The Don

In one of my mock drafts earlier this year I chose Donovan Edwards with the Commanders' last pick.

The first thing that jumps out at you is how good a receiver he is. When you look at his college tape, he's always catching TD passes. 

And every now and then he threw a TD pass.

He was notorious for his bursts. Taking it to the house. You look at him and see a quintessential Kingsbury running back. 

Maybe even a Deebo Junior.

And if you look at his Jets tape?

Darn if he doesn't look the same in the Pros.

As Ed Oliver says, don't sleep on this guy. 

 

 

The Water Cooler on Training Camp

Hanging around The Water Cooler trying to overhear what dudes are thinking about the Washington Commanders 2024 Training Camp..

Commanders 2024 Media Guide

Commanders Lives

RB3 Job with David Harrison of Locked on Commanders

Training Camp Day 6 Ed Oliver 

Training Camp Day 6 Street Scores

Training Camp Reactions Josh Taylor 

JD5's Best Day According to Rio Robinson

Impressions of First Week of Camp by John Keim and Bram Weinstein 

It does not look like the New York Jets have their media guide out yet. Here's their 2023 Guide,. Aaron Rodgers latest presser, and the Jets Channel in case you wish to prep for that first preseason game next week. Don't go to The Water Cooler unprepared. You may be assessed as trash and thrown in the dumpster.

Tony McGee was one of my heroes back in the Gibbs Super Bowl Days. What was it? He and Doc, he and George Starke, he and Mark May on Home Team Sports? His channel deserves some love from Washington Football Fans. You can catch him and the legendary Donna Hopkins over at the Tony McGee Pro Football Plus TV Show YouTube Channel. Here's a representative sample.

There is not much to comment on myself as nothing seems dispositive about the team until the first regular season game.

I am going to sit back and enjoy the preseason as that is when everybody's wishes, hopes, and dreams get pursued with the utmost gusto.

Even the stars of those games may end grocery baggers. Outside of Olympic Beach Volleyball, nothing could be more intriguing.

All because the NFL won't go to 90-Man rosters.

Allen and Lombardi Must Be Smiling in Football Heaven

The hallowed ghosts of George Allen and Vince Lombardi, the last Washington Head Coaches to win in their first years, must be pleased as punch with the work thus far of one Adam Peters, newly anointed General Manager of the Washington NFL Franchise.

Lombardi made a point of returning Sam Huff to the fold. George Allen signed the Ramskins, a cadre of over-30s who had won with Allen in L.A. 

Allen must be doing three cheers for the Redskins in football heaven over the signing of linebacking great Bobby Wagner, quarterback of the Dan Quinn defense that destroyed Peyton Manning and the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

Wagner, perennial All-Pro, is 33 with plenty left in the tank. Vintage George Allen demographics. It is hard to imagine the Commander Defense being out of position, as it was to an embarrassing degree in Coach Rivera's last season, with Bobby Wagner on the field. 

Some people poo-pooh the importance of Free Agency. But it is the only modality whereby you as a coach who has experienced success can bring in people who went for that successful ride with you and can translate your vision of football onto the field. Adam Peters has done that for Dan Quinn in signing the Cowmanders, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, and now former Seahawk Wagner, who will undoubtedly be like a coach on the field for Washington.

Fowler has been with Quinn for years. 

Adam Peters was obviously bluffing when he said the Commanders wouldn't do much in Free Agency. His work so far has been stunning.

So much so perhaps we should not put past him finding a way to pry QB Caleb Williams from the Bears in the Draft. as a means of servicing the account of his Offensive Coordinator. Without injuring prospects for other positions.

Given the historical examples of Lombardi and Allen and the activity of Adam Peters, it would not surprise me to see the Commanders post a winning record in Dan Quinn's first season at the helm in Washington.

It is almost as if . . . Washington is back in the NFL again.

We Don't Have Time to Play Lego With Another Wonder Boy

Rumor mill's abuzz with visions of Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson dancing in the sugar plum fairies' heads. 

