- 3 months ago
Washington Commanders' Reporter Ben Standig from The Last Man Standig Podcast joins The Kevin Sheehan Show to talk about if we could see Brandon Aiyuk on the Commanders prior to the start of training camp and what were his takeaways from mandatory minicamp.
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00:00Ben Standings with us as he is every Monday and Friday on this show.
00:04He is our Washington insider.
00:07You can follow him on X at Ben standing.
00:09You should subscribe to his sub stack covers the team as well as anybody else
00:15does. And it barely costs you a couple of bucks a month.
00:19It's totally worth it. I love it. Um, okay.
00:23So let's do the obligatory Brandon.
00:26I use latest video reaction. Go ahead.
00:29Did you see this morning?
00:30He posted a picture of Mark Rippon for some reason. No, I didn't.
00:34Yeah. I don't know what this, I don't know. It was no, no caption, no,
00:39nothing. I had no idea why Mark that Instagram. Yes. Yes.
00:43Instagram. Yes. Um, I mean, he was our last Superbowl MVP. Sure. Sure.
00:48Sure. Um, I got, you know, I don't, we, we, we've had the same, you know,
00:52you and I have had this discussion a hundred times.
00:54I was, I think it all comes down to is Adam Peters really in on this guy or
00:59not. I mean, you know, again, like all, this is,
01:02I've talked about this on my site and here, like all the speculation,
01:06all the rumors,
01:07and we still really don't know what the commanders actually think we can
01:11assume that they think, Hey, we'll,
01:13we'll bring in Brandon because the quarterback knows them and the GM knows
01:16them and they're comfortable. And obviously if he is right,
01:18if he is healthy, he would be a massive upgrade for us at the second receiver.
01:23But I don't know how you, you know,
01:24I don't know how you keep looking at everything he is doing and think to
01:27yourself, well, you know, this feels like a good,
01:30a good presence to bring in here. And, you know,
01:34plus like he's gone out of his way to insult the 49ers and organization that
01:37Adam Peters worked in knows these people. So if it's an incredibly bizarre
01:43circumstance and, you know, I hope for the best for them, but yeah,
01:47clearly as, as the astute emailer said to you,
01:51he clearly wants to come here.
01:53Yeah. I think the only thing in you,
01:56you said it to me two weeks ago, three weeks ago,
01:59maybe when you said there has to be something to Washington being interested
02:07because if there weren't,
02:08they would have leaked it to somebody just to get their name out of the
02:12Brandon Iyuk conversation. You know, now,
02:15does that mean that they're, you know,
02:19once he gets released, they're all in,
02:21they've already made that decision. It doesn't mean that,
02:24but I think at the very least,
02:25it means that they're going to kick the tires if he gets released.
02:33Yeah. I mean, you would, you would presume so. Like, you know,
02:37you're the one that said that you said, we don't know anything,
02:40but we do know that if they wanted to put an end to their name being attached
02:45to him, they could do that. And they haven't done that.
02:48They absolutely could do that. I mean, it could, you know, look,
02:51Adam Peters could just be like, I don't,
02:53I don't chase rumors in any direction. So I'm not saying anything.
02:57It's not my problem. It's your guy's problem. But yes, it seems,
03:00it seems apparent that there's,
03:03there is a smoke and therefore there is fire to all this. You know,
03:07I think there's some people who are still worried they're going to offer him
03:10some big contract. No, he's going to, if you see here,
03:13it's like one year for, you know,
03:15relatively small amount of money for a receiver. You know,
03:19they do still have a fair amount of cap space. No, that's an issue. Yeah.
03:24Again, if he is right, as you know, you have said, when he was last healthy,
03:28he was one of the, you know, top 10, 15 receivers in the league,
03:31whatever it might be.
03:32And that would go a long way towards helping this offense that, you know,
03:36has questions at the second receiver.
03:40I mean,
03:40the amount of questions you'd have to have on this is pretty rough.
