defensive player in the draft class for me, Like for me, I know Caleb Downs was in the conversation for you, but like, it's cool, it's really really cool to see that happen.
00:48:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so much fun. It makes it worth it. Yeah, And then you know what else made it fun real quickly is that when you go through this process is being in the seventh round or these udfas and knowing who these guys are are there and being like now, for me, not everybody, because like I said here, I didn't know a couple of these guys, right, I didn't know the AK and I didn't know my Gold Gold. Yeah, yep, I didn't know them. I didn't watch them. But I'm seeing guys that are beginning picked up on udfa's that I had watched, and like I have opinions about being able to text Caroline like oh Eli hid and right, being able to say those things that people have those conversations and like have an investment in the player to an extent.
00:49:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, and the and the player of their journey and then the league Like now, it's fun. I always find it's fun now to go and check in on you know, Eric Gentry from Cincinnati is the UDFA follow this process, Jeff Caldwell who went to Kansas City as the UDFA right, or our guy the tackle from Miamis and Philly, Like just understand where these guys are.
00:49:40
Speaker 2: Markel Bell Mark, Yeah, It's it's one of those things where like now I'm rooting for these guys even though they're on other teams because I want them to do well.
00:49:46
Speaker 1: I watched so much, like I still check in on Johnny Wilson from like three years ago. We did his report, right.
00:49:51
Speaker 2: I loved them and he's an Eagle, and I'm not supposed to like it, right, But it's like you're rooting for him. I'm rooting for him, and I'm I'm kind of it's this weird thing because of my fandom. I'm rooting for him to figure it out only slightly so that is contract can end and then figure it out, right, But like, uh, the same, I'm sure I'll feel the same way with Caleb Downs.
00:50:12
Speaker 1: With the Cowboy with the Cowboys.
00:50:14
Speaker 2: So like, I don't know, It's just one of those things where like I'm more investing in these guys, these kids in some cases, and like just want the best for them in their careers. It was just so much fun watching it. Logan, I hope we get to do this again next year.
00:50:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, me too, come back. It's always fun. If you guys like it, please make sure you leave a comment that helps us out, helps our boss know you like it. But in the meantime, happy draft season, and that's it.
Speaker 1: On today's episode of the Drive to the Draft podcast. Man, Jason, it's happened. We've done the draft. We've got new commanders here. We're going to talk through every single one of them, how they fit, why we like them, why we think the team liked them. Logan.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: We're going to give them some grades. And I want to tell you right now, I want to give you an A plus. Yeah.
00:00:19
Speaker 1: Oh my god, guys, go to hear that. It all starts right now.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Welcome to the Drive to the Draft Podcast. I am Jason Johnson here with Logan Paulson NFL that ten years Logan undrafted and it's that time. Man, what was happening in your football career this time coming out of college?
00:00:45
Speaker 1: What was happening in my football career? So I was I think I was in class at UCLA actually when the draft was going on for some reason, and my agent was like, Hey, you're not going to get drafted, just heads up. And I was like, thanks, that's what happens when you run a really bad forty and don't jump very high. And so I was like okay, and so obviously draft ends, and I got a call from Dallas, got a call from the Redskins at the time, and I kind of had to make a quick decision, and I and the other one was San Diego, and I'm from California and my wife was living in Irvine at the time, and I was like, oh my gosh, just be perfect. Maybe I'll go to San Diego and play there. But my agent, he's a beast. He basically went and made like a list of the depth charts for all the teams, and the best, best depth chart by far at the time was the Washington Redskins. Like they had two guys from the previous year they usually kept four, and then they had bought in a bunch of like older free agents who were like kind of getting ready to retire, and then they drafted a fullback in the fifth round. So I was like, all right, well, I guess you know, if I'm just looking at the depth chart, I gotta go. I gotta go. You got a shot. And so my agent's a beast. Beast love my agent. Like everyone's like, oh I hate my agent. Did like my agent like I don't know. I obviously like I had to do a lot, you know, myself, studying, working, but like he was such a great support system for me.
00:02:03
Speaker 2: How quickly after the draft ended that mister irrelevant got drafted that you got.
00:02:08
Speaker 1: That call immediately, Like it's like, that's like this this undrafted free agent process happens so quickly. It happened really quickly for me. So multiple teams are calling, my agent's calling me. I'm relaying information that they're giving me. There he's relaying information that they're giving him. And eventually it's like and the thing that finally, you know, settled. It was like my tight end coach in college, John Embrey was a tight end coach here and pretty much called me and said, we're thinking about signing this kid from Alabama. And I hated that kid from Alabama. I don't even remember his name, but I thought like, that's trash, he's bad, and so I was like, I'm gonna I'll go with Washington. So it all ended up working out in the end. That's pretty funny.
00:02:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, was the other guy that you were saying was trash and bad a future Hall of Fame tight end from your draft class?
00:02:54
Speaker 1: No, he was not, unfortunately.
00:02:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, what about Rob Gronkowski? Dude, you have told me this before. Were you like, I don't like that guy?
00:03:03
Speaker 1: I don't like that guy's not that good. Well, in college he was just okay, Like the people knew he was good, right, No, no, no, but it's any It is a funny story. But people knew he was good, but it was like people didn't know he was going to be this good, right and so but I remember watching him like his first game in the NFL, Like I was on the sideline obviously watching him play. We were playing New England, and I was like, that guy's a monster. Like what was I thinking? Yeah, just a little tight end rival. Yeah, I get it.
00:03:33
Speaker 2: That's the competitiveness dud that that players have.
00:03:35
Speaker 1: Man, And I will say, I'm I was looking back on it, I was I was competitive with everybody, Like we'd be in the weight room at UCLA and I was like racing to see who could put the weights off the bar quicker put them on. It was I was pretty psychotic back in the day.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: Well, there's some residual of that logan because when we ever this is a real thing that happens in production meetings. So let's say on Command Center or even better on Command Center cast where intern Amanda we're trying to coach up and teach her how to produce, and she does our third segments and she goes, I want to do trivia for the draft one. I went great. My advice is to take these questions and test them on other people before you enter that, before you enter the chat and and the podcast with this, because you've got three very competitive men that are going to get all over these if you say they got something.
00:04:32
Speaker 1: Wrong, and we've never done that.
