- 7 weeks ago
With Mariota injured, Jayden Daniels is getting significant first and second-team reps. Grant thinks this means Daniels probably won't play on Saturday. Would this be the right call?
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00:00More thorough, legitimate football practice today, which I was very excited about.
00:06It's the first one in a calendar week since the padded practice against the Miami Dolphins seven days ago.
00:12It was the first time that the starters have gotten this kind of work in, so good.
00:16But we are trending toward, it would appear.
00:19We keep doing this, like Monday we had this conversation, Tuesday we updated how we felt.
00:23I'm starting to get a pretty good hunch, pretty good feel on this, Danny.
00:27I got some Boydys Choypin out here, if you will.
00:29Oh, what do we got?
00:30I don't know if we're going to see Jaden Daniels play in Detroit.
00:33Oh, no.
00:33It is trending toward that not happening.
00:35And here's how I think it's going to be justified, couched, whatever you want to say.
00:40Tim?
00:41I think what we're going to hear is twofold.
00:44Number one, we're going to hear about the number of reps Jaden Daniels got the last two days, which is
00:50accurate.
00:51He has gotten a ton of reps because Mark Smariot is out, injured, MCL, not practicing.
00:59Instead of just elevating Kaliak Manis to the two and Hartman to the three, they have decided to basically let
01:05Jaden Daniels get the first and second team reps.
01:07And then Kaliak Manis takes most of the third team reps and Sam Hartman gets in where he fits in.
01:12So I think what they'll first say is Jaden got way more work in practice the last couple of days
01:17than he typically would without Mariota, which is true.
01:21The other thing I think you're going to hear, and Dan Quinn has started to talk about this a little
01:26bit at the podium, is that they have a ton of players who are banged up.
01:33Not going to call them injured, right?
01:35But a lot of guys who are not quite 100%.
01:38So the list includes Mariota with the MCL, Jeremy McNichols with the quad, Jerome Ford is now uninjured, reserved with
01:44a hamstring, River Craycraft is out with some kind of injury.
01:48They put him on IR4.
01:49John Bates has a hamstring.
01:51Laramie Tunsil out with triceps for much of the season.
01:55Allegretti's back, but has a calf.
01:56Tim Settle, calf.
01:57Johnny Newton meeting with a specialist in New York today with a peck we found out.
02:01He could miss much of all of the season.
02:03We don't know.
02:04Dietrich Wise hasn't come back from pup yet with a quad.
02:06Adalphi Owe, calf.
02:07Caleb on chase on knee.
02:09Jordan McGee, shoulder.
02:10Trey Amos, ankle.
02:11I don't think I missed anybody.
02:12But the point is, they could justify what they want to do in the preseason by saying,
02:18we're too banged up.
02:19And if we can't play Allegretti, and we can't play all five starters, then we can't play Jaden Daniels.
02:23And it's just this domino effect where next thing you know, there's like seven or eight
02:27starters going.
02:28And I think we're headed in that direction.
02:31So some of the, when everybody hears an explanation, and if you don't like the explanation result,
02:39they'll call it an excuse.
02:41Those are reasons, right?
02:43I just, I don't know that I love the conclusion, but those are reasons where it's like guys
02:47are banged up.
02:48Now, the Daniels has got enough reps the last couple days.
02:51Then why would a backup quarterback ever get reps?
02:54You know what I mean?
02:54Like to me, I'd be getting so many reps that I would, he'd never need to play in a preseason
02:59game if that's the case.
03:00But I digress that.
03:01Or there.
03:03Ah.
03:04So how do you feel about that?
03:05Like, let's say that happens that way.
03:07And these, and those are the reasons.
03:08Does that pass muster for you?
03:11Well, it's a really good question.
03:12I've been wrestling with this all afternoon.
03:16I think that the explanations are real.
03:21Yeah.
03:21Like, in other words, when they say he got a lot of reps, that's a fact.