03:44And again, for, for an organization that again, you know,
03:47all we ever hear about is culture, this culture, that what it means to be a
03:51commander. I don't know how many boxes he checks, but it can't be all of them.
03:55So I don't know. I don't know how you're justifying this.
04:01I mean, that is like, all right, we're going to kick the tires.
04:06We're going to have them in. We're going to, you know,
04:08he's going to sit with Adam first. He's going to sit with Dan.
04:11He's going to sit with Josh and Mitch and magic might even come in for this
04:15one.
04:16And they got the list and they got the boxes next to each one.
04:20And it does seem like checking every box is a long shot.
04:26The question is what kind of stomach would they have for say four fifths or
04:31three quarters or half of the boxes being checked,
04:34especially if you don't really have to stick your neck out contractually for
04:39him.
04:39You know,
04:40the coaches will always say,
04:42or at least these are the stories that you always hear of like,
04:45there are rules for the team,
04:46but the rules don't apply.
04:48Some of the rules don't apply to everyone.
04:50In other words,
04:50if you're the best player on the team,
04:52you can maybe get away with a little bit more than the 53rd guy.
04:55When T.O. was that his like, you know, sort of,
04:58whoa, what's going on with this guy mode.
05:00He was still arguably the best receiver in football.
05:02And that's the rub here.
05:03We've seen that position over and over again over the years.
05:06I mean, Antonio Brown, I mean,
05:08was just flat out uncheckable for those years.
05:11Tyree kill was getting in trouble all the time,
05:12but was the most feared player in the game there as a non quarterback.
05:17Yeah.
05:17Right.
05:17So it'd be one thing if all this is happening and you're getting guy coming
05:22off a 1200 yard season,
05:24but he hasn't played since 24 and coming off a knee injury.
05:28And, you know, he looks healthy, I guess.
05:29I mean,
05:30I know the 49ers reporters said, you know,
05:33he looked fine when he was running around there last season before he went
05:37MIA during his rehab.
05:38But yeah,
05:39that's,
05:39that,
05:39that's the rub.
05:40It's just like,
05:41I can't,
05:41it's so hard to believe that he is worth all this unless you're telling me he
05:46is,
05:47you know,
05:47it doesn't be a pro bowler,
05:48but he is a legit starter.
05:51That's,
05:51that's where the Adam Peters part of this is going to have to be huge.
05:53You're going to have to read that part.
05:55Is it worth,
05:55is the juice worth the squeeze?
05:56And from our seats,
05:58it does not seem like it right from our seats,
06:01but we just don't have enough.
06:03I,
06:03the,
06:04the one thing we do have is we have all of these videos in which really the
06:10vast majority of the messaging has had nothing to do with him being a pro
06:17who's claiming that he's in shape,
06:20healthy,
06:20and can't wait to get back out to play football.
06:23And that's the only thing that he's thinking about.
06:27And that's where,
06:28you know,
06:29anybody advising him and maybe they are,
06:31and he's just not listening,
06:32but it's like,
06:34be a pro.
06:35Like if you're going to communicate,
06:37communicate how badly you've missed football and how you can't wait to get
06:42back out onto the field and you are healthy and you've been cleared by
06:46doctors and you're in shape and you're going to show up for training camp,
06:50ready to go with the 49ers and then,
06:52you know,
06:53see what happens from there.
06:54But that's not,
06:55you know,
06:56there's been the,
06:57you know,
06:58the image and certainly the,
07:01I think the,
07:03the,
07:03what we've been left with is a vision of somebody who seems to be a bit off.
07:09I would just say at a minimum,
07:11follow T.O.
07:12and do sit-ups in the driveway.
07:14Exactly.
07:15At least do that.
07:17Yeah.
07:17Just tell that you're doing something.
07:19Right.
07:21You know,
07:22I got this.
07:22I'm looking at it.
07:23Cause I got it on Friday.
07:25My guy,
07:26my guy,
07:27Seth in Potomac road,
07:28Kevin,
07:28one of your callers really pushed you on the lack of a true number two wide
07:32receiver and why Adam Peters hasn't done enough with IU still in the picture.