00:04:33
Speaker 2: And she goes, okay, okay, okay, and we go in there and what is the thing that you guys immediately do immediately tear apart those questions. That's not what you said. I don't you didn't mean, that's not what they and got all over. You can go back and listen to this podcast a couple of weeks ago. So funny getting all over Amanda and I pulled Amanda aside. I was like, what did we learn? And Amanda's great, and she's like, well, I did test them with Caroline.
00:04:58
Speaker 1: And I was like, okay, so.
00:05:01
Speaker 2: We have to we have to establish do you need to go find somebody uber competitive that's gonna pick it apart? Where Caroline, while she's a D one champion three sorry D three champion, she's very competitive. She's not competitive in trivia, no, and she's not Logan. You are competitive in everything. I try to like play Santana and Fred.
00:05:24
Speaker 1: I try to play it off, you know, like, oh, I don't really care, but I care.
00:05:27
Speaker 2: One of the best decisions I ever made was turning the live reads in that podcast into a competition.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: You made, guys, decision. That was my decision. I said. I thought we were kind of doing at pseudo before that, even.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: You were, and then I was like, let's buy a trophy. Let's like make it an actual thing. Let's get fan votes. Because I saw the competitiveness and I was like, just gonna. But that's what I mean, Like, I'm not like, that's not magic on my end. That's like just seeing you guys are put a trophy on it and you guys are off and running.
00:05:56
Speaker 1: It is crazy because it doesn't mean anything, but like every week like they like.
00:06:00
Speaker 2: And yet for Fred it means everything.
00:06:03
Speaker 1: And Tanna too, and Tanna's like pretty low key about it, but like he he comes with it every week.
00:06:08
Speaker 2: The fact that Santana puts on the goat necklace means it's a big deal because he doesn't put things on.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Just because he's got like a he's he's always the fashion forward kind of guy.
00:06:20
Speaker 2: And he's got a look.
00:06:22
Speaker 1: Right.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: He says, this is who I am and I ain't gonna change for nobody. And that means like, if you give me a hat, I don't like. Yeah, I love hats, I don't like that one. So him putting on the goat chain, which is ridiculous, right, but the knowledge it means I'm bought into this thing. Anyway, we have digressed way too far. Let's talk about the draft. This is our last episode of the year, logan, So let's break down the draft completely.
00:06:52
Speaker 1: We're gonna go through.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: We're gonna even hit some udfa's at the end very quickly. But let's just quickly go through. We've already talked about Sunny Style in a complete episode in Antonio Williams in a complete episode. You can check those out, yep, but very quickly, let's just briefly touch on them. And all I want you to do is basically give me a draft grade, like they're fit here basically for Washington. So for sunny Styles draft grade, what's his fit in Washington?
00:07:19
Speaker 1: Dude? So I don't know if he could have a better fit here, So I'm gonna give it like an A or A plus or whatever. Like, I just think he can do the thing that I The only risk here that I see is that you can do so much with him and he doesn't get comfortable at anything. Right, you got to kind of give him a home. I think, let him find his role and then then explore what he can be for the defense. Because I was talking on You've mentioned Findley today and one of the things that I in the middle of the conversation, like b was like, oh is he How's he like Michael Parsons? And I was like, he's like Michael Parsons in there in the flexibility he brings and then he's a freak athlete. But really, Michael Parsons was linebacker down a defensive line and we've seen that a lot. That happens all the time. He gives you, Sonny stals gives you flexibility from the linebacker level back, which is very unique. And so like I think when you look at Derontae Jones and some of the stuff they do from a coverage standpoint, I really believe you could have three linebackers on the field. You know, Frank E. Schanal Sonny and he could be like a pseudo Nickel for you, Like, I think he's that kind of athlete. I think he's that comfortable in space and so like it kind of plays like Nick Ammon Warrior almost like we can play bass defense. The Washington Commanders now to more stuff because of him. I think he can play a outside three four linebacker, Like he's got a lot of flexibility in this defense. And it's so fun because he's literally one of one from a size hyweight speed standpoint, and it's gonna be really fun to watch the museumer.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: And what you're saying is that you don't think because of how dan Quinn knows how to implement this stuff. And I'm gonna use Michael Parsons as an example. We all talk about Michael Parsons. Dan Quinn didn't unlock quote unquote Michael Parsons right away, as in he wasn't doing Michael Partson things as we know it now.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: Day one.
00:09:02
Speaker 2: It was like, as you said, we're slowly bringing you in and as we put more and more on your plate, you're becoming this monster, right And you're saying, that's what you think they should do with sunny styles like and DQ has done that before with players. Here's your superpower. Let's give you a nice simple We're making a cheese pizza.
00:09:22
Speaker 1: Yes, and by.
00:09:25
Speaker 2: I don't know whatever their timeline is. By game X, you're gonna be a supreme.
00:09:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're gonna have like pepperoni and sausage, maybe some veggies on there. Right, get that thing really cook get it spicy, get that thing cooked up. And I think it just depends on where he comes. Like I said, people forget this, Like Michael Parsons his first year started as a strictly off ball player, Yes, and then they blitzed. They started blitzing him more on vers second nine and kind of had him as a coverage player, started using them on third down. It was like, oh dang, Like actually, like this is really what he's good at. Exists this element of his game and then obviously he's blossomed into a tremendous player. I think you can do that with styles, which it should be a lot of. And I think it's also important to remember that linebacker touriusly hard to transition from from college to the NFL. I think Sonny Style is in a unique spot because he came from an NFL caliber defense at Ohio State.
00:10:12
Speaker 2: So all right, let's move on to Antonio Williams, the wide receiver that they took at seventy one. Yeah, overall pick Okay, we talked about him in depth of full episode when it in the last episode. So just like Sunny styles, give me a little grade here, and what I mean is by fit a grade of fit, not necessarily like what is as great as a wide receiver prospect, but what is as great as a fit here in Washington.
