- 7 hours ago
The Washington Commanders have made some interesting roster moves this morning involving Ahkello Witherspoon and Fabian Moreau. Grant Paulsen was listening to the show and called in to break down the potential reasoning behind these moves.
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00:00This Commander's update on X.
00:02Yes, I've started calling it X.
00:04I said I would always call it Twitter.
00:06Now you call it X because you call it Twitter now.
00:07People just look at you like you're a maniac.
00:10The Commander's posted this 20 minutes ago or 24 minutes ago.
00:15We've made the following roster moves.
00:18Signed cornerback Fabian Moreau.
00:21Placed cornerback Akello Witherspoon on the reserve retired list.
00:27So Akello Witherspoon was signed during the offseason
00:30to help bring some depth to that secondary, the cornerback room.
00:34These guys who's been in the league since 2017, a veteran,
00:37they just wanted to add to the mix to have some depth there.
00:41And I guess he's decided to step away from the league.
00:44He's on the reserve retired list.
00:46Welcome back, former Washington football team player, Fabian Moreau.
00:52Can't remember what their team name was.
00:56It was 2017 to 2020, right?
00:58I think he's a Redskin slash Washington football team.
01:02Not sure if he did any stint as a commander.
01:05So he may hit the triple by coming back and being a commander.
01:10Yeah, he was a Redskin to start, and then he was a WFT member.
01:14Right.
01:14And he was here under Gruden.
01:16Yes.
01:17So Jay Gruden drafted him.
01:19Correct.
01:19But he's 32.
01:20He's 32, but Akello Witherspoon wasn't young either.
01:24Yeah, yeah.
01:24So they got a little older with the replacement.
01:27Kind of surprised by this move.
01:28And the connection there, well, obviously he played here,
01:30but he played for Minnesota.
01:32Right.
01:33And that's where Coach Jones was the defensive coordinator.
01:35So he was with Minnesota last year.
01:37All right.
01:37Has familiarity with Jones and that scheme and that system.
01:41It's kind of a surprise to me because we kind of heard a lot about
01:44Witherspoon, certainly in the offseason.
01:46Right.
01:47And that, you know, he was pretty good last year with Detroit,
01:50and he was covering a lot of number ones,
01:53and we thought he would be a big part.
01:55You know, maybe a depth piece, not a starter.
01:57A solid player.
01:58Yeah.
01:58Not a star, but like a guy that you want on your roster.
02:02I think you're thinking about Robertson.
02:05No, I was thinking about.
02:07You said Detroit.
02:09I'm sorry.
02:09He was with the Niners and the Rams, right?
02:12Akello Witherspoon?
02:13Yeah, yeah.
02:13Yeah.
02:13I'm sorry.
02:14He was with the Niners and the Rams, not Detroit.
02:16But he was going to be kind of a depth piece.
02:20Witherspoon started his career with the Niners,
02:22had two years with the Steelers in the middle of his career,
02:25and the last three years with the Rams.
02:27So, I don't know.
02:28You kind of heard some good things about him, and he's 31.
02:32They decided it's over.
02:36I mean, it happens.
02:37Happened with Jalen Polk, who's a lot younger.
02:40Yeah.
02:4124 years old, I believe.
02:42They just wake up and go, I just can't play anymore.
02:44I just don't enjoy it.
02:45Or maybe I'm not even going to make the team.
02:47They don't have the competitive fire to play,
02:48or they just don't want to play NFL football anymore.
02:52Yep.
02:52It happens.
02:53It does.
02:54It's kind of weird to see it this early in camp,
02:57but sometimes, you know, the timing isn't ideal.
03:01Yeah, so you're losing a depth piece,
03:04but you're replacing him with a guy who's played here before
03:07and was with Minnesota last year,
03:10so they're definitely familiar with him.
03:12So, we'll see.
03:13I don't know if Moreau will make the team,
03:14but we'll see if he does.
03:16Other NFL news that just recently broke.
03:19This came out within the last, I want to say,
03:21eight to ten minutes.
