- 1 day ago
Brandon Aiyuk has gone off the deep end, Stefon Diggs remained unsigned, and the Commanders still could use an upgrade at the wide receiver position.
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00:00Nicky Javala obviously covers the Commanders for the Athletic.
00:04Matt Barrows covers the 49ers for the Athletic.
00:07And they chronicled a lot of what Brandon Ayuk has done
00:13over the last few months, which is kind of the crazy stuff
00:15via social media.
00:18And it's been really difficult for people to get a hold of Brandon Ayuk,
00:22including the 49ers, with whom he's under contract.
00:26But between Barrows and Nicky, they got a text back
00:29from Ayuk on Friday.
00:32That said, AP and DQ quietly put together a squad.
00:39I'm the final piece that will swing all the odds in our favor.
00:43Hashtag go Commanders.
00:45Hashtag raise hail.
00:47B, I don't think this dude's coming here.
00:51Kind of period.
00:52I think it's done.
00:53You agree?
00:55That's where I'm at at this point, yeah.
00:59I'll leave a 1%, 2% because you never know what happens sometimes.
01:03Sure.
01:04Yeah.
01:05Further from the Athletic,
01:09those sources who spoke on condition of anonymity
01:11because they do not have permission to speak publicly on the matter
01:14said at the time that the Commanders had no intention of trading for Ayuk
01:18and if the 49ers released him,
01:20Washington likely would have only considered a short-term,
01:23highly-incentivized contract.
01:25If Ayuk agreed to such a deal and performed anything like the receiver
01:28he was a few years ago,
01:30he'd provide a significant boost to Washington's offense.
01:33If he didn't or if any other issues arose,
01:36the Commanders would be able to move on without any significant loss.
01:40I'd argue at this point,
01:43significant issues have arose.
01:46Yeah.
01:49According to sources,
01:50I assume this is from San Francisco,
01:52Ayuk's behavior began to change after he signed a four-year,
01:54$120 million contract in August of 24.
01:57That deal followed months of contentious negotiation,
02:00a near trade,
02:00and an awkward training camp hold-in
02:02in which Ayuk often became a sideline sideshow during practices.
02:07Ayuk,
02:08who had a career-high 1,300 receiving yards
02:10and a gaudy 18-yard per catch average at 23,
02:12was seemingly consumed by social media upon returning to practice in 24,
02:17and he got off to a sluggish start that season
02:19before damaging multiple ligaments in his knee
02:22during a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
02:25That injury brought more attention.
02:27According to the sources,
02:28Ayuk began veering away from the team's rehab protocol
02:30soon after the surgery,
02:32failing to communicate with the team,
02:34a recurrent theme between Ayuk and the 49ers,
02:36and preferring to rehab on his own.
02:38That eventually led the team to take the unusual step
02:41in July 25 of avoiding the 26 guaranteed money
02:45in Ayuk's contract,
02:46a move Ayuk did not challenge
02:48through the NFL Players Association.
02:51Of all, that's the strangest thing.
02:52That last statement you read,
02:54that's the strangest thing of all.
02:58I have a question for you, Brian.
03:00We know Dan Quinn likes to say as little as he needs to.
03:06Has this all gotten to a point
03:07where Ayuk is constantly posting videos
03:09wearing commander's gear,
03:11that the organization just wants to shut this down
03:15from this side?
03:17I would think, but I would think this.
03:21With these rules of tampering,
03:23there are so damn many of them,
03:25you don't know what's considered tampering,
03:27what's not.
03:30You don't want anyone ever thinking
03:32that you're having communication with them.
03:36Because he'd make a lot of comments
03:37as if he's talked to somebody,
03:39you know what I mean?
03:40And that would be troubling me.
03:43I would think,
03:45and maybe we'd have to check with like
03:46an actual rules expert.
03:48But if Dan Quinn,
03:50he's going to get asked,
03:51right?
03:51Repeatedly.
03:52Oh, he's going to get asked this, definitely.
03:53But he could say,
03:55we don't talk about players
03:57on other teams, period.
04:00But we also have no interest
04:01in players
04:02that
04:03make
04:04baseless claims
04:07about our team.