It would be nice to see Kirk again. Maybe he mentions D.C. as a possibility because he is looking to get a coaching gig. He'd be a good coach. Washington has some brains on staff. Maybe he's thinking I get a playoff run. Pick those self-same brains. Then see who needs a young coach.

But I think he's too banged up sad to say.

Russ has a rep as a prima donna. But he is a veteran QB. He has worked with DQ. These are two devils who know each other. His detractors say he's not a seven-footer. He's Flutie II. Too small to play QB. Won a Super Bowl and he's too small?

He produces. I don't care if he's Ant-Man.

I am all in on Veteran QBs. You saw what Jacoby did last year. They'd be smooth to start Jacoby. But pattern blindness rules in the NFL. They want Flash Gordons and the New Wonder Boys. When the Vets can get you to the Super Bowl. A.K.A., Billy Kilmer. Doug Williams. Tom Brady.

The thing that is ruinous in Washington is the idea that it is OK for whoever comes in here to LOSE. It is not OK to lose. I'm not giving these guys any slack whatsoever. The goal is to win the Super Bowl. And before that make the Playoffs. And before that win as many games as you can. 

Your deadline is today. 

People say we tanked deliberately last year so we could get the Number 2 Spot. We have to have the Wonder Boy. For what? More losing? You see your projected win total with Wonder Boy? Funny how tanking reproduces itself. 

There is always some future undisclosed time in an undisclosed location when and where the Washington Football Franchise will be victorious once again. It is stupid to want to win when contemplating the football heaven that will one day come.

Radio bull hockey. There are guys here who want to win. Let them go. Before free agency. They're too good for you. They got better things to do with their time than play Lego and Tonka Toys with your Wonder Boys.

I don't personally have time to watch yet another Boy QB struggle with the blitz. With reading defenses. Most of the QBs coming out today don't read defenses at all. They read grass. The mathematics at the line of scrimmage has been deleted in College in favor of speed and intuition.

College Coaches used to have some time to teach some of the Pro Game. Not today. Not with the transfer portal. You draw the play in the ground and go. 

I mean, I see what the Air Raid Dudes are saying. Who has time to do the NFL's job for it? It is mind pollution. Gunks up the engine. We want to win. My guys go full throttle. Everybody go long. If the middle opens up run it like Josh Allen. Otherwise heave it deep.

It's an oversimplification. But losing to develop the latest phenom is an overcomplication especially if there are Vets out there who CAN read defenses and CAN get the ball in the end zone just as quick as the grass cutters.

I can see drafting maybe Joe Milton. In the later rounds. Give him a few years to study. Then Kliff Kingsbury takes him to the Giants and they win Super Bowls. Competing mainly against Sam Howell and the Jets.

If the new staff is here to develop, it is Rivera 2.0. He was quite the development, too. I ain't gonna bother spending money on them if that is the case.

We need offensive linemen more than we need Wonder Boy Quarterbacks.

Here's some dudes to ponder.

Offense Starts Behind

Early on it is looking like the onus will be on the Offensive Staff of the Washington Commanders to prove themselves. Not much changes, eh?

Some people don't like OC Kliff Kingsbury. Some people don't like O-Line Coach Bobby Johnson. There is unease about the running game and the ability to protect what some think will almost certainly be a rookie starting QB.

Johnson's coaching history has produced mixed reviews. Some point out he has done well with the Colts and Bills. Last year with the Giants was not good. They had the injury bug in New York. 

It may go without saying, but starting a rookie at QB with a make-do Offensive Line may sabotage any future the young man may have by subjecting him to continual mind-altering trauma. But NFL teams have on the whole made-do on offensive line and there is a chance this staff may do so as well. 

They say there is a O-lineman crisis.

The Offensive Line is critical. Some say it is a strong year for O-Linemen in free agency. If true, this takes a little pressure off the draft. But not much. It would be alarming to learn the Commanders had not bolstered the O-Line considerably by start of the season.  