00:10:34
Speaker 1: So initially I would have said not like it was. It didn't kind of coincide with my thought. But like when you look at the player and what David Blow was accustomed to, kind of with Kevin O'Connell, with Ben Johnson, I actually think this is like a B plus a minus type of fit. And what I mean by that is like you really need a guy to move the chains on third down, kind of like your zach Ertz analogous here, a guy that can win in man coverage when versus his own a choice route. And the more I watch Antonio Williams went back and reviewed my notes to the combine like talk to people about his senior about his pro day like he we've talked about on the show here, Like the route running nuance is something that no one else in the room has. Like Terry mclaurin's a beast. He can't run routes from the slot the way that Antonio Williams can. Right, Treylon Burks is a beast in terms of physical big body guy can't run routes like this. Diami No, you know even you know Luke McCaffrey and Jalen Lane No, Like he is one of one here. So I think adding his superpower is route running correct So bringing that in here and with a guy and David Blau who's seen that work with am and ros Saint Brown, who's seen that work with Justin Jefferson. I'm not saying they are he is those players, but the route running technician is taking over the NFL. And the more you look at successful wide receivers, they have that technical element to their game. They're not big, high weight speed guys anymore, right, They're these technical guys. So I actually think this, if they deploy him correctly, he could be really impactful in a very positive way on Jade and Daniel's growth and this offensive efficiency.
00:12:05
Speaker 2: All right, So let's actually get in depth here for guys we haven't talked about. So we're moving down. The next pick was in round five. Waited a little bit. Yeah, those pick one forty seven and it was Josua Joseph's, the edge linebacker from Tennessee. I watched him, but ed forgotten about him, to be quite honest, when I did.
00:12:24
Speaker 1: Do you watch them early? Is that what I watched him early? Isn't that funny when that happens him?
00:12:27
Speaker 2: And ed forgotten is the wrong word. But like I watched him, it was like okay, and like that was that was the end of it for me. But then when we drafted, I went back, I looked at my notes, rewatched him again. This is for fifth round. We got something here, Logan, talk to me about him.
00:12:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think this is one of the picks I'm most excited about because, like when you look at him, like the arm length is is thirty four and what is it? Three quarters? It's almost thirty five long arms, right, He's like scratching his knees standing up right, He's got a great first step off the ball. You feel his length in the run game. You feel his length as a pass rusher. I think he's very dexterous as a dropper. Like you know, most of these guys that have long arms are a little bit uncoordinated, a little bit ungainly when they drop. He does a great job with his drops, kind of relating to players, is good in space, is physical, and pursue to the football. I think the one thing about him is the high side rusher, you know, kind of a taxi outside shoulder of the tackle and does not have great power. I think he can develop great power because his arm length is so good, Like develop that long arm, two hands in good bull get too extension, that type of thing. But like if a tackle is able to cover him up, he has a hard time. Now he's able to get away with it in college because his first step so good, he's so long. But I think he has the potential. Like in potential is a dangerous word when it comes to NFL prospects because it can get you fired. But I think taking a shot on a guy in the fifth round with his physical tools his upside. How hard he plays, Like, I think he could carve out a role year one in this defense and be really impactful. So I think he's a I think I think in terms of fit, like for the defense, it's like an A right, like a plus maybe even more efficient than maybe Sonny styles because like when you look at like vang Ginkle, everyone says, oh kayle Mont chas On or Leo Chanal is Van Ginkle. This is Van Ginkle. Right, He's long armed, long limbed, can drop, can rush, and all of a sudden, that pass rushing nuance which people are worried about, doesn't matter because we're gonna what are we gonna do. We're gonna, you know, go all out blister. You're gonna good mashups, rush, the highest side pursuit of the quarterback, be violent against the run. I think I think there's something here in terms of what it means for this defense with this player.
00:14:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's six to three and an eighth two hundred and forty two pounds and then the long arms right, thirty four and one fourth inch arms, which that's what that's what you're drafted here, I think is the athlete that you have here with the with the body type. In eleven games this year, he had thirty three tackles. But let me tell you something, Logan six of those were tackled for losses, four sacks, three PBUs which I think you're talking about to the dropping you getting those long arms up, three forced fumbles, like the guy has. He has a I don't want to say playmaker because he's not taking over games when you watch him, but he's got that juice in him where he is going to make a play or two on the defense.
00:15:15
Speaker 1: Were you yeah? And I think he has like I don't remember the exact number, but it's like a thirty three or thirty four percent pressure rate, which is very, very high. He doesn't turn all those into sacks because I don't think he corners super well at the top like has been to turn to finish isn't good. But he's a disruptive player. And I think there was a conversation early on in the process where who's maybe going to be a like for sure a second round pick, you know, but obviously you know it wasn't as productive. Things change. But I think is a is a great find here in the fifth round. I think he fits the defense really well. I think he I would imagine, you know, like there's certain players I don't know if I told you this, there's certain players that you identify and you say like, that's a dan Quinn guy. Like last year, I was able to be like, oh, Kane Madrona was that guy, right, hyper athletic, good in space, can play multiple spots and this sky very early on, Joshua Joseph identified as like someone that dan Quid would love to work with because of the length, because the burst, and here he is in Washington, so I'm very confident they have a vision for him.
00:16:09
Speaker 2: A funny little stat about him is that his first career sack that he had in college was against It's just a fun little little thing. I'm sure when they meet each other in the building that might be something that comes up. Okay, then we move on to round six, Pick one eighty seven. Running back was something that a lot of people talked about with this team. So here's where one gets drafted. It's k Tron Allen, the running back from Penn State.
00:16:35
Speaker 1: Logan.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: I mentioned this to you when he got drafted. I go, see Rod left, you're missing that type of runner, that type of guy here.
00:16:42
Speaker 1: This is it.
00:16:43
Speaker 2: This is basically I don't want to say a Sea Rod replacement. That's not fair to the Chris Rodriguez, but it's that role that has been vacated that wasn't filled by Jerome Ford or Rashad White is now possibly going to be filled by k Tron Allen. I mean, we'll see how it plays out, obviously, but it looks like that's what they went for, that type of role at running back. Kate tron Allen fits that bill.
