00:00We're talking to Ben Standing.
00:01Let's just talk receiver here for a moment.
00:04Juwan Jennings, man, that's a disappointing free agency for him.
00:09One year, $13 million in Minnesota,
00:12but I thought he would get a multi-year deal before free agency began.
00:18You believe that there was probably some interest from Washington,
00:23but not enough to get to whatever number he was asking for.
00:29Well, first, it's an $8 million base with upside to $13 million,
00:33so it's even less than what he would have thought.
00:37And I think from what I had heard,
00:38he was looking north of $15 million annually in free agency before the draft,
00:45and obviously that didn't happen.
00:46So he goes to Minnesota for a lot less.
00:48I mean, from the Washington perspective, they at least checked in.
00:53The fact that it just never seemed to get any momentum,
00:57there was never really any rumors about it.
01:00You know, at the point that we were getting towards, you know,
01:03the draft and all the Brandon Ayuk stuff keeps being discussed,
01:06I was like, okay, what is going on here?
01:07So I did try to look into it a bit more.
01:09Like, you know, again, you can tell me, I know you've talked about it,
01:12we've talked about it in all of them.
01:13You can tell me whatever you want about Brandon Ayuk,
01:15but the one thing I know is he didn't play last year.
01:18Juwan, I think, did, had nine touchdowns.
01:21He's, you know, maybe not exactly what they need in terms of, like,
01:25doesn't have, like, a certain speed that I like, but good size, whatever.
01:28He played last year at Adam Peters, knows him.
01:30That didn't work, or they didn't show that.
01:32So that's why I'm sort of just been, like, puzzled as to why is it this guy,
01:38with all the question marks that we have about Ayuk,
01:40what here's a Brandon, Juwan Jennings, who's sitting right there,
01:44Adam Peters knows him, and that didn't seem to move the needle for him.
01:48And, you know, so be it.
01:50It is what it is.
01:50Well, the players are completely different.
01:52I mean, I know Ayuk hasn't played since 2023,
01:55but they're completely different players.
01:58Ayuk is a stretch-the-field, home-run, big pass-catching threat.
02:05Juwan Jennings is the best blocking wide receiver in the NFL,
02:08who's also, I think, a little bit underrated, you know,
02:11underneath, over the middle, as a tough guy and as a good hands catcher.
02:17Yeah, no, no, they're definitely very different,
02:19but this is the beggars-choosers type of part of the offseason, right?
02:22I mean, there's only so many guys left.
02:25It's not like there's, like, okay, you go to the grocery store,
02:27you can sift through all the different kinds of cereals.
02:31Here, it's like you got three boxes.
02:33Which one do you want?
02:34And they're sticking, it seems like, with the one that I wouldn't necessarily
02:37want on my table, but they're willing to go it.
02:39And, again, you know, even with Stephon Diggs, like, am I interested in Stephon Diggs?
02:44Not really.
02:45Obviously, there's been a lot going on with him off the field.
02:48I know his recent matter got cleaned up in the court system,
02:51and, you know, he was conorated, and the case turned out, and all that.
02:54But, you know, there's been other things.
02:57But here's what I do know.
02:58Every year he plays a full season, he goes over 1,000 yards,
03:01including last year with the team that went to the Super Bowl.
03:03That guy plays, even if he's not the deep threat that Ayuki is,
03:06I know he's playing, that to me seems like a pretty good tiebreaker.
03:11So, you know, again, it is what it is in terms of why they clearly seem to be
03:17focused on one guy rather than just getting a receiver.
03:20And we'll ultimately find out if that's the way it goes and what happens.
03:23But, yeah, I mean, to me, the guys who actually play,
03:27that seems like a pretty good trait above everything else.
03:31Yeah, from Poem C on X,
03:35my guy Kevin Sheehan is willing to die on this Brandon Ayukil,
03:38and I can't tell to what degree he's leveraging radio agitation,
03:42but the commitment is impressive.
03:45Dovetails nicely with the Terry slander, too.
03:49Call segments for days.
03:52Yeah, there's no Terry slander.
03:54That's an exaggeration.
03:56I like Terry a lot.
03:58Just don't think that he is elite.
04:00That's all.
04:01It's really not that hard.
04:04It's not that I'm willing to die on this Brandon Ayukil.
04:07I'm just saying that if they're sitting there waiting for him
04:10and they end up signing him,
04:12I have to assume,
04:14tell me if you think I'm incorrect,
04:16I have to assume that they know
04:18that he is physically healthy,
04:22mentally stable,
04:23and is ready to prove everybody wrong
04:26and ready to sign a one-year prove-it deal.
04:30And under those circumstances,
04:33sign me up 100%.
04:35They're going to know more than we're going to know about the individual.
04:39And if they do it,
04:40then I'm going to assume,
04:41tell me if you think that they would do it without knowing this,
04:46that he's checked the boxes,
04:48the health boxes,
04:50both mentally and physically.