03:23Adam Schefter is reporting that Bijan Robinson
03:27is going to become the highest paid running back
03:29in NFL history.
03:31Schefter reported Tuesday that Robinson and the Falcons
03:35has agreed to a three-year extension,
03:36potentially worth up to $75 million,
03:39which includes $51 million guaranteed,
03:42which is another record for the running back position.
03:46So, look, he's the focal point of the Atlanta Falcons offense.
03:51He's a do-everything running back,
03:53and you have to pay those guys.
03:56You have to pay those guys big money.
03:57Like, when a guy is effective in both the running
04:00and pass-catching game,
04:03and he's the centerpiece of your offense,
04:06he's going to get paid a premium,
04:07and you're seeing that with these numbers for Bijan.
04:10He's one of your top two running backs
04:13in the league currently.
04:14Well, when we went through it earlier,
04:16you only had two guys above.
04:18If I'm in a fantasy draft late this month
04:21or early next month,
04:22and I have the number two pick,
04:24and Jameer Gibbs goes number one,
04:26which I'm guessing he will in a lot of drafts,
04:28then I would take Bijan at number two
04:31and keep my fingers crossed
04:32that my man Devon Achan is there
04:34coming back around,
04:35but he probably won't be.
04:37I'm high on him in case you couldn't tell.
04:39You have him as the number three running back in the NFL.
04:42I do.
04:44He had, I believe,
04:461,650, almost 1,700 combined
04:49rushing and receiving yards last year
04:51and 12 total touchdowns.
04:53Yeah.
04:53He's a stud.
04:54And you're right.
04:55He's got to pay a guy.
04:56He's not going to get more in about three years.
04:58No.
04:58The problem with Achan is he's in an offense now
05:01with Malik Willis taking over
05:03and not a lot happening wide receiver-wise.
05:06So that team might just struggle to move the ball.
05:09I don't like his situation
05:11as much this year as I did last year with Tua there,
05:14but we'll see.
05:15We'll see how Malik Willis plays out in Miami.
05:18I mean, they're expected to be one of the two
05:19or three worst teams in the league,
05:21along with Arizona and the Cleveland Browns.
05:24And the Jets.
05:25And the Jets.
05:26They'll be battling it out for the number one pick
05:28in the draft.
05:29Yeah, so things are happening over there.
05:31It's certainly a commander's camp.
05:33And their head coach is...
05:36Who's head coach?
05:37The Dolphins.
05:38Hold on.
05:39Don't tell me.
05:40Dolphins head coach.
05:42I'm spacing on his name.
05:44He's got to be the most non-script head coach.
05:47Is his name like Flatley or Halfley?
05:51It's close.
05:51Something like that.
05:52You got it, Jeff.
05:53Halfley.
05:53Halfley.
05:54Don't you remember him?
05:55He was at Boston College,
05:58and then he went to the Packers.
06:02Now I'm kind of tracking it.
06:04Yeah.
06:04But once you asked me,
06:06I kind of forgot,
06:07but it was in the gray matter.
06:10That his name was like Affley or Flatley.
06:12He was one of those guys
06:15who didn't want to deal
06:16with the NIL and Portal crap anymore.
06:19So then he jumped from...
06:20Because he was at Boston College
06:21for a few years.
06:22Yeah.
06:22And then he jumped to the Packers.
06:24He was their D.C.
06:26And he got the Dolphins job.
06:29By the way...
06:30Now he's got his hands full
06:32because of the roster.
06:34This is fantasy dorky,
06:35but if you wait really a long time
06:37picking your quarterback,
06:38you could do a lot worse
06:39than Malik Willis
06:40because he will rush
06:42for like 700 yards
06:44in 20...
06:45As long as he stays healthy.
06:46He's going to probably
06:46throw some picks.
06:47He may throw some picks,
06:48but he'll throw touchdowns
06:50and he'll also rush
06:51for a bunch of yardage.
06:52Yeah.
06:53He'd be a good...
06:54He'd be a really good
06:54fantasy quarterback.
06:55Yeah.