04:08Like,
04:08there is something that you can say
04:10that is completely
04:11generic
04:12and hypothetical
04:13that will
04:14that will put
04:15the word out
04:16we're not interested.
04:17And I kind of think
04:18it's to that point.
04:20Well,
04:20they don't,
04:21to be honest with you,
04:22at this point,
04:24they really can't say much
04:25about him.
04:26And my thing is,
04:28why do I have to go up here
04:30and find something generic
04:30to say
04:31to
04:32to make him
04:33listen,
04:33I can't talk about this.
04:35He's on another team still.
04:37I'm just saying,
04:38I wonder if
04:39this is at a point
04:40where they want to figure out
04:41what they can say.
04:42because the other thing
04:43they could do
04:44is
04:45Peters or Quinn
04:46could easily text Schefter
04:47and just be like,
04:49yo,
04:49this is not happening.
04:50We're done.
04:50And then there's no tampering involved
04:52because it's a report
04:53from an anonymous source.
04:54Yeah,
04:54yeah,
04:54but
04:56what have they done thus far?
04:58They don't talk about anything.
04:59They keep quiet.
05:00They don't talk about anything.
05:00I feel,
05:01be who you are.
05:02You don't have to change for him.
05:03I would just think
05:04at some point,
05:05they're pissed
05:06and they just want this to go.
05:07Could be,
05:08but
05:08why would you go out of character
05:10to change it up?
05:12So we have
05:13a bunch of different things.
05:14This is just so remarkable.
05:16Iuk
05:17texted
05:18two athletic reporters,
05:20AP and DQ
05:21quietly put together
05:22a squad.
05:22I'm the final piece
05:23that will swing
05:24all the odds
05:25in our favor.
05:26Hashtag
05:26go commanders.
05:27Hashtag
05:28raise hail.
05:28The behavior
05:29is so bizarre.
05:32I very much
05:33get the feeling
05:34we've reached
05:34a point
05:35where
05:36AP and DQ
05:37are done
05:38with this.
05:39Yeah.
05:39And I wonder
05:40if they will make
05:41that clear
05:41in some capacity.
05:44Obviously,
05:44it may come off
05:45of what Fowler's discussing.
05:47That may be
05:48their way of saying
05:49we're not interested.
05:50Sure.
05:51We're intrigued
05:51by somebody else now.
05:53Sure.
05:53So there's a couple
05:54different audio clips
05:55I want to play
05:56and then I want
05:56to open the phones.
05:57800-636-1067.
06:00Call in if you want.
06:01John Lynch
06:02is the 49ers
06:03general manager
06:04and
06:06technically
06:08still
06:09Brandon Iuk's boss.
06:11Like,
06:11especially with that
06:12Kyle situation.
06:13We got to talk
06:13about that.
06:14Yeah,
06:14that's kind of strange.
06:15It happened 11 days ago
06:16we just hear him about.
06:17But
06:18the Niners are practicing.
06:19John Lynch
06:20was asked about
06:21Brandon Iuk.
06:22Before we do
06:23open it up to questions,
06:24Brandon Iuk,
06:25I know you guys
06:25are going to have
06:26a lot of questions.
06:27Brandon is on
06:28a left squad designation.
06:31As such,
06:31he's not on our
06:3290-man roster.
06:34And
06:34you know,
06:35I'm
06:37personally
06:37and we as an organization
06:39are going to focus
06:39on the players
06:41that are here.
06:42And so
06:42I don't have
06:44anything to say
06:45on that.
06:46Anything to add
06:47to that.
06:49We wish him well.
06:50We wish his family well.
06:52See,
06:53the question
06:53right here says
06:54why
06:55why Brandon Iuk
06:56is still a 49er
06:57as training camp opens
06:58and what comes next.
06:59You know why he's still
07:00a 49er?
07:01Because he's not
07:02he's not
07:04filed those papers.
07:05And as long as he's on
07:07that left squad list,
07:09he's not on
07:10a 90-man roster
07:11and he doesn't count
07:12against the
07:12salary cap.