04:54That's the only justification for why this is a conversation still.
04:58If they don't have,
04:59I mean,
04:59look,
05:00this is a tricky spot for them,
05:01right?
05:01They can't technically talk.
05:03They can't talk to him.
05:04I mean,
05:04obviously,
05:05I get it.
05:05He and Jade might text all the time.
05:07That's different.
05:08They can't talk to him directly.
05:10And they,
05:11you know,
05:11there's only so much homework they can do because he's on another team.
05:15Simultaneously,
05:15if they haven't done every bit of due diligence possible,
05:18and they've waited all this time,
05:20and they've let other opportunities go by,
05:23that is awful.
05:24They write that that would be terrible planning if they'd let go.
05:28We're going to totally.
05:28Well,
05:28they did try for Pearson Dobbs.
05:33Right.
05:34Sure.
05:34But I mean,
05:35I don't even know that they wouldn't have gone.
05:37If they wouldn't have gone with IU still,
05:39it's based on how it's going.
05:41But yeah,
05:41I mean,
05:41but that,
05:42but that's,
05:42yeah,
05:43they did try for those guys,
05:44but they weren't the only receivers out there.
05:46They're just the ones,
05:47they were the biggest names and they took a shot.
05:49Didn't work.
05:49So be it.
05:50I have no issues with that.
05:52Yeah.
05:52You would like to think that they have a really,
05:54really,
05:54really,
05:55really good idea.
05:55But,
05:55but I guess here's the thing about it is,
05:57which again,
05:58makes this weird.
05:58One,
05:59if they've been able to do whatever due diligence they have,
06:02they're not the only people in the league who could do this.
06:04And yet,
06:05seemingly no other team is linked with IU on,
06:07any level.
06:08So what does that tell you?
06:10Like,
06:10it's not like they're the only team that could tell you that they all
06:13believe that there's only one place he wants to play.
06:18Okay.
06:18So you're,
06:19so again,
06:20if somebody is willing to say,
06:21we want Brandon.
06:22I use,
06:22we'll even give you more money than we're watching.
06:25It's going to give you.
06:27He still would be like,
06:29no.
06:30Yeah.
06:31Look,
06:32I mean,
06:32he threw away 30 to $40 million.
06:34So the judgment,
06:36you know,
06:37on,
06:37uh,
06:38managing finances isn't,
06:40isn't the best,
06:41uh,
06:41not,
06:41not the best track record,
06:42by the way,
06:43on Stefan digs,
06:44I'm on the record of,
06:45you know,
06:46he,
06:47like you said,
06:47is available.
06:48He played last year.
06:49He played well last year.
06:52I'm actually on some level,
06:54somewhat surprised that new England isn't bringing him back,
06:56but there is this short shelf life to the Stefan digs experience.
07:01Uh,
07:01you know,
07:02uh,
07:03historically,
07:03but I'd be fine.
07:05Uh,
07:05that would be,
07:06I,
07:07Stefan digs is never,
07:08he's been the number one on every team he's been on.
07:12And his best number two was Adam feeling like he'd be the number two with Terry at this point in
07:20his career.
07:20And I think it would be a major ad if you got what he provided last year at,
07:26at a bare minimum.
07:30Yeah.
07:31By the way,
07:31I think the list of the tryout players or maybe the rookie list just came out,
07:35but I can't look at it while we're talking.
07:37Uh,
07:38got a month to look at Twitter.
07:39Maybe it's there.
07:40He could tell you if anything's interesting.
07:41Um,
07:42but,
07:42uh,
07:43yeah,
07:43look,
07:44the,
07:44the big thing again,
07:45the fact that he is available despite having another productive season,
07:48you know,
07:48I think said,
07:49and again,
07:49there was the questions of,
07:51of his,
07:51uh,
07:52of accusations that were,
07:54uh,
07:55yeah.
07:56Against him.
07:56And people had a way through that.
07:57Okay.
07:58So I get where that may have factored in.
07:59Um,
08:00you know,
08:00look,
08:00New England moved on big time.
08:02They got Dobbs and I guess they're getting AJ Brown.
08:03So they are definitely,
08:05uh,
08:05decided,
08:06you know,
08:06despite whatever the trade AJ Brown trade is going to be,
08:08that they would rather go that route than bring Diggs back just for money.
08:12That's,
08:12that says something,
08:14uh,
08:14as well.
08:15And presumably Diggs,
08:16whatever money he's going to get,
08:17probably going to be less than Dobbs got.
08:18So they really said,
08:20so we want to move on in a variety of ways.
08:23And,
08:23you know,
08:23again,
08:25like you said,
08:25this isn't the,
08:26he's had a short,
08:27uh,
08:28we're not sure,
08:28but you know,
08:29he,
08:29he,
08:29he wears out as welcome seemingly wherever he goes under normal circumstances.