00:17:07
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think you're one hundred percent on the nose there. And I think like when you look at him, like like everyone's like, what, like what is he good at? Because when you look at him, he's five to eleven, he's two. He probably is playing closer to twenty. I think he weighed in at two seventeen at the combine, but I think he's bigger. He plays I think heavier than that. He's he's pretty fit. Like it's not like a bad body at two twenty, but like big guy, good contact balance. He's not fast, he's not super explosive in terms of lower half power. But the thing is is he plays running back so well, Like he's just got a really good feel for like setting up blocks. I call it like running cracks, like when they're you can kind of the lines washing away on an outside zone or a tight zone. He just knows kind of how to glide that thing and then crash into that little two inches of air and get you four when it's blocked for two kind of deal. And so again, that was a big characteristic of Sea Rod. He was able to kind of maxim my muddy runs. I think there's a little bit more natural fluidity to him, right, a little bit more natural playmaker. But yeah, not going to be super fast, not going to be super explosive. I will say this about him, kind of a fun little anecdote. We went to the Senior Bowl this year, right, yep, and you know, Mike Washington's there, the running back from Kentucky's there, the running back from Oklahoma's there, Like all these guys that are really good players, right, really dynamic players. The guy that was the most explosive running back day in and day out was none of those guys. It was k Tron Allen, right. His ability to kind of feel those runs, find those creases, like, that's what he brings to this offense. And I think that that Jacob, that Chris Rodriguez style, you know, David Montgomery, you know, if you're thinking about a comp and the Lions offense, I think that's kind of what you're looking at here. And I think he's a got a little bit better feel than like Rashad White or Jerome Ford as a kind of a guy who can run those cracks in an offense.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's the Penn State all time rushing yards leader. That means something, right, and he's got size and balance.
00:19:09
Speaker 1: That's what I.
00:19:10
Speaker 2: Wrote down here back when I originally watched him and patient with good vision, like that's a superpower he's gonna be And to me, Chris Rodriguez right, like he's gonna run hard, little patient hit the whole right, He's got the size, speed, may not be there right hands. We're not super sure a Penn State pulled him off the field one third down a lot. Some of that may be because of pass pro, but you mentioned me and you even showed me clips of him at the Senior Bowl looking back doing pass pro look pretty good. Yep, So Ken do it. Maybe just wasn't asked to do it at Penn State. Yeah, he's just not going to be that home run hitter, I don't think. But he's going to be you block for five yards, here's six, you block for two yards, I'm gonna grind it out. I'm gonna get you four, right, He's keep you one schedule back.
00:19:58
Speaker 1: I think that's exactly right. And I think people sleep on the value of a player like that, you know, like because again that is something when you watch Penn State's offense, for example, like they obviously valued it. Like when I coach high school football, know it's very different, Like I value the runner that can do that. I know Kyle Shanahan used to value that tremendously. I think that's one of the reasons they draft keon black out Indiana because he can keep you on schedule with tough money runs. I think Alan does that here. And again he's got to earn this role. Like we're kind of projecting what he can be. But first and second down, I think is where he's gonna make his money. Kind of him and build together in that. And I think they complimentary compliment each other really really nicely. Yeah.
00:20:37
Speaker 2: Last thing about him is you, guys, by the nickname fat Man. I'm sure you've heard that by that, Yeah.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: But everyone thought it was because he was fat, But his mom used to call him that as like a baby.
00:20:45
Speaker 2: His mom caught him that as a baby because she thought he was chunky, but he very quickly developed into the physique of a running back. Yeah, that's what at least this article says. It's a lot like Penn State has these guys that have these nicknames where they're athletic freaks, but apparently as kids they were chunk. Oh chop Robinson. Why is he called chop? Well, they called him pork chop because he was a sixteen pound baby. That's crazy and he was huge, so they're like, that's a pork chop. And then he turned into an athletic.
00:21:17
Speaker 1: Freak specially Yeah who.
00:21:19
Speaker 2: Could get like had the best what was it ten yards split for a a.
00:21:23
Speaker 1: Guy over two fifty ever maybe in the combat.
00:21:25
Speaker 2: So I wonder if Penn State's recruiting strategy was just fine people with crazy nicknames that references when they were fat.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: Once upon his heart. Yeah, but I'm excited about him, like I think he'll be he'll be a lot of fun here, especially with David Blouse, like outside zone gap scheme stuff, Like he's run all those runs like some of these college backs they run kind of in the gun they're in, you know, it's just not a natural projection from what they were doing in college to what they'll be here, and I guess Penn State there's a lot of that. And again for a guy who's not super fast, did a great job with the outside zone, did a great job the gap scheme stuff and has And it's it's the feel that he's got as a runner, that is, that's the thing you're not. It's not gonna I think he's gonna look a little bit disappointing in shirts and uh shirts and shorts, you know, kind of in the OTAs. But when we get the pads on, I think that's really when you're gonna feel him as a runner.
00:22:17
Speaker 2: Okay, so Logan, I watched three hundred guys this year, which is crazy. I should have watched three O two because I didn't watch either of these next two picks, which just goes to show how in depth teams get when they're looking at guys, even though I probably should have. I probably should have watched these. Did you watch our round six pick two oh nine, number two and nine overall? Matthew Glubling, goobleing, Gooblin, Gooblin. I think it's the center for Michigan State.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: Did you so? I didn't watch him first? I've watched him now obviously, but I didn't watch him initially, like he just like because you know, we get where we are kind of bootlegging what teams do. Like we get lists of players, like, yep, here's a top ten center list, right, here's the top fifteen receiver lift and so those guys go on our list, and we're kind of all the time listening to podcasts hunting for names, and during the entire predt process, Googling's name never came up.
00:23:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's not a good player, logan, because this is what why teams have area scouts, correct, right, is because you have an area scout who has seen every center in the Lake area, yeah or whatever, and it's like, oh, yeah, Michigan State guy have been on them for three years. Yeah, and then he'll come up to you in a meeting that they have here wherever that Adam Peters is in I'm assuming this is how it happens, and then the area scout goes, Yo, check out this guy.
00:23:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's really there and that.
00:23:40
Speaker 2: Doesn't leak out anywhere. That's just in the building.