03:25Yes.
03:25I've been really surprised by how many, you know, second team snaps he's taken.
03:30I didn't know it would go that way without Mariota, and it's a little bit of a blessing
03:33in disguise in that way.
03:35But yesterday's practice that you're going to tell me about all the reps in wasn't even
03:39padded.
03:40It was shells.
03:42How do shells compare to pads?
03:44Not great.
03:45Pads aren't even, you know, a joint practice, which isn't even a game, if that makes any
03:49sense.
03:50So I grade on a little bit of a curve with all these reps, because half of them came
03:55in a jog through, as far as I'm concerned.
03:56But that having been said, how do I feel about it?
04:00I don't feel good.
04:01There is not a path that leads to Daniels throwing zero footballs in August for a second
04:07straight year.
04:08After that went poorly last year.
04:10That can be justified to me.
04:13And if they say he got a lot of reps, that's true.
04:15And if they say there's a lot of guys banged up, also correct.
04:18But right now, you could, if you chose to, you could play Allegretti against the Lions.
04:23He was healthy enough to practice today.
04:24You could have Coleman and Paul and Allegretti and Cosme and Connerly all play for a quarter
04:32or a series or two or whatever and have your starting offensive line out there.
04:36You're choosing not to do that if you decide that you're not going to play one or two of
04:40those guys.
04:40So the domino effect that they're going to reference, if they do, of, hey, if this guy
04:44doesn't play, then we can't play Jaden.
04:46You chose to start the dominoes falling.
04:49Because everyone was healthy enough to practice today.
04:51There's also this argument I've heard from people, too.
04:54I was talking to a fan out here who brought this up today when he was asking, like, calls
04:57me over.
04:58He's like, is Daniels going to play?
04:59He's like, hey, if Allegretti doesn't go, then Jaden shouldn't go.
05:01And my point to that is, you are something happening, like, Nick Allegretti's helmet being
05:08misplaced away from Julian Good-Jones being on the field, first and ten against Jalen
05:12Carter in Philadelphia.
05:13You're Nick Allegretti's cleat coming off, and he has to leave the field from Julian
05:16Good-Jones coming on.
05:18The idea that you have to play behind him in a controllable preseason against the Lions,
05:24who aren't going to be, you know, at 100% possibly with their starters anyway, it's like
05:28a bridge too far.
05:30Then you have a bad plan at center.
05:31Because Julian Good-Jones currently is going to play this football season based on Allegretti's
05:37injury history.
05:38So that one I struggle with, too.
05:40I say all that to say, it's a new offense.
05:43David Blouse never called plays in the Jaden Daniels helmet in a game.
05:47There's a thousand reasons why he should absolutely play in this preseason.
05:50I'm going to be annoyed if he doesn't, but I am more understanding, I guess, than I would
05:55have been 72 hours ago.
05:56I'm still going to chalk this up to a miss, to use DQ's wording.
06:00Yeah, I love your point about center, by the way, because I do think they have a bad
06:04plan at center.
06:04Again, they got rid of a guy that started for them because they thought someone else was
06:08better.
06:09Why not let them compete?
06:10Again, I'll never understand the upside of that move.
06:12They didn't gain anything that they had to use.
06:14It wasn't as if they were up against the salary cap and absolutely needed the relief.
06:19And if they were, I would get that.
06:20I go, all right, you know, he's not going to play for you.
06:22That's fine.
06:22He would lose the competition.
06:24They got rid of Biotis for free.
06:25Now, again, I know Biotis is hurt.
06:26Who knows if he would have been hurt if he was here.
06:28But again, that's another matter.
06:30But if you're going to move on from Biotis to Allegretti, there's no real reason to keep
06:34Biotis around.
06:35I get your point about competition.
06:36But that's where, go sign somebody else that hasn't only played two snaps in the league,
06:41like Good Jones.