06:56As long as he's out there.
06:57Just keep him on your radar.
06:59All right.
06:59Let's go to our pal Grant Paulson.
07:01He is checking in.
07:03He's calling in right now.
07:06Let's go to Jeeps.
07:07I believe he is at
07:08or heading out
07:10to commander's practice
07:11out at training camp.
07:12Good morning, Mr. Paulson.
07:14How are you?
07:15What's up, fellas?
07:16How are you guys?
07:17Good, good.
07:18We just were talking
07:19about the fact
07:19that Akella Witherspoon
07:21placed on the reserve
07:22retired list.
07:23And welcome back
07:24to Fabian Moreau.
07:26Yeah, I'm pretty shocked
07:27by this, actually.
07:28So I've been out here
07:29for all four practices.
07:31I'm getting out
07:31to the facility again today
07:33to watch everything.
07:35Witherspoon was pretty good
07:36yesterday, actually.
07:37Like, I wrote him down
07:38a couple times.
07:39Like, I felt a lot better
07:41about corner
07:41than I did going into camp
07:43based on the play
07:44of a couple of the veterans.
07:45I think Russell Douglas
07:48has actually looked
07:49really good as well,
07:50and maybe that's part of why
07:51if you're Witherspoon
07:52doing some kind of math
07:53in your head
07:54between him playing well
07:56and then Trey Amos
07:57coming back from injury,
07:58maybe there was some thought
08:00that you weren't going
08:00to make it.
08:01But it's just wild to me.
08:02The reason I was kind of
08:03motivated to call in,
08:05he had a good practice,
08:06super competitive,
08:08was D-ing up,
08:09Chiggy Konko
08:09on some plays
08:10in the red zone
08:11in the end zone.
08:12And I watch him
08:13walk off the field
08:13kind of cutting up
08:14with his teammates,
08:15and the next thing you know,
08:16the next morning
08:17you find out
08:18reserve retired,
08:19which tells you,
08:20and I talked to some people
08:20about this,
08:22like, he didn't ask
08:22to be released
08:23thinking he might get cut
08:24or not make the team.
08:26He just said,
08:27I'm good.
08:28He doesn't feel
08:28he walked off the field.
08:29Yeah, that's pretty amazing.
08:31I know.
08:32It is kind of shocking.
08:33So here's my question.
08:35Does he just not want
08:36to play for the commanders?
08:37Do you think he resurfaces
08:39elsewhere,
08:39or is he just saying,
08:40I'm done playing
08:41NFL football at this point?
08:43Well, so when you're
08:44put on that list,
08:45you can't go try
08:46to get a job, right?
08:47So that's what I'm saying.
08:48What I clarified was,
08:50if it's a numbers game
08:51in his head,
08:52where Amos is working
08:53his way back,
08:53should be back soon,
08:55you know,
08:55you see Douglas coming on,
08:56they've got a much more
08:57competitive corner room
08:58than I think some of us
08:59anticipated.
09:00You go to them
09:01and you say,
09:02hey, look,
09:03I'm a veteran in this league.
09:04I'm from the West Coast.
09:05I want to be back
09:06closer to my family.
09:07If I'm not going to make it,
09:09let me know
09:09and cut me as soon as possible.
09:10That's not what happened
09:11at all.
09:12He went to them
09:13and said he was done.
09:14He's retiring.
09:15So, you know,
09:16it'd be one thing
09:17if like I'd been out here
09:18for four days
09:19and hadn't noticed him
09:20or he's getting toasted
09:20or whatever.
09:23Legitimately yesterday,
09:24I actually thought
09:24he was really good.
09:25So, it just shows you
09:27how you just never know
09:29what's going on
09:29in a guy's head, right?
09:30Where like he feels like
09:31he's having a good practice.
09:33I'm going,
09:33man, they're pretty deep
09:34at corner.
09:34He could help them this year.
09:36And then he goes,
09:37yeah, I'm just going to fly home
09:38and be with my family.
09:39I'm done with this.