07:14Until he
07:15files and
07:16gets cleared,
07:19reinstated,
07:19they can not,
07:21they don't have to do
07:22a thing.
07:23I've been saying this
07:24for the last
07:24four or five weeks
07:25and I want people
07:26to understand,
07:27if he does
07:28nothing,
07:30he can post
07:31every damn thing
07:31he wants
07:32in the commander's hat.
07:33Hell,
07:34he can be in the
07:35damn stands
07:36when they start
07:36training camp.
07:38But he can't go
07:39anywhere and can't
07:40do a damn thing
07:40without.
07:42I hadn't thought
07:43of that.
07:44Do you think
07:45he'll show up
07:46to training camp?
07:47He might.
07:47It'd be a whole
07:48crowd of people
07:49out in the parking lot
07:50because he'll be
07:51wearing all the
07:52gear,
07:52you never know.
07:54As a Beamage
07:55and Finley
07:55show producer,
07:56Iuke,
07:57please show up.
07:58We'll have an
07:58interview for you
07:59right then and
08:00there.
08:00Do you want to
08:00extend a formal
08:02offer to BA?
08:02This is a formal
08:03offer to BA to be
08:05on the Beamage
08:05and Finley show
08:06for an hour.
08:07Let's ask Nicky
08:08for his number.
08:11God,
08:11I didn't even
08:12think about that.
08:13I can tell you
08:14this.
08:15Our investigative
08:15prowess,
08:16we have texted
08:17with John Leahy
08:19to see if he
08:20can check
08:20for a home
08:22being sold
08:23at that valuation
08:24in Loudoun County.
08:24We're trying
08:25to track down
08:26what's the big
08:27database in
08:29real estate
08:29called?
08:30MLS?
08:30Like the soccer
08:31league?
08:32We're tracking
08:33things.
08:36I think
08:38the Iuke
08:38ship has
08:39completely sailed
08:40and I've been
08:41allowing myself
08:42wiggle room
08:42for some time.
08:43I'm done
08:44with wiggle room.
08:44I think it's
08:45DOA.
08:46I think it's
08:46done.
08:47What is it
08:48done,
08:49though?
08:49Steph Diggs
08:50still hasn't
08:51signed anywhere.
08:53Jeremy Fowler
08:54from ESPN
08:54has repeatedly
08:55over the last
08:56month,
08:57six weeks,
08:59suggested
08:59there's some
09:00level of interest
09:01between Diggs
09:02and Washington.
09:04Jeffrey,
09:04I believe you
09:05got Fowler
09:05talking here.
09:06So I'm told
09:07that at least
09:07five teams
09:08that need a
09:09receiver have
09:09been checking
09:10in on his
09:10market and see
09:11how things are
09:11going as he
09:11works out on
09:12his own.
09:13I'm told Diggs
09:13is highly
09:14motivated here
09:15because he's
09:15not rehabbing
09:16an ACL like
09:17he was last
09:17year.
09:17He only played
09:18about 55%
09:19of the snaps
09:19for New
09:20England.
09:20Still got
09:211,000 yards,
09:21so he feels
09:22like he can
09:22be a really
09:23good number
09:23two receiver
09:24for a top
09:25quarterback.
09:26Now,
09:26Washington is
09:27intriguing to
09:27him because
09:28Jaden Daniels,
09:29young quarterback,
09:29he's from that
09:30DMV area.
09:31The rumors around
09:32the league are
09:32that Washington
09:33could add a
09:33receiver at some
09:34point to go
09:35with Terry
09:35McLaurin,
09:36so something
09:36should shake
09:37out for Diggs,
09:38but hey,
09:38look,
09:38these guys don't
09:39always want to
09:39go to training
09:40camp and be in
09:40the 90-degree heat.
09:41They can wait a
09:42week or two
09:42before they sign.
09:44That second part,
09:45I absolutely agree,
09:46and we've been
09:47saying for some
09:48time that I
09:50could see Diggs
09:51signing in the
09:51middle of August,
09:52just not having to
09:54do five weeks of
09:57camp and just do
09:57two weeks of camp.