07:36Why isn't another Jaden former teammate talked about more?
07:40Isn't Jacksonville still trying to trade Brian Thomas jr.
07:44We have talked about Brian Thomas jr.
07:46We talked about Tyreek Hill last week.
07:49I've talked about Keenan Allen.
07:51I think that's,
07:51you know,
07:52probably what they see in,
07:53in Burks and maybe somebody else,
07:55but Brian Thomas jr.
07:57just so everybody understands he had a dreadful 2025 off of a very,
08:05very promising rookie season.
08:08And on a rookie deal,
08:10not even midway through his second season,
08:15the team that employed him reportedly wanted to trade him.
08:20And then on top of that,
08:22they didn't trade him maybe because there wasn't a lot of interest,
08:26maybe because they were asking for too much.
08:28Then there were reports that they were going to try to trade him before the
08:31draft this,
08:32you know,
08:33a month and a half ago,
08:34two months ago now,
08:35and that didn't happen.
08:37So yeah,
08:38Brian Thomas jr.
08:40played with Jaden Daniels and Malik neighbors and was incredibly prolific in
08:442023,
08:46um,
08:46on that LSU team,
08:48uh,
08:48with Jaden,
08:49his Heisman trophy winning season,
08:51but there's clearly something here that doesn't add up.
08:56Why would you trade a guy in the second year of his rookie deal after the
09:01rookie season that he had,
09:03which was outstanding.
09:04He and Malik neighbors were the two best receivers,
09:08rookie receivers in 2024.
09:10He,
09:10the big issue,
09:11by the way,
09:12I meant to,
09:12to get to this.
09:13Sorry,
09:13Ben is that he dropped a lot of balls last year.
09:18He had a 6.6% drop rate last year.
09:21That's twice the average for a high volume receiver in the league in 2025.
09:26And his catch rate last year was the fifth worst among high volume receivers.
09:33And all of his drops were on in breaking over the middle routes.
09:40And so that's why,
09:41you know,
09:42there's gotta be something more to that,
09:44why they would trade him or want to trade him.
09:46But I,
09:46the,
09:47the push from some of you on Brian Thomas jr.
09:50Yeah.
09:51I loved him as a rookie too,
09:52but why would Jacksonville want to trade him?
09:56Don't you?
09:56Yeah.
09:56You have to ask that question.
09:58Whenever a player that is good,
10:01great,
10:01or super intriguing and young is on the trade block.
10:05Why would the team want to trade him?
10:08Yeah.
10:08I mean,
10:09you know,
10:09you could have talked,
10:10you could maybe have talked yourself into saying,
10:12okay,
10:12well they acquired Jacoby Myers last year,
10:15then signs him to a new deal.
10:17And he's a pretty good receiver.
10:19They drafted Travis Hunter last year with the number two pick.
10:22And yeah,
10:22he's going to play corner as well,
10:23but Hey,
10:24look,
10:24look,
10:25if he's going to be one of your main receivers,
10:27maybe you can get away with trading Brian Thomas for stuff,
10:30but it sounded like Travis Hunter might be playing a little bit more
10:33corner than receiver.
10:34Well,
10:35I guess we'll see if that plays out.
10:36I know the coach has sort of denied that,
10:37but okay.
10:38And so based on that,
10:40like I,
10:40you know,
10:41if you're telling me that Travis Hunter is not going to be a full-time
10:45receiver,
10:46which,
10:46you know,
10:46he's not going to be,
10:47then Brian Thomas is your no less than your number two guy.
10:51Look,
10:51as somebody who had him as a fantasy keeper last year,
10:54I was very disappointed.
10:55And you're right.
10:56The year was really shockingly poor,
11:00especially considering the trap Trevor Lawrence had arguably his best season.
11:04Uh,
11:04in the NFL.
11:05So it's something odd is going on,
11:07but yeah,
11:07I'm with you.
11:08I don't quite get it.
11:09Why Jacksonville would move him.