But then how many potatoes can you harvest in a famine? Some people think the spread offense, a family of systems that includes Kingsbury's Air Raid Offense, is responsible for the degradation of O-Line play in the NFL.

So this problem may be tectonic and aversive to vast improvement.

The Commanders have hired a few heavy hitters for their defense. John Pagano. Ken Norton Jr. Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense, as was JDR's last year, will be seen as the team's strength.  

Pagano and Norton Jr. are former coordinators.

Time is of the Essence

There are structural things in place in the NFL which will retard the progress of the Washington NFL franchise as they construct a new era of football. 

The primary retardant is Time. Time is against them. I would be surprised to learn the New Owners didn't maximize their opportunities to pursue front office personnel. They have had time for research. It is not unreasonable to expect a New GM right off the bat. If not, valuable ticks off the clock will ensue.

Yes, for you clock managers out there, if the Commanders are to do well this offseason clock management will be the thing.

The NFL, at least last I heard, doesn't allow interviews of assistant coaches still in championship contention. For an organization that claims to be a proponent of equal employment opportunity, that's a disgrace. Big name assistants like Ben Johnson may find themselves bereft of opportunities even though they are sought after. 

There are people available for consideration right off the bat for coaching duties. Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh being two who could also double as GM. Eric Bieniemy is in the building and should be interviewed as a matter of course. David Shaw is out there. The tempo would thus be just about the same as if you had incumbents in place. Then that would clear a path for a less rushed approach to free agency and the draft.

But before we get to all that, seems like it would be expedient to see a Jacoby Brissett advertisement against Dallas. As part of research for the new era. And as part of Brissett's pay scale elevation cultivation. And if some in the new group want to pass on Brissett, a nice sign and trade may harvest some veteran leadership, offensive or defensive, for next year.

Jacoby comes in and pounds Dallas he's a jewel. 

They pound Dallas and they increase ticket sales for next year. 

They get pounded by Dallas it doesn't matter a whole hell of a lot. Except if it ends up humiliating Sam Howell once again. He doesn't need that. Sam would be eliminated from the conversation and I don't think that would be quite fair given the fact he has had, worts and all, a fairly solid first year starting in the NFL.

To a certain extent, Josh Harris and Company have had a head start in the GM department. In everything else they are pressed for time. 

The final gun in the Dallas game is the starting pistol in a race against Time.

In Theaters January 6th. Rated G for everyone.

Thoughts on the Offensive Line

A few thoughts on the Washington Commander Offensive Line since I've liked and subscribed to the Quarterbacks, the Running Backs, the Wide Receivers, the Defensive Line, and the DBs.

I would like and subscribe to the Linebackers but we only play two.

The Commander O-Line had 11 different starters last year. Injuries mucked up everything. Going into the offseason, the Commanders had to improve the offensive line. Did they do that?

It's a new bunch. Though I don't know what new would mean to a team that was always starting a new line. This "new" line, this new starting line, is a veteran group. When you think new you think they are not going to know each other. 

They're not new to football. Andrew Wylie was in the Super Bowl last year. Nick Gates was in the playoffs. Sam Cosmi has a few years under his belt and supposedly is in his natural position at guard. Charles Leno was a pro bowler with that 12-4 2018 Chicago Bear Squad. The left guard is going to be manned by Saahdiq Charles who is a youthful veteran. 

There's enough experience on the line to offset any stranger in town chemistry problems. This is why George Allen Theory still is effective. It is easier to gel as a unit if you have experience even if you don't have much experience with each other.

It is still better to build the line through the draft complemented by good scouting and research in the archeological digs for jewels in the undrafted free agent pits and grocery bagging communities.

Did the Commanders improve? If the O-Line is healthy, yes they've improved. I'm not saying they're dominant. I'm not saying they're five pro-bowlers. I am saying they are good enough, if healthy, to get the job done. 