09:39Hey, GP,
09:40what if I told you
09:41in your radio career
09:43you could make
09:44$16.4 million total?
09:47Steamed.
09:48He's made $16.4 million.
09:50He might be like,
09:51I'm good.
09:52He's grossed $16.4 million.
09:55We've seen plenty of guys
09:56who've made a lot more money
09:58than that
09:58wind up broke and busto.
10:00I know, but maybe
10:01he's good with his money.
10:02Maybe he is.
10:03You know what?
10:04I hope he is.
10:05Yeah.
10:05I hope that's the case.
10:06I will say,
10:07$16.4 million is a good number,
10:09right?
10:09I will accept $16.4 million.
10:11Great number.
10:12People never want to hear
10:15like this breakdown
10:15because it's like,
10:16you've got to be kidding me.
10:17But to Cakes' point,
10:20right away you take
10:21almost 50% of that
10:22out of the equation.
10:23So now you're at eight.
10:24Now you're paying agents.
10:25Now you're paying trainers.
10:26So my point is
10:28it's never as much
10:29as it looks, right?
10:29Like the guys
10:30that make league minimum
10:31need to play.
10:32I've been talking a lot
10:33about this with the work stoppage.
10:34It's easy for our guy
10:36Max Scherzer
10:37or, you know,
10:37Karek Skubal
10:38who's in the news
10:39or some of these dudes
10:39that make $40 million
10:40to hold the line
10:41and say,
10:42let's not play games.
10:43Let's beat the owners.
10:44The sport is made up
10:45of a bunch of guys
10:45that make $700,000
10:48who, you know,
10:49half that goes to taxes
10:50and then they got to
10:51pay a bunch of people
10:52and now they're not
10:52getting paychecks
10:53for a month
10:54in the next season.
10:55And Grant also,
10:56by the way,
10:57that's $16 million.
10:58It sounds amazing.
10:59It is an amazing number,
11:01but that's over nine years.
11:03That's not like
11:05you had a two-year
11:06$16 million deal.
11:08That's nine years,
11:09$16 million.
11:10Right.
11:12My point is
11:13he could have made money.
11:14It's still great money,
11:15but it's not like
11:16$16 million in your career
11:17and you were smart with it.
11:18Let's say he just bought
11:21a house for $1 million cash.
11:25And he's wise with his money.
11:27He's not going crazy.
11:28He might be set.
11:29I hope he is set.
11:30He should be set.
11:31I hope he's got money
11:32for the next $16 million.
11:33$16 million,
11:33you should be set.
11:34You should be.
11:35Well, he bought a house
11:36for $1 million cash.
11:37He doesn't get to live
11:38near the facility
11:38out in Ashburn.
11:39The prices are pretty steep.
11:41They're pretty steep.
11:42He lives in Gaithersburg
11:44with me.
11:46But maybe he'll be good
11:49with the media.
11:50Maybe he'll do something
11:50out west with one
11:51of those teams.
11:52We have no idea.
11:53I'm sure he's got a plan.
11:54Yeah, very possibly.
11:55To me, what motivated me
11:56to call in
11:57and why I was kind of
11:58so taken aback
11:58was literally just
12:00it feels to me
12:01like you have to be
12:02all in to play
12:03at a high level
12:04in this league.
12:05Like yesterday,
12:05it's disgustingly hot.
12:07Everybody's sweaty.
12:08Pads are on.
12:09It's physical.
12:10There's violent collisions.
12:12This dude's kind of
12:13getting into it
12:13with a conco
12:14after he's all over
12:15him in the end zone.
12:16And just to go from that
12:18to like snapping
12:19your fingers
12:19the next morning
12:20and you're just saying,
12:21nah, I'm good.
12:22Pretty amazing.
12:23I do think corner
12:25for what it's worth,
12:26I harped all offseason
12:27on that being
12:28my biggest concern.
12:29With the addition
12:30of Douglas
12:31and frankly Witherspoon
12:32playing the way
12:33he was at camp,
12:34I was feeling
12:34a lot better about it.