11:11And here's the other thing,
11:12right?
11:13Assuming he trade him for draft picks.
11:14Now you have to wait until 2027.
11:18Like,
11:18right.
11:18Of course.
11:19Yeah.
11:19Let me just also just mention Jacoby Myers was traded for at the deadline
11:25last year because they were so disappointed in Brian Thomas jr.
11:30So that that's,
11:31and he and Parker Washington became the,
11:34the top two receivers for Trevor Lawrence on a team.
11:37Let's not forget that went 13 and four or 14 and three last year,
11:41something like that.
11:41And I think played in the best playoff game,
11:44start to finish the,
11:45uh,
11:46the loss to Buffalo,
11:47uh,
11:47in Jacksonville in the wildcard round,
11:49but,
11:49um,
11:51wide receiver watch Ben until basically at what point,
11:56if they haven't added,
11:57uh,
11:59one of these wide receivers that have been mentioned,
12:01do we come off of wide receiver watch?
12:04Is it,
12:05do we have to wait until the opener?
12:07Do we have to wait until week two?
12:08When does it happen?
12:09I guess if all these guys sign with other teams.
12:13Yeah.
12:13I think everybody else has to go off the market.
12:16I mean,
12:16you know,
12:16Noah Brown showed up here,
12:17uh,
12:18after final cuts and he immediately became number two.
12:22So,
12:23and,
12:23you know,
12:23and that's a guy who's,
12:24you know,
12:24good,
12:25but not obviously at the level of some of the guys we're talking about.
12:27Uh,
12:28so yeah,
12:28I think it's going to be a long wait.
12:30I mean,
12:31even if somebody in training camp or preseason,
12:35you know,
12:35it looks like a bit of a breakout,
12:37you know,
12:37it's hard,
12:38you know,
12:38somebody would have to make a big leap.
12:39Maybe that's McCaffrey or lane,
12:42or maybe Antonio Williams just comes in hot,
12:44but you know,
12:45it's hard to see any of the vets,
12:46like all of a sudden turning into a,
12:48a dynamic starter.
12:50So yeah,
12:50I think we're probably going to have to wait until everybody's off the
12:52market or,
12:54you know,
12:55Washington starts the season and it's like,
12:56okay,
12:57Jaden is turning these guys,
12:58uh,
12:59into legit receivers the way he did,
13:01uh,
13:02in 2024.
13:03So yeah,
13:03we're going to have to wait.
13:04Um,
13:05for,
13:06for,
13:06for sure.
13:06And,
13:06you know,
13:07I,
13:07if it's not,
13:08I use,
13:09if we're not playing that game and I'm just not reporting,
13:11I just like,
13:12I do kind of buy that.
13:14They're fine with what they have.
13:16And I think in part,
13:17because if they're going to use more too tight end sets,
13:19I think we can see a world where Chica Concwood,
13:22not only is the number two in targets,
13:23but plays a bit more outside.
13:26And they'll use them all,
13:27all around the formation,
13:29but they can use him as that big target,
13:31um,
13:32outside,
13:33you know,
13:33too big for safeties and corners too fast for linebackers,
13:37all that stuff.
13:37So I think that is an alternative that like the,
13:41the outside is not accepting yet.
13:43And they may be like,
13:44well,
13:44I think we think we're okay.
13:46Well,
13:47look,
13:47Zach Ertz was the number two targeted,
13:49uh,
13:50you know,
13:50past catcher in 24 and in 2025 and he missed games.
13:55So,
13:55you know,
13:56and that was with a lot of 11 personnel.
13:58So it's very obvious with what they're likely to do.
14:02The Chica Conqua was signed to be,
14:06uh,
14:06a major,
14:07you know,
14:08targeted pass catching,
14:09uh,
14:10tight end in the offense that they are going to employ.
14:13All right.
14:14I wanted to get to Dan Quinn.