They still need to find snaps for the young fellas. It is a good bet they will get snaps and there will be growing pains. 

But hopefully we will be blessed with a little bit better health than we got last year. 

So say your prayers. 

This Week in Commander Football

This week, there is talk about Commander QB1 Sam Howell slipping a bit performance wise. There are a few things to factor in. 

Remember Bieniemy's philosophy. Get out of your comfort zone. No pain no gain. Discomfort is the mother of invention. It is better by a long shot to get uncomfortable in practice. The old saying is practice should be difficult so the games are easier.

So they probably want to make Sam experience his discomfort in practice.

Now the flip side to that is it is hard, subconsciously, to practice NOT fumbling or throwing picks because you are rehearsing by negative reinforcement exactly what you are trying to avoid: fumbling and throwing picks. In situations like that hard coaching can, CAN, backfire. You have to be able to judge whether you are busting up crusted over habits or pouring fresh concrete on them.

Rick Snider had a blurb about a George Allen book this week. I miss George Allen. He had a passion for the game unmatched in team history except maybe now with EB. His enthusiasm raised your game. It was almost a football spirituality. An x-factor. Yes you got the jet. Do you have the jet fuel?

Bieniemy has the jet fuel to balance the hard coaching. So you use EB to recover from EB.  

The only place I have any apprehension about is the offensive line. I think former Giant Center Nick Gates is an upgrade. Can he last into the playoffs? Can Center Draftee Ricky Stromberg get up to snuff fast enough? One reason you run first is weak pass blocking. Most pro ball players can run block. That is a disguise. You like to be able to pass. We've got excellent backs. We should still be able to run. But we have ostensibly better receivers. Are we better pass blockers?

Sadly, I don't think mini-camp will be definitive about the O-Line. Need some pseudo-games for that. 

Edge Man Chase Young was back at mini-camp amid trade rumors and questions about motivation. The Bears Fans seem to think the Bears are interested. I don't know what the Bears have to offer that wouldn't injure their chances this year. 

Given the fact that Chase is in a contract year and players in general tend to excel in that year the Commanders' asking price should be very stiff. 

That's part of the argument that Chase should, for the good of his future, stay in Washington this particular year because the Commander defense should be well positioned for a bountiful harvest in sacks. The Commanders are getting some respect around the league BECAUSE they got Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin in the Draft. Those guys were wanted men around the League. We lost some guys we wanted but we got some guys the rest of the League wanted.

 

These additions to the secondary look like they will slow the decisionmaking of the opposing QB. That should help Chase and his fellow terror Montez Sweat "finish".

Washington is a candidate for Hard Knocks. I think it's too much of a pain. This team needs to build chemistry. It doesn't need foreign agents corrupting the mixture. Impurities make explosions happen. Then you have to ask the Board for money for a new chemlab.

What exactly is the benefit of outrageous distraction to the football team? How many Hard Knocks Teams have made the playoffs? Is it like whoever is on the cover of Madden is out for the season?

That the NFL intends to force teams to partake is an assault on the competitive quality of the League. There is too much media intrusion already without a mandatory circus sideshow. 

Could there be anything more outrageous than Hard Knocks? Yes! One of the pundits in the media was wondering who fans would rather have than Ron Rivera coaching this year.

My answer would be no one. For this year, Ron Rivera is perfect. 

Commanders OTAs

The Commanders are in OTAs. So are a lot of NFL Teams. All of them seem excited about 2023. I congratulate fans and commentators alike on winning the Offseason Super Bowl something every team in the league does every year.

I thought Mike Martz's comments on Sam Howell were interesting. Rico at Street Scores has that posted. I think I said the 1999 Rams, a team Martz was offensive coordinator for, were in a similar situation the Commanders are now in. Does that mean the Commanders make the Super Bowl and set offensive records? Not necessarily. 