06:42I guess to me, and it sounds like you agree with me, you can't have it both ways to tell
06:46me, Julian Good Jones, we trust, and he's a number two, which basically in this league
06:50means he can play for us.
06:51Yeah, they played that a five-center season a couple years ago.
06:54Exactly.
06:54But you're also telling me you can't play Jaden Daniels in Detroit because Nick Allegretti
06:58is not going to play?
06:59Like, that logic doesn't work.
07:00No, it doesn't mean all.
07:02And I guess where I would, the only pushback I would have is Biotis is a starter in this
07:06league, and somebody else thought he was pretty good, who had a better record than you
07:10did last year.
07:11They picked him up at the airport out of excitement.
07:13I mean, he had suitors.
07:14This wasn't one of those, he gets cut, and everyone's like, yeah, that stinks.
07:16We want nothing to do with him.
07:18And there was a safety blanket there.
07:20So, I mean, to me, I'd rather, again, if I was up against a salary cap and I have to
07:25make a tough decision, I would make it.
07:26I have no problem with that.
07:27They weren't.
07:28This is protecting Jaden Daniels.
07:30This is an offensive line that PFF certainly thinks is the worst the league has to offer,
07:33whether you agree with that or not.
07:35They're not top five or top ten.
07:37I will not ever endorse just going, yep, we'll be fine with the unknown and a guy that hasn't
07:42played center yet.
07:43I'll go one step further on that, Danny.
07:46Let's say Daniels is too big of a risk because he's too important and the juice is not worth
07:51the squeeze.
07:52I disagree.
07:54That's perfectly reasonable to discuss, right?
07:57Two series of Jaden Daniels.
07:59The good that comes from that doesn't outweigh the possible bad.
08:02You know, the old logic of why you don't play anybody in the preseason.
08:05Fine.
08:06So he doesn't play.
08:07You can't convince me, as you just pointed out, about this offensive line that's been
08:12together for eight minutes because Coleman's replacing Tunsell because Alegretti just got
08:17back to practice.
08:18They've had one padded practice together as a group of five.
08:20It was today.
08:21That's it.
08:22Coleman at left tackle.
08:24Paul at left guard.
08:26Alegretti at center.
08:27They've practiced together for two hours.
08:28That's today.
08:29They can't get some good work in?
08:31In a game setting in Detroit?
08:33Now, if you don't want to play Jaden Daniels and you want it to be the Ethan Kaliak-Manish show,
08:37the Baklava bomber, dropping back and dropping the ball in the bucket, and the Sam Hartman show,
08:42sure, no problem.
08:44Don't play Jaden Daniels.
08:45Football players, we don't need to play football.
08:47We'll just be ready in September.
08:48But how can you tell me the O-line doesn't need some good work?
08:53Of course they do.
08:54I just keep coming back to new offense, first-time play caller, and in Daniels' case,
09:02two games since the middle of October last year.
09:05And you're not going to play him at all in this preseason.
09:08Listen, the way we got here in real time makes some sense with being banged up and, you know,
09:16the way this is playing out.
09:18But from a 10,000-foot view, that looks outrageous to me.
09:22And that's actually where I want to start on the phones.
09:24I think you and I can tee this up at 800-636-1067.
09:29800-636-1067.
09:32My question would be a fill-in-the-blank where you've got to finish what I've started here, okay?
09:40Not playing Jaden Daniels at all this preseason is what?
09:46Maybe a word, maybe a sentence.
09:47How would you fill in that blank?
09:49Jaden Daniels not playing for a second straight August is?
09:54A miss.
09:55I don't have a better way to put it.
09:56I mean, I'll borrow from you, borrow from Dan Quinn.
09:58And it's, I understand, to your point about we did one and then we did the next one,
10:05then it's two, then it's three.
10:06And here's what we got to eight because we counted one through eight.
10:09But then you look back at the totality of it, you go, well, this is kind of what we did
10:12last year to a degree.