14:16I don't know if you saw this or not,
14:18whatever is like in terms of the importance of it,
14:21but it is June 22nd and it provides us,
14:24uh,
14:25you know,
14:25a segue into a conversation about Dan Quinn,
14:28Jason Lock and four,
14:29I wrote over the,
14:30over the weekend,
14:31citing league sources that Quinn's on the hot seat.
14:35Um,
14:36and that,
14:37you know,
14:37part of it is just the indication when you swap out both coordinators,
14:41it's like,
14:42you're,
14:43you know,
14:43you're at your ass is on the line for these,
14:46uh,
14:47changes.
14:48And,
14:48and we know what they were last year.
14:50In fact,
14:51there's,
14:51um,
14:52somebody who mentioned to lock and for,
14:54for the story,
14:55a long time NFL personnel exec who said,
14:58quote,
14:58keep an eye on former bills head coach,
15:01Sean McDermott there next year.
15:03Just remember who told you first closed quote,
15:05by the way,
15:06you can't remember who told somebody something first,
15:08if they're going to say it on the condition of anonymity,
15:11um,
15:12in terms of,
15:13of how we read it.
15:14But how would you describe,
15:16I did a call segment last hour.
15:18How would you describe Dan Quinn's seat heading into 2026 using a
15:23temperature description?
15:25First off,
15:26if you're going to,
15:27if you are going to move on,
15:28there's,
15:29I would put it at,
15:30this is just my,
15:31my view.
15:312% that it's a defensive head coach.
15:33Yes,
15:34exactly.
15:34You have James Daniels and you're going offense,
15:36but okay.
15:37Um,
15:38whether that's David Blau or somebody else.
15:40Anyway,
15:40um,
15:41look,
15:41I mean,
15:42I think,
15:42again,
15:43I think we have all kind of believed in this,
15:45you know,
15:45era of football where you just don't have a ton of time to turn,
15:48to get things going.
15:49But after how poorly last year went that sure,
15:52if they have another underwhelming season,
15:54I can see Dan Quinn being,
15:56you know,
15:57being let go over the fall guy or what,
15:58or what have you.
15:59I said that whatever Durante Jones and David Blau turn into,
16:04we'll see.
16:05But part of the reason they went with two guys who were first timers in
16:08Blau's case had,
16:09you know,
16:10minimal coaching experience period is because I think people who had
16:14options were not looking at Washington favorably because there's some
16:19question about how long is Dan Quinn definitely there.
16:22Right.
16:22You know,
16:23I mean,
16:24say what you want about some other teams.
16:26If you're hiring a brand new coach,
16:28even if you're a bad team,
16:30you know,
16:30let's say like the Arizona Cardinals.
16:31Well,
16:31in theory,
16:32that guy is still going to be there for three years.
16:34So you can,
16:35from a life perspective,
16:36you know,
16:36you're good here.
16:37You could get let go after a year.
16:39So I mean,
16:40to say he's on the hot seat,
16:41I think is overstating it significantly,
16:43but I think it's,
16:44you know,
16:45realistic to say if they have a,
16:46you know,
16:47six wins,
16:47whatever,
16:48maybe it's not even the number of wins.
16:50Maybe it's just,
16:51they can't get blown out by 20,
16:5230 points on a regular basis.
16:54Then yeah,
16:55sure.
16:56I put big logical sense that they move on,
16:57but I don't like think he's on under on the hop.
17:00You know,
17:01like,
17:01like if you don't immediately,
17:03he's going to be in trouble.
17:04No,
17:04I don't buy that.
17:05Yeah.
17:05I don't,
17:06I don't either.
17:06I mean,
17:07lukewarm to me,
17:08of course things change.
17:10And,
17:10but as of today,
17:12I,
17:12again,
17:13I've said this a million times.
17:15I just don't know how any reasonable owner or general manager could look at last
17:21year and say that was all on the coach.
17:24I mean,
17:25he better,
17:26I mean,
17:26he's,
17:26he's on a short leash after that season.