But it does mean some people may not see the Commanders coming. Even if they go 9-8 that would shock most of today's commentators.

Chase Young was not in attendance at Commanders OTAs. That is not unusual for him. I don't think he understands what is expected of an NFL player. I think the injury is an issue and I would understand reducing the opportunity for bad luck to manifest. But I'm not sure he has command enough of the defense to excuse himself. Montez Sweat does seem to have a decent command of the defense. So yes, Sweat missing OTAs has less impact.

But then the defense functioned well last year WITHOUT Chase. There are people who can take his place on the team. Perhaps do less freelancing. They don't have to deconstruct their egos and rebuild them. Ego can kill NFL careers. Will it kill Chase's? I don't know. 

It can be a big block if you think your game can't be improved.

I remember John Riggins missing some practices. I remember Riggo spending game week in traction. But Riggo was Super Bowl MVP. A master of the game. Chase is not yet a master of the game. Ray Lewis was a master of the game. Jack Del Rio got him to attend team functions.

Fans in Washington have nightmares about situations like this. Albert Haynesworth was a potential league MVP. He just did not have the desire. Chase Young plus desire equals 20 sacks. Chase Young minus desire may equal Haynesworth. That's what bugs us fans.

Some people just don't like the game. It happens.

But forgive me if I wait to see Chase play this year before relegating him to another ego bust situation.

 

Five Chief Concerns

There is not much going on in football. The standard everybody is going to the Super Bowl Stuff.

The chief worries in Washington are:

1. The Owner

2. The Offensive Line

3. The Offensive Line Coach

4. The Size of Emmanuel Forbes

5. The Quarterback

The Quarterback is always a chief worry in Washington, even when the position is solid. People want confirmation of Sam Howell's worthiness. My feeling is he will at the least be good enough. Good enough is good enough to win and go to the playoffs. Jacoby Brissett is also good enough in almost the exact same measure. But nothing will be known for sure until four or five games into the regular season.

The size of Emmanuel Forbes is unimportant. There will be NFL head games played. Other teams will try to run right at him if only to crush his psyche. See, all the talking heads are right about you. You're so bony I can walk my dog with you. But Forbes will be OK. He might create a takeaway mindset in team-mates. That'd be good.

The Offensive Line Coach is Travelle Wharton. I guess we have to wait for the Owner's arrival to get confirmation.

The Offensive Line was improved by free agency and the draft. Is it enough? It badly needs healthy players. People who don't play aren't going to help. It is going to come down to health. I wish it came down to talent. But that isn't the history here the last few years. The "best" players tend to be on the injured list. That has to change or really we're not going to advance beyond last year's win total.

There are ways to compensate. They say run the ball to hide a bad line. That worked a little bit last year. You can also play the young guys. Just bite the bullet and put youth on the field. And run the ball.

But we won't know about the line until the season is half over. It is hoped they are improved enough that we'll be able to say they are good enough. It is the same as the QBs. Good enough will win and make the playoffs.

Good enough should permit the passing game to function well enough to score more points than last year. It is a scandal to have the receivers we do and not get them the "damn ball".

Of course, the chief concerns could take on a new character when the new owner gets here and gives the go-aheads necessary to make further gains.

 

Chase Brice Chiefs Press Interview

Competition for QB3:

Source: KCSN

Heard the Eagles were thinking of keeping four QBs post-Niner debacle. Will the Commanders consider it?

 

Draft Snapshots

The draft and some undrafted free agents (UDFA) activity has been concluded. Let's look at some highlights and data.

Emmanuel Forbes In the NFL long and thin equals breakable. There have been guys who played at his weight who were awesome but they tended to be shorter and harder for pulling guards to find. His pick sixability is hard to ignore.

Quan Martin Top Safety in the draft per Chris Simms. Ron Rivera says "Buffalo Nickel" and relief valve for Kam Curl. Riggo's Rag.

Ricky Stromberg Passionate guy. Maybe the heir-apparent at Center. Riggo's Rag.

