00:00So we wanted to touch on some news coming out of Commander's OTAs.
00:05This is your headline from Heavy.com.
00:08Former first-round pick continues to shine at Commander's OTAs.
00:13His name?
00:15Traylon Burks.
00:17I am quietly rooting for him and crossing my fingers for maybe something to pop.
00:25It would be great if that were to happen.
00:27So Commanders.com's Zach Selby reported this week that Burks has stood out again
00:32at the team's off-season workouts.
00:34Quote, Traylon Burks continues to make plays in Blau's offense.
00:38He had another pair of catches during practice today.
00:41While the Commanders aren't in a rush to name a No. 2 wideout,
00:45Burks has made his case that he should be the player going forward.
00:50Are there guys like Traylon Burks who kind of floundered for a few seasons
00:56and he's had injuries from turf toe to other things who then eventually really blossomed?
01:04So last year, he tantalized you.
01:05He had basically the Odell Beckham catch, right?
01:08Yeah.
01:08He's got like this crazy physical ability.
01:12And he was drafted in the first round.
01:15So at some point, people believed in him.
01:17But it really hasn't worked out in the NFL.
01:19His best season was his rookie season where he had 33 catches and one touchdown.
01:25Yeah.
01:25He's got two career touchdowns in four seasons.
01:27I think the big problem for him is being staying healthy.
01:30Can you think of another guy who has that type of potential and ability,
01:35a first-rounder, who basically does nothing for four seasons?
01:39Stazely, and then all of a sudden, blossoms.
01:42But here's the thing.
01:43It doesn't have to – look, he's not going to be a star.
01:46Rule it out.
01:46He doesn't need to be a star.
01:48But could he be a guy that catches 40 balls?
01:51I think that might be possible.
01:53I'd like to see a little more than 40.
01:54Like 50?
01:57That's a big jump for him.
01:58I mean, that's a big jump.
01:59But I feel like given this opportunity, if he's on the field for 14 games,
02:04if he can manage to stay healthy for the bulk of the season,
02:08and he's given the number two wideout spot, I feel like he probably could give you
02:12those sorts of numbers.
02:13I know he's been banged up, but he was an all-SEC guy, right, in college.
02:17Oh, yeah, he was really good in college.
02:18I mean, 66 catches his senior year for 11 touchdowns.
02:22He ran a 4-5 at the Combine.
02:24He's got a pretty good vertical, you know, for a guy his size.
02:28It was a 33-inch vertical.
02:30I mean, you know, he's an athletic guy.
02:31He's got a burner.
02:34Good size for a receiver.
02:35We don't really have that many guys like that.
02:38I just think there's a role for him.
02:41And there's an opportunity, certainly.
02:43Oh, the opportunity.
02:44He's screaming at him.
02:45Yeah.
02:46And he knows it.
02:47And he's, you know, obviously playing pretty well in the OTAs.
02:50He flashed for a moment or two last year when given an opportunity.
02:53But is he a Rod Gardner?
02:56I mean, at this point he is.
02:58That would be a great contributor.
03:00At this point he is.
03:01Look, the bar is low.
03:03I just, can he be better and more productive and stay on the field more than, say, a Noah
03:07Brown?
03:08I kind of equate him like he's now this new version of Noah Brown.
03:14But if they go out and get, you know, an Ayuk or a Diggs or someone else, obviously his
03:18role diminishes a little bit.
03:20And that's fine.
03:21It comes down.
03:22I'm sorry.
03:23Trelon Berks, you're a nice story.
03:24But if Stefan Diggs comes in, you get pushed down the depth chart.
03:28That's just the way it works.
03:29You're probably like the number four.
03:30Right.
03:30He's actually not even Rod Gardner at this point.
03:33I mean, Rod Gardner did have 1,000 yards his second year.
03:36Right.
03:36Yeah.
03:36Did have 71 catches.
03:38He had 46, 71, 59, 51.
03:41He'd killed to be Rod Gardner.
03:42Yeah.
03:43Yeah.
03:43At this point.
03:44But overall, Rod Gardner as a first-round pick was his disappointment.