17:29I mean,
17:30it's just,
17:30you can't do that to a coach who lost all of his best players for the course of the
17:36season,
17:36even though he admitted,
17:38and you and I talked about this,
17:39I think on Friday with Evan Washburn and I had Evan on the show as well,
17:42that,
17:43you know,
17:43they weren't,
17:44you know,
17:44as hungry.
17:45They weren't as desperate from the beginning portion of the year.
17:48We don't know how that would have played out,
17:50how they had their players stayed healthy.
17:52It's a great coaching angle and something them to,
17:55for them to work off of,
17:57because they're not going to make the excuse,
17:58which we can make,
17:59which is their best players didn't play.
18:03All right.
18:03The entire off season work schedule of OTAs and mini camp and camps,
18:10plural is over.
18:11The next time we see these players,
18:13it'll be the beginning of training camp,
18:14which will be the end of next month.
18:16So is there anything like legitimately substance based that you think you
18:25learned after,
18:27you know,
18:28nine OTA days and five,
18:30you know,
18:31mini camp days,
18:32rookie and,
18:33and,
18:33and veteran mini camp days,
18:35uh,
18:36by the way,
18:36it was just announced really a few minutes ago.
18:38They're going to rookies have to report on the 24th,
18:40the vets on the 28th.
18:41So,
18:42um,
18:43we have some specifics there now.
18:45Um,
18:46well,
18:46the,
18:46the season's a later start.
18:48I was actually wondering about when they would all go to camp because it's
18:52a later starting season,
18:54you know,
18:54because labor days as late as it could be.
18:56And so the opener is not until September 13th.
18:58The first preseason game,
18:59I think is actually the second weekend.
19:02It's like August 14th.
19:04So I was wondering if they would still end up reporting to camp.
19:07Cause that's kind of a regular time,
19:10right?
19:10The 24th,
19:1128th.
19:12Yes.
19:13Yes.
19:13That,
19:14that,
19:14that's about when it starts.
19:15They're going to get more work in prior to their first preseason game,
19:20as an example,
19:22um,
19:22than they have in recent years,
19:24but go ahead.
19:26Yeah.
19:27I mean,
19:27um,
19:29you know,
19:29to the point of the,
19:30the coin hot seat conversation,
19:32as bad as it was last year,
19:34there was no real signs of the locker room frame,
19:37right?
19:37You've,
19:37despite all that,
19:38and I do think that's important.
19:39And I think that carried over into this,
19:41this all season.
19:42I mean,
19:43you know,
19:43the amount of players who were the new guys who were raving about Quinn or
19:46anybody on defense,
19:47you know,
19:48really excited about Durante Jones,
19:50when you could see their,
19:50their eyes light up.
19:52Um,
19:52right.
19:52So,
19:52you know,
19:53until they get on the field,
19:54that that's kind of all we,
19:55we,
19:55we have,
19:56but I do think these things are important because I've been out,
19:59I've been covered,
19:59I've covered teams where you can tell they're like,
20:02you know,
20:02to some degree,
20:02like wouldn't be enemy was here,
20:04you know,
20:05kind of tell.
20:05And then it blew kind of things kind of blew up.
20:07They were like,
20:07uh,
20:08I don't know.
20:09I don't know if this is going to work for us.
20:10So I just think in general,
20:12Blau and,
20:12and,
20:13and Durante Jones have passed the,
20:16do you believe in them test?
20:17Right.
20:17So I think that is key.
20:19Um,
20:19you know,
20:21the defense is obviously limited in OTAs and mini camper in particular,
20:25because,
20:25you know,
20:25no,
20:26no hitting,
20:26no contacting,
20:27no pad.
20:28But what Durante Jones told us about,
20:31um,
20:33it's not where you line up.
20:35It's where you wind up.
20:35I said,
20:36this is somebody earlier when Ron Rivera got here in the riverboat Ron
20:39moniker,
20:40we're all expecting constant fourth downs and you're going for it.
20:43And it really never actually played out like that.
20:45The riverboat moniker was semi fraudulent.
20:47Based on what we actually saw.
20:49I don't think that that line of what's not where you want line up.