10:13And my point is, I don't care what everyone else is doing.
10:16I care what you did last year.
10:18And it's such a disaster, I would light a fire behind me.
10:22You know what I mean?
10:22Let's go Cortez and burn the boats here.
10:24I cannot do what I did last year, which was exhibit complacency, exhibit a complete lack of urgency.
10:31And I'm sorry that it's scary.
10:34It is.
10:34I'm scared to death, too.
10:35I mean, he's going to take the field at some point.
10:37I'm going to be sitting there holding my breath that he doesn't get hurt every single play for years until
10:42it happens.
10:43If he gets through seasons, I'll maybe relax a little bit and think maybe everything's going to be okay.
10:48I got that anxiety, too.
10:49And I know what it would like.
10:50I can't imagine what it would be like to be the head coach.
10:52And think of that.
10:53You're the guy that got him hurt or whatever.
10:55But it has to happen.
10:57Like, that's kind of where I'm at here.
10:59Simply because my paradigms, I think it may be a little bit different than yours, is last year is so
11:04horrendous.
11:05If I did something last year and I'm going to do it again, I better have a great essay.
11:10I better have the perfect keyhole method, written proof, like expository writing for Dr. Piazza my junior year.
11:18It better be the greatest essay ever written to convince me that my practice from last year is the way
11:24I'm going to do it this year.
11:25And that's what they did last year.
11:26He didn't throw a pass in August, to your point.
11:27He would throw passes in August for me.
11:29It's that simple.
11:30So that's the blank I'm looking for you to fill in.
11:34800-636-1067.
11:37800-636-1067.
11:39Not playing Jaden Daniels this preseason is.
11:43Danny says a miss.
11:45Now, if you're wondering, how am I getting to, you're not playing him at all in the preseason.
11:48Because this is the game he would play in.
11:50There's no reason to play him in the third game.
11:52Although, I guess, if you're not playing in the first two, there's plenty of reason to play him in the
11:55third game.
11:56But they have the joint practice with the Ravens.
11:58They're going to have what is one of their two best workouts of the entirety of the summer.
12:02And he's going to get better work in on Wednesday in Baltimore than he will in that end of preseason
12:07game.
12:07It's also closer to the regular season.
12:09So teams get a little bit more cautious with players.
12:11You don't want anything in the soft tissue realm to cost you a couple weeks.
12:16Although, there's actually a little more time than there used to be to get back in time for week one
12:19as it is.
12:20But, if you're playing in the preseason, it's going to be against Detroit.
12:24This is the game to do it.
12:25This is the dress rehearsal.
12:27So, if we're trending toward him not going, which is what the momentum seems to be,
12:31then that would mean he wouldn't play at all in August for what is a second consecutive preseason he won't
12:36have thrown a single pass.
12:37And the question is, how will you feel about that?
12:39I posted the question on our YouTube page for those of the folks in the chat.
12:46Not playing Jaden Daniels this preseason.
12:49Tay says criminal or soft.
12:51He's going hard in the paint.
12:52Deb says not a good thing.
12:54Todd says fireable.
12:55That's strong.
12:56I would go with not playing Jaden Daniels at all this preseason is maddening.
13:04It would be a step too far for me to say I completely understand.
13:12But, it's just been so long since he played in a game.
13:17You're signing up for his first game action since early December.
13:23And his third game since before Halloween being against the Eagles.
13:27Why would you do that?
13:28And by the way, his first time hearing David Blau call something into his helmet in a game against Jalen
13:33Carter.
13:34Why would you do that?
13:35And by the way, the first time in a new offense, playing in a non-practice, being in Philadelphia at
13:42the link against maybe the best defense in the league in Vic Fangio.
13:45Why do that?
13:46It just doesn't make sense.
13:49800-636-1067 is the number on Grant and Danny.
13:53800-636-1067.
13:55I'm going to hit the phones on this next on GN.