03:46Kind of a disappointment.
03:47But when you look back at it in fairness, all right, Rod Gardner had 23 touchdowns in
03:54the NFL.
03:55Yeah.
03:56I mean, you would definitely take 23.
03:57You know, 242 catches, played six years in the league.
04:00I mean, not an incredible career by any stretch, but we've seen worse busts.
04:05But I just think that there's an opportunity for him.
04:08He has some unique attributes, and there is some obviously untapped potential because
04:13of injury.
04:15And, you know, I heard JP Finley throw this out on his show.
04:19So, the assumption by all of us is that they clearly need to go out and get another guy.
04:25I do think ultimately they would sign Ayuk if he becomes available in a decent time frame.
04:31Yep.
04:31It's been reported they're interested in him.
04:34But I do also think that the room, it could be good enough to win games.
04:39I think the room's better than it was in 2024.
04:42And if Ayuk shows up, he would again have to take a back seat because Ayuk then automatically
04:48is your number two.
04:49Of course.
04:50I think Antonio Williams is already your number three.
04:53Like, I think they have a role carved out for him.
04:56That pushes Burks down.
04:57It's like your four.
04:58Like, he's competing with Van Jefferson, Deami Brown, kind of for the grist.
05:02I think you're sleeping on Deami.
05:04Deami has a chemistry with Jaden.
05:07He played very well down the stretch in 24.
05:09Didn't really work out in Jacksonville.
05:11They're bringing him back.
05:12It would be great if Deami hits or Traylon Burks hits because they didn't pay those guys
05:16any money.
05:17Traylon Burks is making $2.3 million.
05:20Deami's cheap.
05:21But they can do it.
05:22I know no one likes it.
05:23Everyone wants pro bowlers everywhere.
05:25But they can do it kind of by committee, kind of like what they did with Oz.
05:28Right?
05:28Zaccheaus came in.
05:29He caught 30, 40 balls, whatever.
05:31Then you had Deami.
05:32He did his contribution.
05:33As long as you have that true number one, those other guys could be just all rolled guys.
05:36They could be complimentary guys.
05:37You roll in and out.
05:38You have a bunch of packages.
05:40We've talked about this before, too.
05:42Chig and Rashad White.
05:44They're going to take a lot of balls.
05:45They are going to catch a combined 100 catches this upcoming season.
05:49Probably.
05:50I think that's a minimum for them and what they've done in the past and the roles they're going
05:55to have in this offense.
05:56They're going to catch 100 balls.
05:58So, I know that Quinn and Blau, as they're running through the numbers, they know they're
06:04going to get big production from both of those guys.
06:07They're going to be focal points of the offense.
06:09We've said it a billion times.
06:10Maybe they just think they're fine in that room.
06:12And that could be the case.
06:13Now, John Kimes, the John Kimes of the world of people that really cover this team closely
06:18think it's a lock that Ayuk eventually will be here.
06:21But I'm not so sure.
06:24I mean, if you look at what they had in 24, they had Terry.
06:29Obviously, Zach Ertz was huge.
06:32But they had Oz, who gave him 45.
06:35Noah Brown gave him 35.
06:37So, I mean, Franklin Burks, if he plays 16, 17 games, he can easily give him 35 catches.
06:42If he gives them that, that's kind of what he's getting paid to do.
06:45Diami only gave him 30, but I remember it was kind of back-loaded.
06:48And I feel like he had a good playoff run.
06:49He had a really good playoff run.
06:51Yeah, and towards the end of the season, he's really blossomed.
06:53Yeah, so I think Diami can contribute.
06:56Luke did nothing, really, in that first year.
06:59He really started to show something last year before he got hurt.
07:02But he still didn't have, how many total catches?
07:05I mean, he didn't have 20.
07:07He got hurt, but he was, first of all, he was,
07:09some people thought he was going to go to Pro Bowl for special teams.
07:12Right, return, but in terms of as a receiver.
07:14I thought he made some plays.
07:16It was really limited.
07:18I don't have the numbers in front of me.
07:19You can punch it up.