Braeden Daniels  The next Trent Williams. Interesting. "Only five sacks out of 1,400 pass blocking snaps." That's going to be his catchphrase.

K. J. Henry Clemson Press Guide. Status of Young and Sweat makes this foresight pick necessary.

Andre Jones A ball ripper. Same as immediately above. NFL.COM assessment. With Jones and Henry, good anticipation by Mayhew and Rivera.

Chris Rodriguez Jr.  Power play guy. Fans called him "C-Rod".

Kazmeir Allen UDFA. A kick return candidate who has some gee-whiz big plays as a running back and receiver. My first thought was he could be the Faulk in a 5 receiver set. He is a threat. Might have to find more than Special Teams work for him.

This draft tells me the Commanders think well of the O-Linemen they had before the draft. They also appear to like their current linebacking situation. Jack Del Rio, who has no free speech issues, would have voiced a strong opinion on any linebacker he wanted. As far as I know, he didn't.

They're expecting the pass. Trying to decrease the time it takes for the opposing QB to get rid of the ball. Aiming for good coverage the first two seconds. At three seconds, the QB Facebook Status is probably KOB (knocked on bottom).

NFL.COM's Draft Home

 

Sources of Fun for Washington's 2023 Draft

I guess I have to say this: It is ok to have fun Commanders Family.

That includes fans and scribes and mikes (microphones) and yes, players and coaches. It is all right. Maybe it is only one year. But you don't have to worry about corruption and bad luck and bad karma and bad overpriced parking spots. Just take it easy. Enjoy the Draft. Enjoy the land of wishes, hopes, and dreams. 

People say this is just hype. Everybody wins the offseason. In a way I am grateful for that. It is a break from tearing people down all the time. I get tired of that. Tired of hearing people's pedigree questioned. And the perfectionism is so intense you wonder what planet it's from. Do these people even know human beings?

There are countless imperfect football players who were great. In statistically significant amounts. One of the best things about the sport of football is the maturation process. Seeing people learn and grow. It is a sport where you can learn and grow your whole career. Even when you become a coach and a teacher. You hear Zen people talk about the Beginner's Mind. Football requires it. You have to constantly keep an open mind because syndromes get you into trouble. 

That's fun. Is your coach open minded? Are your players coachable? Can they adapt? Or do they keep doing the same thing? 

Not to say there aren't good syndromes. As in good habits. Good skill sets. Things you do as a matter of good maintenance. Best practices hygiene. 

So where can you go to get your draft party on?

If you want a tip on guys no one is looking at, Emory Hunt is your guy. Especially if you are wondering, as I am, if the Commanders are hoping to get a QB3 in the draft. But Hunt will be the best at defining who the undrafted free agents are.

For you Football Scholars and Historians, there's also Thinking Football. People with a QB focus are Jordan Palmer, Tim Jenkins, Kurt Warner, and J.T. O'Sullivan.

If you want a Commanders Focus and a collected history of who the Commanders have been looking at, go to Rico at Street Scores. Ditto Pedro. For sheer Fan Base Rah Rah there is Louie Tee, Rio Robinson, and Ed Oliver. 

Doc is on ESPN. B-Mitch is on 106.7 the Fan. The old Sports Blitz guys Kevin and Thommie are at The Kevin Sheehan Show. 

If you like a straight line journalistic approach, there's Rick Snider, John Keim, and Hoffman. 

Joe Theismann no doubt is a worthwhile Google Search. If Riggo makes a pronouncement, it will probably be at MegaRiggins.

I don't know where Sabah is. She'll pop up.

 

The Commanders Quarterback Spot is OK

I guess I see the point of Commanders fans who favor Lamar Jackson coming to Washington.

The Coach and the General Manager came out and said they weren't interested yesterday at the owner's meetings. It sounded like they feel they can't meet Lamar's asking price. I agree with that. The price as previously stated? Ain't possible in Washington without franchise altering tooth-pulling. 