00:23:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just their job to kind of be like, hey, these are some people I think are draftable and then yeah, you know, the process is interesting because the coordinators come and they say, this is what we're looking forward to each spot. Right. Then the scouts go back and they kind of review their notes and they bring that back to their regionals. So the area scout goes to the regional scout. The regional scout to digest that, they go to the director of college Scouting, who then goes to Adam Peters, right, And so it is that's what the that is the value of an area scout is that they, like you said, have been on this guy for four years probably right, Yeah, and the guy that was watching him at Purdue and then watch him transfer for Michigan at Michigan's s eate they probably talk to each other, right, Like that's that's the lifeblood of a good team, is this area of scouts. So let's talk about him a little bit. I actually when I started watching them, he's a little uner side. It was he's sixty three three to zho five something like that, three oh three. Not a big man, but just is Jason is wicked smart at center. Okay, Like you see him down you see him down there on the ball with his hand on the ball, and he's calling the protections right, He's identifying the mic point. He's kind of offloading that responsibility from the quarterback. One of the reasons that they chose to go to allegh Ready over Tyler Biattish was they felt like he could handle the the kind of mental load of the position more. It feels like this guy can Like he's got a really good feel for angles. Like so, for example, there's a clip versus I think Michigan they've got a five technique, so a defensive end and a three technique guy on the outside shoulder of the guard. They run a stunt. He does a really good job taking a nice angle. He feels the sunt's able to overtake the three they're able to hit like a nice game out the front side. He's just got a good feel for line movement, defensive spacing, targeting things, understanding where the pressure is coming from. And it's hard to see as a center because he like they have n't get his hand on the ball first, so he's kind of doing it from like a squatted stance. And the other thing I'd say too, really good feel for like when it comes to like reaching shades, so like guys on his shoulder, understands where the hat needs to be, understands how to apply pressure good like in terms of grip to kind of keep it flat down line of scrimmage. I do think there are times where you see him kind of I don't know, like I don't want to say he's a he's not like a plus athlete. Like so sometimes when you watch a center like Jason Kelcey for example, like oh my gosh, this guy's like super twitchy, he can move around. He's he's not that kind of guy, but he's got good balance, he's got good feel for again where the hat needs to be, where the hands need to be, angles to the second level, good on screens. So I think there's a lot here at like he does feel more like a like a I'm going to compete for the center spot. I'm probably gonna be a practice squad guy and then we'll see where it goes from there.
00:26:09
Speaker 2: So recently we went and played golf couple of guys here at a Santana's charity event. And what I like to do is get out my driver at the tea box. Yeah, just swing as hard as I can. Let that sucker. Go, I have a slice, try and play it every now and then there's a little dog leg right perfect, perfect, Yeah, I'll hit it now. Another guy on our team, our boss, Ryan Yokum, because we played best ball, right Ryan Yokum, won't touch a driver. He's like, no, I can't control this thing. Gets out his uh little three iron, nice shot straight down the center every time? Ye every time? Now is it far?
00:26:49
Speaker 1: No?
00:26:49
Speaker 2: But does it land right in the middle of the fairway every time? He gives us something to play with every time. Yeah, that's what this is. I think that's a really good comp Yeah. I think that's a really good comp because that's exactly what he is.
00:26:59
Speaker 1: Like, he's just he's smart, he understands, he's technically sound. There are and even in passportal like you'll see guys kind of push pull him. He's got good balance. He can kind of recover and kind of stay engaged. He's competing. He got a little grind of people down, pushing them in the ground, like, you know, just keeping them on the ground the longer than need to. Like. I like that about him. A little nasty, a little nasty there you go, and uh, and I like him I like the prospect. Again, there are some physical limitations to him right like in terms of like arm length and just general size, but I think he overcomes that stuff with just a really good understanding of the position, understanding his own strength and weaknesses, and also understanding like the the mental side of the position.
00:27:43
Speaker 2: One of the things that we know that they love drafting around here is when they have a seal in their chest. My man was a captain, so you know that's that's always going to play when you start the last couple of drafts that DQ and AP have had together, when you start getting later into the draft, almost all these guys have a sea. They just love that about them. It's obviously something where they like, they love football, they like being like you said, they're probably smart on football, they're in the book. They just let they just love it. That's where the team captain is. They're going to be a leader, and that's what they want here. That's that commander Mark, not just captain, but a commander Mark.
00:28:18
Speaker 1: All right.
00:28:19
Speaker 2: So our next uh selection and our last of the draft was round seven, Round seven, number two, twenty three, And I'm gonna learn it really quick. But I haven't learned it yet, go for it. I'm gonna say Ethan doesn't. I don't know if he gets called Ethan, but there's eight against Ethan. Yeah, sure is Game of Thrones. Like name here with the spelling of it, Ethan, you got it. Cala Cali cac manis, Cala kac manis. I think that's actually I think Cala kacmanis. Just let me sit with it for a second.
00:28:57
Speaker 1: Ye, Calia kac manus is, I think is how you say.
00:28:59
Speaker 2: Cala kac mana. Sorry to QB out of Rutgers now Logan via via Minnesota Minnesota. Yep, now I'm going I'm gonna pose this question.
00:29:08
Speaker 1: Go for it.
00:29:09
Speaker 2: May sound ridiculous. We have Jane and Daniels, we have Marcus Mario. Why are we drafting a quarterback in the seventh round?
00:29:16
Speaker 1: Yeah? I think so. A couple of things We talked about this in our quarterback show, which nobody listened to. Totally reasonable because who cares about quarterbacks if you're Washington com management. But I will say this about you always want to have somebody that's kind of developing in the building. And I think don't look any farther than like Philadelphia, for example, they you know, Carson Wentz, they draft Jalen Hurts, Carson Wentz, they have Jayden Hurts, they have Tanner McKee. Right, they just drafted a guy, yeah, Cole Peyton from They always have someone on deck because that becomes a valuable trade piece at some point. Look no farther than Malik Willis with Green Bay, Right, if you have a quarterback, it's the same thing like your philosophy with offensive lineman. Sometimes just draft offensive lineman, developed them, and then you can trade them because they become very, very valuable because no one else develops all linman. It's the same thing with quarterbacks. Right. So I'm not saying Aiden is that the same Aiden, Ethan, Ethan, Let's go Ethan Taller, MacManus, whatever his name was about Akak, I like that, clap it up for Jason everybody. So Ak, I'm not saying Ak is this like high ceiling guy. But when you look at the quarterbacks that we did a lot of issues with, like offensive design, anticipating throws, tight window throws, throwing people open. And then when you put on Ak's film, one of the things that comes to the forefront is like I'm working NFL progressions. I'm working tight window throws. I'm throwing people open, right, I'm throwing with anticipation, I'm throwing on time. And I was like, all right, I respect that. Now people are like, well, Logan, why isn't he going higher? If he's doing all these things. I think he's got a I think he's got good footwork, polish footwork. I think he's got a decent arm. But there is this inconsistency to him. Like so, for example, I'm watching I think it was doesn't matter Illinois. I was watching Illinois. He throws this beautiful hitch on time, anticipation. The guy's don't even have of his break yet, ball is right there. Boom catches it. Awesome, a little bit of zip on the football. Next play, the guy runs a go. Receiver on the right side runs a go kills. The dB puts the ball up and the receiver has to stop, jump up, catch the football right like. Underthrows that one. And then I find myself oftentimes watching his film being like was that ball tipped? Because it'll be two yards in the dirt or three yards behind. And so he has these great moments of awesome accuracy, awesome consistency, balls on time kind of peppered with just odd odd consistency moments. So I think he has something. There's something there, and I think you bring him in as a three, let him compete with Sam Hardman and hopefully one of those guys kind of establishes and said, I deserve to be practice squad quarterback. I'm a good dude. If you've watched his press conference, you understand he's a good dude, and there's something there. From a talent.