08:33I wouldn't be advocating that Washington should get him,
08:36but if you're going to,
08:37again,
08:37go down the brand that I use ground,
08:38well then,
08:39okay,
08:39wait a minute.
08:39If we're going to,
08:40I don't want to say lower principles,
08:42because that may be unfair.
08:43I don't know.
08:43Brandon.
08:44I use,
08:44they do.
08:45He may be the best teammate possible.
08:47So I don't want to go down that route,
08:48but clearly there are questions.
08:50He hasn't played since 2024.
08:51And if you're willing to go down,
08:53uh,
08:53you know,
08:54somewhat of a questionable path,
08:55why would you not at least take a longer look at the guy who's been highly productive?
09:00You know,
09:00it's like when,
09:01when Tio was,
09:02you know,
09:04you know,
09:04the number one enemy,
09:05you know,
09:06enemy in the league,
09:07the guy was also the best receiver.
09:08So people like put up with whatever he was doing because he went out there and produced.
09:12I'm not saying digs is that,
09:14but at least we've seen him produce.
09:15I,
09:16the other guy,
09:17it feels like it's a wing and a prayer and they,
09:20we just don't know anything.
09:21And that's why I think it's just,
09:24look,
09:24I can see this.
09:25If Brandon,
09:26I use shows up,
09:26he does come to Washington and he says the right things.
09:30And whether it's practice or preseason or whatever,
09:32it looks the right way.
09:33I can see a lot of us in the media going,
09:35boy,
09:35you know what?
09:36Why?
09:36I really liked his brain that exciting.
09:37The difference it's not going to be backtracking or pivoting.
09:41It's going to be,
09:42we have information.
09:43Now we have none to this point.
09:44And all these things we have is not good.
09:48That's why I think there's no sense.
09:51But,
09:51but here's the thing.
09:52I want to just go back to,
09:53to sort of my overall thoughts on this.
09:56The player was,
09:59was great in 2023 and ascending.
10:02So immediately I'm interested in,
10:04in adding that kind of a talent to my team.
10:08So then I go to the next step.
10:09We don't know anything about him since.
10:11And what we do know about him,
10:13as you just said,
10:13is primarily not good,
10:15but I have to rely on Adam Peters,
10:19Dan Quinn,
10:19front office,
10:20Jaden Daniels,
10:21that if they actually did sign him at any point,
10:25that they've done all of the due diligence.
10:28They've checked off all the boxes on all of the things that we've heard or
10:33assumed weren't good.
10:35And therefore there's a chance you're going to get that player from 2023,
10:39because if there's a chance,
10:41you're going to get that player from 2023 without any disruptions and with no
10:46downside in terms of the ability to move on contractually,
10:51then I,
10:52I'd be excited about that possibility.
10:55And I would assume that since they did it,
10:56they think that that's a possibility as well.
11:00Cause he was a great player in 2023 and descending.
11:06Yeah.
11:06I assume that they think that,
11:08but as you just said,
11:092023,
11:11I mean,
11:11I know a long time ago,
11:1324 a little bit,
11:14but like,
11:14right.
11:14That,
11:15that,
11:15that's forever ago.
11:17You know?
11:18So,
11:18I mean,
11:19that was before Jaden Daniels was in the league.
11:21So that,
11:22that's,
11:23that's the question.
11:24And again,
11:25I think the other part of this is if he was just a standard free agent,
11:30he was just hanging out on the,
11:32you know,
11:32waiting for his,
11:32for the call.
11:33He's ready to go.
11:35He's been around.
11:36This guy has been basically,
11:37it feels like a reckless.
11:38Like nobody seems to have talked to him again.
11:40I'm not,
11:41I don't mean a,
11:42a friend texting.
11:43I mean,
11:44like people in the league,
11:45anybody I've talked to,
11:46you see other reporting,
11:47Adam Schefter reported this as much that people do not seem to be able to get a
11:51hold of the guy.
11:51Yeah.
11:52Even if you're telling me that Washington is where he only wants to go,
11:55that's still weird.
11:56So I don't,
11:57that's what I'm saying.
11:58I don't,
11:58they,
11:58they know way more than we do,
12:00but based on what we know,
12:01I can't,
12:02it's hard for me to just sit here blindly and go,
12:03yeah,
12:04it makes,
12:04it makes perfect sense.
12:06All right.
12:06I gotta go.
12:07Thanks for doing this.
12:09Uh,
12:10always,
12:10man,
12:11I will,
12:11I'll bring full report on Monday for you.
12:13Of all the great things that happened.
12:14We'll be able to talk about who the wizards are going to draft on Monday as well.
12:19thank you.
12:19Come on.
12:21At Ben standing on X.
12:22We'll be able to talk about who the wizards are going to draft on Monday as well.
12:22We'll be able to talk about who the wizards are going to draft on Monday as well.
12:23We'll be able to talk about who the wizards are going to draft on Monday as well.
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