They also hinted the new owner may change that trajectory. I'm not enamored of that idea. Reminds me of Dan Snyder choosing Jeff George over Brad Johnson. It would be a little spooky. You may as well fire the coaching staff. You are injecting cancer cells into the organism.

The Quarterbacks on the roster are good enough to win with up to and including winning in the playoffs. They need a Number Three. They find a mobile pocket friendly QB in any round no matter if they are a name or not, they should take him. Should be somebody EB likes. Consistent with the top two guys' skillset so the offense is not radically altered every time the QB is changed.

Maybe that is just too quiet a move but quiet moves sometimes make the biggest noise.

They still need O-Line help. Some linebacking bolstering. Maybe corner. But they are solid enough to take the top player available.

They are solid at QB.

We're Not Your Chumps Anymore

The situation in Washington, as has been noted by the pundits, is fluid. I guess to fill time the commentators are hurrying to do final assessments on the Commanders' roster.

But that can't be done yet. The final grade on NFL rosters is the day after the Super Bowl and that is a long ways off. 

The roster is more like a formation. It is set in motion during the offseason like a tailback sent wide by the QB.

It is a chessboard where moves are made to put the team in position to do something.

Like what? Like make the playoffs. Like win the division. Like win homefield advantage. Like make the Super Bowl. Like winning the Super Bowl.

There are moves yet to be made. By the Commanders and by the entire league. 

Some of them will tip the hands of the people who make them. It will be a tell to me that the Commanders aren't interested in contending if they make no move to draft offensive linemen. They have flaws elsewhere. But the offensive line was a clear weakness and was decisive in some of the losing that was done. 

And yet, had it been a tad stronger and a tad healthier the team would have been in the playoffs at a minimum. 

Preliminary steps have been taken in that regard. The job still needs to be finished. We need to see healthy guys on the roster to expect improvement in wins and losses.

Currently, the talk is about quarterback and cornerback. It should be about the O-Line and the O-Line Coach. Who will that be?

There are intimations from the Press Corps that the Commanders are somehow obligated to talk to Lamar Jackson. That's problematic. The issue with Jackson is a league issue. It's about whether roster annihilating contracts should be guaranteed. It is about Quarterbacks with a dangerous style of play they can't guarantee desiring guarantees they'll get paid for work they may not do. Is guaranteeing a quarter of a BILLION dollars for work that may not be done a fair deal? 

Football is a dangerous game and people get hurt. Few football people are psychic, however. Maybe in the future a player can use a time machine and bring back game film to the negotiating table and say hey look this proves I play the whole season next year. Guaranteed money is a form of injury insurance. The Players Association is asking for the player to be paid for the work he would have done had he not been subject to the occupational hazard of playing football.

I think we'd all like a shot at that deal. Imagine what we could get never having played a down. Wow.

But that's a labor issue. It is league wide. It is not up to the league's chumps to go fund me the players. That is for the League and the Players Association to work out.

My sense is the League feels guaranteed money is one way they get ripped off. There may be a guaranteed sum they would be morally obligated to pay. But a quarter of a billion?

That's an understandable reason NOT to pursue Lamar Jackson. If Peter King, Mike Florio, or anyone else who believes the Washington Commanders have a moral obligation to make Lamar an offer is willing to provide reinsurance regarding the matter, I'd say let's do it. But that's not going to happen. These are geniuses with our money. Theirs is not up for discussion. Even though it would expose how much faith they really have in Lamar Jackson. 

Teams have been burned by this concept too many times. Why is Washington an okay place to get burned? You say we're dumb now for not doing it. But I'd bet 250 million you'd say we were dumb for doing it later.

My feeling is the days where we are the league chumps are numbered.

Or at least, Peter, we're not YOUR CHUMPS anymore. 

That said, at the right price, I'd sign Lamar. Waiting for the new owner's input of course.

After all, it is his money.