09:59That's what I've
10:00been looking at
10:00the whole time,
10:01bro.
10:03Guy,
10:03his status is not
10:04trying to just
10:05show up to camp.
10:07You know what I
10:08mean?
10:11Phone lines,
10:12800-636-1067,
10:15800-636-1067.
10:18We got another
10:19Iuke,
10:21this time a text
10:22to Nicky.
10:23Shout out to
10:23Nicky for getting
10:24a response.
10:25Fowler says Diggs
10:27finds Washington
10:28intriguing.
10:28I would think
10:29so.
10:31Real question
10:32for people.
10:33Are you just
10:34done with the
10:34receiver conversation?
10:36Do you still
10:37think there's a
10:37place for Brandon
10:38Iuke?
10:39Are you still
10:40that interested
10:41in Diggs?
10:41I just want to
10:42get to practice
10:43and watch the
10:44current guys run
10:45around.
10:45I want to get
10:45For me,
10:46as I look at
10:47this thing,
10:47bro,
10:50Diggs is working
10:51out and wants
10:52to play and not
10:54causing any issues.
10:56The other person
10:57is not even
10:59available for me
10:59to talk to.
11:02And he has
11:03stated he is
11:03not going to
11:04make himself
11:06become available.
11:08Why waste
11:09your time
11:09at that?
11:11See,
11:11that's what I meant
11:12with it.
11:12like,
11:13you control
11:15what's going
11:16to happen.
11:17And you have
11:18stated that
11:19you're not going
11:19to do what
11:20you need to
11:20do to make
11:21it happen.
11:23So if that's
11:24the case,
11:25what are you
11:26really doing
11:26all this stuff
11:27for?
11:32I don't know
11:33with
11:33what he's
11:35doing.
11:35See,
11:35that's where
11:36I'm at with
11:36it.
11:36Like,
11:37listen,
11:37man.
11:37Like,
11:38maybe he
11:38really has
11:38just become
11:39addicted to
11:40social media.
11:41Could be.
11:41But what if,
11:42like,
11:43you and I,
11:44okay,
11:45had to be
11:46released from
11:46here to go
11:48work at another
11:48place that we
11:51have a buddy
11:52at or somebody
11:54and we
11:54never go
11:56file the
11:56papers to
11:56get ourselves
11:57released?
11:58Do we really
11:59want to go to
12:00another place?
12:00No.
12:03Joe is in
12:04Rockville.
12:04I'm going to
12:05let folks chime
12:05in here.
12:06What's up,
12:06Joe?
12:08Hey,
12:08what's up,
12:08guys?
12:08How you
12:09doing?
12:09What's up,
12:10dude.
12:10How are
12:10you?
12:11All right,
12:11good,
12:12man.
12:12As I tell
12:13you before,
12:13you guys get
12:14the best show.
12:14I really love
12:15you.
12:15Hey,
12:16man,
12:16I don't even
12:16know why
12:16we're talking
12:17about Brandon.
12:18We need to
12:18go up and
12:19dig.
12:19We need to
12:20secure
12:21places.
12:22We need to
12:22secure people
12:23for
12:24I mean,
12:25why are we
12:25waiting for
12:26Diggs?
12:26I just
12:27don't get
12:27it.
12:29The
12:30Diggs might
12:31be waiting
12:31on Diggs,
12:32man.
12:33Like,
12:34he just
12:34might not
12:35want to
12:35go full
12:36go in
12:37July.
12:38Although,
12:39I think if
12:39the right
12:40offer was
12:40there,
12:40he's happy
12:41to show
12:41up when
12:41camp opens.
12:43I don't.
12:44You know,
12:45one thing
12:46DQ has
12:47built into
12:47his camp
12:48when people
12:48come in,
12:49we have a
12:49ramp up
12:50portion.
12:51They don't
12:52just throw
12:52him out
12:52there.
12:53We ramp
12:53up.
12:54So,
12:54you can
12:55wait and
12:55then you
12:56ramp up.
12:56You can
12:57get two,
12:57three weeks
12:58out of
12:58that.