00:32:07
Speaker 2: Perspective, let me be sunshining rainbows, go for it, Okay.
00:32:11
Speaker 1: So I'm going to give you some status. He's a little bit outside of your norm though.
00:32:15
Speaker 2: I'm going to give you a little bit. I'm gonna give you some stats. Six two two, sixteen okay, whatever, yep. Average Okay in twenty and twenty five this past year, sixty two percent completion percentage three one hundred and twenty four yards, eight point five average, twenty touchdowns, seven interceptions, one hundred and forty seven point seven rating very solid solid Okay, doesn't really run no Okay. So in twenty twenty four, he had ninety two carries for two hundred and fifty one rushing yards three touchdowns. This past season, he had ninety six carries. I'm going to say this stat and you're not going to believe me. Okay, ninety six carries for no negative twenty six rushing yards, four touchdowns. Okay, now what does that mean. I haven't seen enough. I've watched one game, and I watched every throw versus Ohio State this past year. That's all I've seen of him, So I have no idea. But what I will say is against Ohio State SAand through a sieve in that offensive line, Yeah, running for his life, as you could imagine against Ohio State, so he is running around trying to make things happen. A lot of sacks. Those are considered carries once you break the pocket negative yardage. Okay, If he has that over a season, ninety six carries for negative twenty six, I think this guy was running for his life. I don't know that that's true. I'd have to go back and rewatch it. But maybe what I'm saying is pretty good passing stats for being in constant duress.
00:33:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, so versus Illinois, and I think I did watch the Ohio State game, but basically he will stand in there hell or high water. He is standing in there to throw football, and kudos to him, right, And that's why some of these balls look weird coming out because people are stepping on him. They're bumping into him, like he's trying to be on time. He's trying to anticipate the rows and he does like you know those like those throws that like Matthew Stafford makes where like someone's in his lap and he kind of side arms it and it's going to a spot. He's got some of that in the arm's not there. It's not the same arm as Matthew Stafford, who's a generational arm, but some of that kind of from the pocket moxy. Yeah, that from the pocket playmaking and the physical courage to stick in there. So I came away being like, if we had done the quarterback ranking list again, I probably would have had him much higher than the last probably three or four guys kind of in that like Smier type range. YEP, So I think there's something here. Again, I don't know if he's ever going to be a starter. I don't know if he ever makes the fifty three. I don't know that, but I think if you're looking for someone to take a flyer on in the seventh round to compete for the third quarterback spot that could develop into a long term backup. This seems like a pretty good flyer.
00:34:56
Speaker 2: He's got that dog get him. I'm gonna say, he's got it. So he's going to be competitive. He's going to try and make plays, but he's not going to do it outside of what's being asked of him to do, if that makes sense.
00:35:07
Speaker 1: He's very traditional. He's very traditional.
00:35:10
Speaker 2: He's going to read progressions, he's going to throw to spots. All these are things that are good when it comes to quarterback mentality that you want. So then my next question is even if he does compete and ends up being something, he's not going to replace Jane and Daniels. So then the question is why are we drafting a quarterback? And what I what I want you to explain to me is explain to me the importance of good depth at a quarterback room, even when you have a superstar, elite quarterback in it like Jane and Daniels.
00:35:41
Speaker 1: So look at look no further than last year, right, Like we've got Josh Johnson in the building, right, a guy that we had to bring in. You know it was Jane Daniels Marcus Mario to Josh Johnson, right? And how many games did Josh Johnson played for US last year? A lot? Right? And so if that guy is your in house three practice squad guy that you feel like could elevate to be a arder, that's huge because they know your offense. You're not handcuffed by the limitations of Josh Johnson coming it off the street or whatever. Right, it's this, It's just an opportunity to be like, hey, you've been here, we trust you, we know your strengths and weaknesses. We can call a game a little bit easier, right. I think that's what you're looking for here, because hopefully this guy develops into something more maybe at two at some point, but having that three that is competitive. Think about like everyone's like, why isn't Sam Hartman playing late in the year. They're telling you how they feel about Sam Harmon when they make those decisions, right, because they don't think he can do it. I want a guy in the building that they think at some point can do it. I think that's ultimately what this is. It's like we're trying to find a guy in a later round that we can develop into something that maybe at some point we can trade, maybe at some point can win us a few games if we have to at a pinch. He can't do that right now, but maybe in a year or two. That's what we're looking at. And that's just the landscape of quarterback at the moment. Is you want a developmental guy in the roster. I think he fits that. Bill.
00:36:57
Speaker 2: I also here tell me if I'm right or wrong.
00:36:59
Speaker 1: Here.
00:37:00
Speaker 2: I also hear that he's a good vibes guy. If you watch his interview, interview guy, competitive dog, but also fun right, wants to be around once to have football, keep people loose. This is important. That's important, right, It's with basketball. There's a term that goes around. It's like he's just a chemistry guy. Yeah, why is he won this team? It's because he's at the end of the bench. This is a lot in college basketball, on the end of the bench. He maybe comes in in the blow out, lost with two minutes left, but what is he always doing every three He's got some sort of bow and arrow thing. He's gonna not be stirring the pot he's got. He's dancing chemistry guy. And I'm not saying that you're drafting somebody in the seventh round to just be a chemistry guy.
00:37:44
Speaker 1: Because we just talked everything you just just talked about he has some upside ability.