07:20But, I mean, you make an argument they have the worst receiving core in the division.
07:24Cowboys, number one, right, with Pickens and Lamb.
07:27They don't have stars.
07:29The Eagles lose A.J. Brown, so it's a little more unproven,
07:33but you still have Devontae Smith.
07:35They drafted Lemon, have Wicks, Hollywood Brown.
07:42The Giants, neighbors, at least on paper, if neighbors is healthy,
07:47neighbors at one, Slayton Mooney.
07:49I think that they probably have the weakest wide receiving core in the division.
07:54Maybe, but some of these guys aren't proven yet.
07:57So, Antonio Williams could surprise a lot of people.
07:59Luke only played in five games until the shoulder injury did him in.
08:03He had seven grabs for 146 and two touchdowns.
08:06Yeah.
08:07Seven catches.
08:08Yeah.
08:09He was averaging 21 yards a catch.
08:11Yeah.
08:12I don't know.
08:13Look, you're not going to get a bunch of pro bowlers out of there,
08:16but I certainly think it's serviceable and good enough to win games.
08:19It would be a great story, though, because Berks has the potential.
08:23There's a reason he was drafted that high.
08:26But I think he showed you some flashes.
08:28I think what would be reasonable, I was looking at what the Giants had last season.
08:32I looked at the numbers of kind of all the tandems.
08:35If he is indeed the number two last year.
08:37Now, the Giants lost neighbors to injury.
08:40So, Wandale Robinson had 92 catches.
08:43Darius Slayton had 37.
08:44If you can get like 37 to 40, that's good production.
08:48It's kind of like what Oz did, Oz and Noah Brown.
08:51I've equated this year's receiving core to the receiving core from two seasons ago.
08:56I mean, a lot of the same guys are there.
08:58Yeah.
08:58Not to mention how far you went and who you beat.
09:01I mean, the Lions have this explosive offense that everyone is salivating about,
09:06but you beat them with an inferior receiving core on paper.
09:12Yeah, I agree.
09:13It's not like bolstering the receiving core is almost like a luxury.
09:18As long as you have a number one guy and complimentary people around it.
09:22And you scheme them up.
09:24It's what we used to say with Jay.
09:25He's just schemed up offense, even if they didn't necessarily have elite weapons everywhere.
09:30I think you bring up a good point about the running back room, because in 2024, they did have Eckler,
09:36but he got hurt.
09:37And he was their leading receiver out of the backfield.
09:40Yeah.
09:40But I think Rashad White could put up much bigger numbers.
09:43I feel like Rashad White's floor, from what he's done so far in the league, is 40 catches.
09:48Minimum.
09:49That's minimum of what you're going to get from him.
09:51It could be 50, depending on what the offense looks like, his health, the other pieces around him.
09:57I mean, once Eckler, was he, did he get hurt late in the season?
10:02I think he did.
10:03Well, you remember, you got, well, you're talking about last season.
10:06And the season before, he was concussed a couple times.
10:08But that's what I meant, the concussion.
10:10He was concussed twice.
10:11He only started six games.
10:13They didn't have any receiving threat out of the backfield once Eckler was out.
10:16Right.
10:16But they've got a couple.
10:17Nick Nichols can, he can do it, but he's not as effective as Eckler at his prime.
10:21I mean, Eckler is one of the better receiving backs of the last decade.
10:24Correct.
10:24When he's healthy.
10:25But I think they got more options this year.
10:27Yeah.
10:27All right.
10:28You can call us right now at 800-636-1067.
10:30Get lined up to play.
10:32I believe the game du jour is who makes more.
10:36Yes.
10:36Whose salary is higher.
10:38800-636-1067.
10:40Is this going to be NBA related?
10:42It is actually Nick Spurs related.
10:44Oh, very good.
10:45All right.
10:45So call now for your chance to win tickets to see Dave Chappelle.
10:48Also, chance to win tickets to go see the Black Crows in concert.
10:52800-636-1067.
10:55We'll give those tickets away next.
10:56Next.
10:56Thanks.
10:56Bye.
Comments