12:58Yeah,
12:59man,
12:59I don't
13:00know that
13:01this
13:01receiver
13:03influx
13:04is
13:06coming.
13:08Not to
13:09suggest
13:09there are
13:10people that
13:11will scream
13:11that they
13:12don't have
13:12enough there.
13:13I'm just
13:13not entirely
13:14convinced
13:14that's
13:15accurate,
13:15and I'm
13:16not entirely
13:16convinced
13:17they believe
13:18that's
13:18accurate.
13:19I think
13:20we're going
13:21to see
13:22the actual
13:23training camp
13:24schedule,
13:24right?
13:25It's only
13:2615 camp
13:29practices.
13:30The last
13:31day of
13:31actual
13:32training camp,
13:34so people
13:34understand this,
13:36they call
13:37training camp
13:39only runs
13:39to Tuesday,
13:40August 25th.
13:43so there's
13:44only 15,
13:4616 practices,
13:47then it
13:47becomes regular
13:48season again.
13:49Roster cuts
13:50are August
13:5030th,
13:51I believe.
13:53The last
13:54training camp
13:55ends before
13:56the last
13:58preseason game.
13:59The last
14:00preseason game
14:00is the 28th
14:01against the
14:02Ravens.
14:04cuts are
14:05August 30th,
14:06and then
14:06it's like
14:06a week
14:07of nothing.
14:09That week
14:10leading into
14:11Labor Day,
14:11there's not
14:12a ton
14:12happening.
14:13There'll be
14:13all sorts
14:13of roster
14:14machinations,
14:15guys will
14:15get signed
14:16from other
14:16rosters and
14:17stuff as
14:19people get
14:20cut,
14:21but there
14:22is still so
14:23much time,
14:24dude,
14:24that the
14:24Diggs thing,
14:25if your
14:25concern is
14:26another team
14:27might sign
14:27him away,
14:28I get that,
14:29but if your
14:29concern is
14:30you're running
14:30out of time,
14:31that's not
14:32accurate.
14:32I don't think
14:33so.
14:33My guy
14:33Jaime's in
14:34Manassas.
14:34What's up,
14:35Jaime?
14:36Hey, what's
14:37going on,
14:37guys?
14:37How you
14:38doing?
14:39I'm not
14:41tired about
14:41talking about
14:42the wide
14:42receiver position.
14:43I think we
14:43need an
14:44upgrade.
14:45We need
14:45another
14:45proven
14:46receiver there.
14:47When I'm
14:47tired to hear
14:48about Brandon
14:49and you,
14:50I'm out.
14:52Totally out.
14:53I want to
14:54hear, oh,
14:55he sent a
14:58tweet about
14:58this, about
14:59that.
14:59I'm done.
15:00As soon as
15:01he starts
15:01talking about
15:01Jaden Daniels,
15:03that's it.
15:04We don't
15:04need this
15:05guy.
15:05He's not
15:05doing what
15:05he needs
15:06to do to
15:07play in
15:07the NFL.
15:08He even
15:08filed to
15:10get back
15:11in the
15:11NFL.
15:12I'm done
15:13with him.
15:14I don't
15:14want to
15:14hear about
15:14him.
15:15About the
15:15position,
15:16yes.
15:16We still
15:17need an
15:18upgrade.
15:18We need
15:18to talk
15:19about it.
15:19We have
15:20suggestions.
15:21I would
15:21love
15:22Dix,
15:22for example.
15:23But about
15:24Brandon,
15:24are you?
15:25I'm out.
15:27Hi,
15:28I'm out.
15:29I might
15:30be over my
15:30miles on my
15:31lease, dog.
15:32We might
15:32have to
15:32talk.
15:33Shout out
15:34to Jaime
15:34and
15:35Fairfax
15:35Toyota.
15:36Definitely,
15:36man.
15:37We're always
15:37ready for you.
15:39You too.
15:40Thank you,
15:40Jaime.
15:40I appreciate
15:41you, brother.
15:42We're going to
15:42keep the phone
15:42lines going.
15:43800-636-1067.
15:45Is anybody
15:47out there
15:47still hoping
15:49IU signs
15:50here?