00:37:47
Speaker 2: But in addition, he's going to be on this team where he's going to be in that quarterback room as a chemistry guy. And as you mentioned, throwing the spots, staying in there, sticking with it, got that dog reading for aggressions. He's going to bring that into the quarterback room in the sense of they must feel because they've talked to him several times. Yeah, if we give him a playbook, he's going to study it, he's going to know it, and he's going to be an asset for Jade and Daniels in all the information Jane Daniels needs to digest in a week. Yeah, he can be there to help him.
00:38:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I also think that, like Jane Daniels is special, he's magic, he he's creative, he's all this thing. But like, you know, could he be a poor man's version of Jared Golf, which David Blou knows really well and and has seen people win with. Right, Like That's what we're talking about here, is like can you get to that level, and I think you Ken, I mean, that's probably an optimistic take, but like that's what he's doing at Rutgers, right, and I think he has like he can throw an anticipation, keep some of that confidence. I think there's a shot here for him, depending on you know, you know, how how he is in the room and all the development. Yes, but that's why you drafted seven.
00:38:56
Speaker 2: It's the vibes that you can bring it immediately, it's being competitive, it's the things that he's he can do mentally at the quarterback position. And then Marcus Mariot isn't going to be here forever and you want to develop somebody, so get a quarterback competition. Dan Quinn has said several several times this is not a secret. I want everybody feeling like they have to compete, correct everybody, because it rising tides raises all boats. Correct, So quarterback competition, even at the third QB that's important to them.
00:39:26
Speaker 1: It's important, and I think it's also I think it's underrated. If you can get somebody at the third quarterback spot with some ceiling like that's really valuable. And I think that's kind of what we're looking at here. He's not gonna take Jane Daniels job. He's not gonna take Marcus Maro's job. But can he can he win that third practice squad spot? Maybe can he learn from Jane Daniels and marks for a couple of years and could he maybe be a backup? Yeah, Marcus isn't gonna be here forever. That's kind you' that's kind of what your eyeball on for him.
00:39:52
Speaker 2: Okay, So let's very quickly talk about udfa's. I want to talk about only two right now that are quote unquote official because it's one NFL.
00:40:00
Speaker 1: You'll explain that real quick. So like basically, like there's a I think there's eight guys that are listed as UDFA signings for the team. Yeah, but right now, only two of them are confirmed through.
00:40:08
Speaker 2: The firm, through the NFL. And the reason I'm saying that is there are a bunch of lists that are going around and most of those come off of like, well, they're agent tweeted out correct that they're going to be here. That's not we're a part of the team. We can't we don't know. We don't know, but if the NFL dot Com says it or commanders say it, we can go with that. So we're going to go with two udfas that the NFL dot com is reporting is going to be here. We'll just quickly talk about him. The first one is Robert Henry Junior, the running back from Texas.
00:40:39
Speaker 1: San Diego, Sie Antonio.
00:40:41
Speaker 2: Sorry, yes, San Antonio, not San Diego, that would be weird. That would be California, Texas San Antonio. He's five nine and a half five nine in a quarter, one hundred and ninety six pounds, ran a four five two forty thirty seven vert ten to four broad one hundred and fifty one carries one thousand, forty five five yards nine touchdowns. He was third in FBS at four point nine yards per carry.
00:41:05
Speaker 1: Do you have a ten yeard s foot for him? By the way, I can look it up, So basically when you look at him, it I get a lot of Bill Crosskey merrit from him. Bill's a bigger guy, He's got a little bit more of play strength, He's got a little bit more natural feel. But like talk about a guy that's got a little like little wiggle to him, and it's not a wiggle, it's just like that jitterbug kind of like I'm attacking lone of scrimmage. I can put my foot in the ground violently and escape with good acceleration. I don't have the top end burst necessary, like you see him get run down, but he's got a little bit of home run hitter to him, kind of like Bill, right, Bill's got that really good acceleration through the hole. He's got that kind of really dynamic lower body strength where I can put my foot in the ground and cut move and there's an explosive element to him. I think he catches the ball well too. I mean the level of competition is crazy, like because it's not very good, but you see something to work with there from an explosive movements point, and I think it's a guy that you want to keep an eye on and say, like if you have a good camp, like could you end up squeaking on the roster as a fifty third guy, return some punts, return some kickoffs. Maybe something like that is what you're looking at. But there is something there from a explosiveness standpoint. It's just like where, like how big of a jump is it for you coming from UTSA.
00:42:21
Speaker 2: One six two ten yards split?
00:42:22
Speaker 1: Which is pretty good, but again, get put that in context, Bill Krossky Merrits is a one five oh, which is one of the best ever.
00:42:28
Speaker 2: So right, okay, Then the corner, which the secondary wasn't addressed in this draft. That doesn't mean it won't get addressed. Is going to be another wave of free agencies plus udfa's. But immediately they went out and got some corners, and that was Fred Davis, the second out of Northwestern previously Jacksonville.
00:42:50
Speaker 1: State, jackson State.
00:42:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, they have to look that up. Yeah.
00:42:53
Speaker 1: All these guys bounce around quick.
00:42:55
Speaker 2: Yeah. And he's six foot one, ninety pounds. He ran a four six two forty thirty eight ten to three broad thirty two and a half inch arms with a seventy eight inch wing span. Tell me a little bit about him.
00:43:07
Speaker 1: So obviously not a burner, and he's almost he's above minimum threshold for a corner, which is why he probably didn't get drafted. I would assume like that four six two not great. The thing I will say about him is, dude wants to play football. What I mean by that is receivers coming to block him. Most dvs kind of like hand on, let me run around this whatever this dude. The ballcarriers tackled, he is going to give you the business. Receivers, Beware when you come up near him, right, he's urgent to go make the tackle. Right, there's a ball carry, he's kind of spinning around. He's going to run and put his hat on you. Right. Like when I was watching him, I was like, man, maybe long term you move to safety. At Northwestern played predominantly zone. I think has a really good feel as a zone player. What I mean by that is he's got good vision, He's got a decent clicking clothes. I think the issues in his game show up when you get people attacking him down the field. A little bit clunky on his like transition from backpedal to running with a route, gets a little bit sticky on double moves right because he kind of breaks and then he doesn't have this great lower half strength to transition out. So again, there's a reason he wasn't drafted. There's a reason the other guy, the running back, wasn't drafted as well. But I think there is a competitor here, right. I think that's something that gets me excited. The competitive toughness, the grit, the kind of like want to for the corner. It gives me a lot of optimism that he could make it. It's like a teams guy. You know, he did some stuff in the Senior Bowl as like a gunner, a vice guy, and you see that kind of like that rabid dog mentality come up in the one on ones at the Senior Bowl. Very competitive, very hands, he very grabby, probably compensating for his speed a little bit. But that's what you're getting. You're just getting to me when you watch it tape. There are certain guys you like watching. And again he's not the best athlete, but I like watching kind of the like this is a dog on a leash and he's frothing at the mouth because he wants so badly to play corner and compete. And I think that's when you talk about what a commander is like, it's about the competition. I think you bring some of that.