12:36Sandra still had
12:36an outstanding day yesterday.
12:38Amos is apparently
12:39on the verge
12:40of returning from injury.
12:41And then schematically,
12:42what Durante Jones does,
12:44they ask a lot less
12:45of that position
12:46because it's a lot
12:46more pressures,
12:48blitzes.
12:48The plan is always
12:49Paul's going to come out quick,
12:51which is great,
12:51until the plan doesn't work.
12:53But I think as of right now
12:55they're okay at corner
12:56and I wouldn't have thought
12:57that before I got to camp.
12:58Hey, Chiefs,
12:59speaking of being hot
13:00and steamy
13:01and all steamed up,
13:02did you get steamed up
13:03watching Sonny Stiles
13:04perform at camp yesterday
13:06with the pads on?
13:08Sonny Stiles is only
13:09going to be for you
13:10if you like action figures
13:12who run really fast.
13:13Yeah.
13:14So if you're into like,
13:15if you're into guys
13:16that don't look like
13:17they should be able
13:18to move like they do,
13:19then you're going to
13:20like Sonny Stiles.
13:21Yeah, it's funny,
13:22the first few days
13:22of practice,
13:24like first two days,
13:25he was not very noticeable
13:26at all.
13:27The third day,
13:28which was Saturday,
13:29he made two plays
13:30where you're like,
13:31ooh, that's kind of special.
13:32He made a near interception
13:34on what would have been
13:35like a pick six in the flat,
13:37batted up pass,
13:38and then he had
13:38this other play
13:39where he was a little bit
13:40late getting over,
13:41but he came flying
13:42from linebacker
13:42basically to the sideline
13:44and you just saw him
13:45like open it up
13:45from a speed standpoint.
13:47And I have not seen
13:48a linebacker for this team
13:49run like that in a long time.
13:50So those are the flash moments.
13:52Yesterday, though,
13:53Cakes,
13:53was the Sonny Stiles day.
13:55Like that was
13:55the Sonny Stiles show.
13:56The first rep of 11s
13:58of camp, period.
14:01They put the twos out there.
14:02Bill gets a carry.
14:03Big old hole
14:04coming downhill.
14:05And Stiles comes
14:06from the second level
14:07and blows him up
14:08at the one-yard line.
14:09And that was kind of
14:10the welcome-to-the-day moment
14:12where he was everywhere.
14:15I mean,
14:15he just was so noticeable.
14:17Before yesterday,
14:18it felt like he's
14:18on a trajectory
14:19where he's splitting time
14:21with Chanel
14:21and Louvoo's
14:22kind of the guy
14:23not coming off the field
14:24at the other position.
14:25If he has a lot,
14:26stacks a lot of days
14:27like that,
14:27I just don't know
14:27how he's not
14:28on the field
14:29for most snaps.
14:30What,
14:30did the fans go crazy
14:31when he blew up Bill?
14:33Oh, my God.
14:33I mean,
14:34it was right
14:34at the goal line
14:35and the fans
14:36were allowed,
14:37Jason,
14:37to be in the end zone
14:38right behind
14:39the goal post.
14:40So,
14:41I mean,
14:41they were chanting
14:42his name.
14:43That's exactly
14:44what they've been
14:45salivating over
14:45and thinking about
14:46since we were all
14:47hanging out on draft night
14:48out in Loudoun County.
14:50Right, right.
14:50All right,
14:51well,
14:51enjoy it out there,
14:52bud.
14:53All right,
14:53see you, fellas.
14:54Yep,
14:54trying to stay cool.
14:55That's Grant Paulson.
14:56He's now at Grant Paulson.
14:58No longer the H in the middle
14:59at Grant Paulson.
15:00You can follow his updates.
15:01He got rid of his H?
15:02He got rid of the H.
15:03What?
15:04The H is gone.
15:06It's gone.
15:07All right,
15:07when we come back,
15:08are the Ravens
15:09trying to make inroads
15:10into Commander's territory?
15:12in Prince George's County
15:13close to D.C.
15:14We'll give you the details next.
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