20:52It's where you wind up.
20:53That is legit based on what I could see.
20:56I mean,
20:56you know,
20:56can't get into all the specifics,
20:58but like they're going to have guys coming around,
21:02coming,
21:02you know,
21:02into the pocket from all over the place.
21:04And I think,
21:05you know,
21:06for a team that was 31st last year in turnovers,
21:0932nd and yards allowed,
21:10you know,
21:11to have at least put the other team on their heels,
21:15be aggressive.
21:16Are you going to get burned at times?
21:17Yeah.
21:18I mean,
21:18look,
21:18if the pass rush doesn't get there,
21:20you know,
21:20there are questions at corner,
21:21but I do think that they're going to be much,
21:25much,
21:25much more aggressive.
21:26And they have the personnel to do that.
21:29But even without Dorrance Armstrong and Tim Settle and Dietrich Wise and camp
21:34because of injuries,
21:35it,
21:35it looked like they had a lot of dudes.
21:37I won't go full Javon Kinlaw and,
21:40and express colorfully what the,
21:43the kind of dudes they have.
21:44But,
21:45but,
21:46but,
21:46but yeah,
21:47I mean,
21:47I think to me,
21:48that was probably the biggest takeaway is just,
21:50I can see conceptually where they're going.
21:53It matches what they've been saying.
21:55And I don't think it,
21:57it's overstating to say that they should be vastly improved.
22:00I mean,
22:01and I don't know if that's a top half of the league defense.
22:02I don't know how all these guys are going to work against the run,
22:06but in terms of getting after the quarterback,
22:08it should be a lot,
22:10a lot more.
22:11I mean,
22:11Dorrance Armstrong was like the only pass rusher they had last year.
22:14And now,
22:14even when he comes back,
22:15he might be the third guy just on the edges.
22:18So,
22:18you know,
22:18they have much,
22:19much more options,
22:20more athletic.
22:21And I think that aspect of it is probably,
22:24you know,
22:24one of the big takeaways for me.
22:25I hope you're right,
22:26man.
22:27I really hope you're right.
22:28Cause that was painful last year.
22:30I thought it was painful at times in 2024 and this year.
22:34I mean,
22:35you know,
22:36you've got Dak twice,
22:37you've got Stafford,
22:39you've got Burrow,
22:40you've got,
22:41who am I forgetting on the schedule?
22:43I mean,
22:44you know,
22:44obviously hurts and,
22:45and,
22:46and the division twice.
22:47Um,
22:48uh,
22:48whatever.
22:49Uh,
22:49but you've got,
22:50you've got arguably two of the best three,
22:53four or five quarterbacks in the game on your schedule this year.
22:57You've got Darnold and what they did.
22:59Um,
23:00yeah.
23:01What'd you say?
23:01Sorry.
23:02Yeah.
23:02No,
23:02the Superbowl champ.
23:03Yeah.
23:03Yeah.
23:04The Superbowl champ.
23:05So you just gotta be,
23:07it's hard.
23:08Like I think about that Cincinnati season from two years ago when they had a
23:12horrendous defense,
23:13but offensively Burrow had a phenomenal season and they went nine and eight and
23:18they missed the post season in many ways.
23:20I don't know if it would have been nine and eight,
23:22maybe it would have been eight,
23:22nine,
23:23but if the offense had stayed healthy and the defense had stayed healthy last
23:26year,
23:27I think that's the kind of season because of how bad the defense more likely
23:31than not was going to be.
23:33Even if healthy,
23:33they would have been in four.
23:35So you've got to be improved on that side of the ball when they get to
23:38Philly,
23:39uh,
23:39in September,
23:41man,
23:41every time I pull up that schedule,
23:43I,
23:43I hate playing the schedule game.
23:44I never do,
23:45but at Philly at Dallas Seattle for the first three before going to London
23:50is daunting to say the least.
23:53Um,
23:54but you know,
23:55we know how these things work.
23:56You know,
23:57it's not who you play.
23:58It's when you play and we'll see what happens.
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