00:45:02
Speaker 2: Here, Logan, this is our last episode of the year. Man, it's crazy, right, So I want to kind of end.
00:45:08
Speaker 1: It with this.
00:45:09
Speaker 2: Throughout this whole process, from when we first started back right after the season ends, we immediately get in it because the shrine bolt was coming right up.
00:45:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, from that moment.
00:45:20
Speaker 2: To here, what is the most exciting thing about this whole process where you like, now that we're here looking back on it all, you're like, man, this gets me juice. This is why I do it.
00:45:31
Speaker 1: So the most exciting thing for me, honestly, honestly was when we were watching the draft here with Bram and London, and right before the draft starts, Brahm goes, Man, no way Sunny Styles get there. And here I am. I've studied everything, I've listened to every I've looked at the draft betting odds, and da da da da, and I'm like, there's no way. So he's the second best player in the class, Like, there's no way he gets to us at seven. And then you see that pick with Tennessee and your heart takes a little bit of a flutter and you're like, oh, they just they just took a receiver. They just took somebody that's not supposed to be in the top ten by most consensus. That's us just not me saying that's like betting consensus. Oh shoot, what are the Giants gonna do? They take carval Rees? Oh shoot, man sort of Lane sitting there, Kansas City trades up, and all of a sudden, Sunny Styles, who was a guy that remember I think he was one of the first people that I watched in this process. I remember talking to you about him, and I just like, he is awesome, Like I could see Washington tak him at seven. And then for all of that work, watching every Ohio State game, going through the whole process, up and down grades and rankings and going all these different events and seeing all the level and then to have that moment happen where the pick of Sunny Styles, I was just like, this is incredible, Like just the that's the beauty of the draft, the reality TV element of it, which is pretty cool.
00:46:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm gonna agree with you. It's the notion of like for whatever this part specifically the whole analysis thing, yeah, is that I had Sunny Styles as my number three.
00:46:54
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:46:55
Speaker 2: And to be a fan of a team picking at seven, huh and get who youth is number three? Is exciting crazy, It's exciting. And it's not I think he's number three because how it used to be where I listened to a podcast or I watched it. It's just watch the people have told me. It's because I sat down and said this guy and then to see him go to seven for whatever reason and come here.
00:47:21
Speaker 1: It is thrilling.
00:47:22
Speaker 2: I can't imagine what they felt like, Yeah, in that draft room with Sunny Styles sitting there, knowing how after all the press conferences and all the talks and the interviews with AP and Q afterwards, how they felt about him, Like if I got this juiced, how man, they must have been losing their minds.
00:47:40
Speaker 1: So I was talking to one of the one of the people in the building over there, and we were talking kind of shooting the talking about how, like you know, TV is so far behind the actual draft reports they coming early. And he was like, oh yeah, dude, like we knew they made the pick fifteen minutes before the pick was announced because everyone we could hear them screaming with joy from the football side, And I was like, all the way, And so, Jason, you watched about three hundred guys this year? I probably I think I went back and recount. I was like two hundred and thirty five something like that, Like little bit off, but like when you watch two hundred people, right, three hundred people in your case, and you've made the decision that this guy is the second or third best player, Like every Shrine Bowl, every senior Bowl watching every linebacker, the guy from Pittsburgh and then he's the guy and he's here as one of the as the best defensive player in the draft class for me, Like for me, I know Caleb Downs was in the conversation for you, but like, it's cool, it's really really cool to see that happen.
00:48:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so much fun. It makes it worth it. Yeah, And then you know what else made it fun real quickly is that when you go through this process is being in the seventh round or these udfas and knowing who these guys are are there and being like now, for me, not everybody, because like I said here, I didn't know a couple of these guys, right, I didn't know the AK and I didn't know my Gold Gold. Yeah, yep, I didn't know them. I didn't watch them. But I'm seeing guys that are beginning picked up on udfa's that I had watched, and like I have opinions about being able to text Caroline like oh Eli hid and right, being able to say those things that people have those conversations and like have an investment in the player to an extent.
00:49:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, and the and the player of their journey and then the league Like now, it's fun. I always find it's fun now to go and check in on you know, Eric Gentry from Cincinnati is the UDFA follow this process, Jeff Caldwell who went to Kansas City as the UDFA right, or our guy the tackle from Miamis and Philly, Like just understand where these guys are.
00:49:40
Speaker 2: Markel Bell Mark, Yeah, It's it's one of those things where like now I'm rooting for these guys even though they're on other teams because I want them to do well.
00:49:46
Speaker 1: I watched so much, like I still check in on Johnny Wilson from like three years ago. We did his report, right.
00:49:51
Speaker 2: I loved them and he's an Eagle, and I'm not supposed to like it, right, But it's like you're rooting for him. I'm rooting for him, and I'm I'm kind of it's this weird thing because of my fandom. I'm rooting for him to figure it out only slightly so that is contract can end and then figure it out, right, But like, uh, the same, I'm sure I'll feel the same way with Caleb Downs.
00:50:12
Speaker 1: With the Cowboy with the Cowboys.
00:50:14
Speaker 2: So like, I don't know, It's just one of those things where like I'm more investing in these guys, these kids in some cases, and like just want the best for them in their careers. It was just so much fun watching it. Logan, I hope we get to do this again next year.
00:50:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, me too, come back. It's always fun. If you guys like it, please make sure you leave a comment that helps us out, helps our boss know you like it. But in the meantime, happy draft season, and that's it.
