We have Ben Standig join G&D to discuss the Commanders draft class and the impact they could have on Washington.
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00:00Let's get to the Rude Guest Outline.
00:01Rude, the most reliable heating and air conditioning products in the DMV.
00:05Ben Standig of the Athletics stopping by post-Commander's Draft.
00:09Before we get to that, what did you make of yesterday's big announcement?
00:13And do you think that this is going to happen?
00:15Or are we going the way of Leonsis and Virginia?
00:20Well, yeah.
00:21Obviously, things have been incrementally moving in this direction.
00:25And we got a heads up a week or so ago that something may be happening.
00:30Imminently, and here we are.
00:32You know, to me, go back to 18 months, two years,
00:37and it all came down to would the D.C. Council spend the money.
00:42And that was even before they gave half a billion dollars to Monumental Sports
00:45for their refurbishing.
00:47So, you know, we'll see how stern those who are opposing giving out the money
00:54are with this.
00:55I mean, the fact that it is now here, that it isn't just a hypothetical,
00:58that there's a deal on the table.
01:00That the Commanders are ready to go.
01:02You know, maybe that changes some minds of people who would have been against it
01:05because, you know, it was like, well, you know, I'm not for this thing.
01:10But now it's here to get an NFL team to get a new stadium that would obviously
01:14be a centerpiece for this city to attract other events.
01:18You know, that's got to be tempting.
01:19You know, I would imagine that somehow this ultimately gets done.
01:24But, you know, my guess is it's not going to be a straight line from yesterday's
01:27announcement to that moment.
01:29Yeah, it never is.
01:31As far as the draft goes, more surprising to you, not a single trade back
01:36or not taking a single pass rusher off the edge?
01:38Probably not a trade back.
01:43But, you know, once they got through the first two picks, you know,
01:47those are their best opportunities to get, you know, some viable picks.
01:52You know, the strength of this draft was in those middle rounds.
01:55You know, it wasn't like a top tier, a really strong top tier in that, you know,
02:01the next few rounds kind of like leveled out that you get good value in rounds
02:04three and four at least.
02:05So, I mean, once they were in a position where they weren't going to get extra
02:09picks there, it's probably when it was like, okay, we're just going to move
02:12forward here and take these picks.
02:15Obviously, you know, we talked a ton about edge rusher.
02:17You know, you would have guessed that that would have been the case.
02:19But, you know, for me, my view of this whole draft was they don't have to do
02:24anything they don't want to do because in free agency, they largely covered up
02:29any kind of issues.
02:30I'm not saying that they're good, you know, they're good enough at edge rusher.
02:34I don't know if I think that at all.
02:36But especially like if we get to the postseason, they don't have youth.
02:40They don't have athleticism.
02:41They don't have an obvious like guy who's going to get, you know, eight plus sacks.
02:45But, you know, they should be better against the run.
02:49And they have, you know, six guys, five or six guys that you could say, hey,
02:52these can be part of our rotation.
02:55We'll see if they do any free agency.
02:58So, yeah, a little surprise.
02:59But, again, it's not like the other the picks they made were like, you know,
03:03wacky or anything.
03:03They also addressed areas where we said they needed some help.
03:07So, you know, something you had to give.
03:09And, you know, depending how you want to look at it, they unfortunately
03:11didn't get the edge guy.
03:13So it sounds to me like you would not be stunned if they didn't still sign a
03:17veteran edge.
03:18I think it's a foregone conclusion that they've still got to go out and grab
03:22pick your guy.
03:23I mean, Judon or Preston Smith or whoever, at least one of those guys.
03:26But you think they could just go into the season with what they've got on the
03:29roster now?
03:31Well, I mean, all the guys that are out there for the most part, I mean,
03:34unless there's just some kind of, you know, deep undercover guy that we, you
03:38know, I just don't know anything about.
03:39But in terms of the headliners, like the guys you just mentioned, the Darius Smith as
03:42well, like all those guys are, you know, over 30 as well.
03:45This team needs to get younger.
03:47That's not going to do that.
03:48Now, does that help them more potentially this year?
03:51Yeah, sure.
03:51I mean, the Darius Smith, just to use him, had nine and a half sacks last year.
03:55That's more than anybody else on this team had.
03:58I'm sure other teams around the league will be knocking on his door as well.
04:03But, you know, unless they think that one of, you know, one of these guys is going
04:06to be viable enough to be like sort of top three in a rotation, can help against
04:11the run, you know, give them some pass rush.
04:15I'm not saying it's that they wouldn't.
04:16I'm just saying, I don't know that it's like they've got to do it.
04:19Darius Smith for me is kind of a line after him.
04:23You know, I don't know that it really, I don't know that anybody moves the needle
04:28based on, you know, where they are in their careers and things like that.
04:32I guess I just don't look at their edges and see anyone you'd be blocking.
04:36That would be really good if you brought someone in here.
04:39Javante Jean-Baptiste, they drafted in the seventh round, got hurt last year.
04:42Maybe they like him.
04:43Jalen Holmes flashed a bit.
04:44I mean, Andre Jones, I think, you know, is on the team or he isn't.
04:47And I don't know how much of a difference that makes.
04:51Jacob Martin in his career is not really proven to be a pass rusher.
04:54So for me, they just don't have it.
04:56Like Cleland Farrell, Dietrich Wise, those guys play the run okay maybe.
04:59But it just seems like they've got to do something, especially coming out of the draft.
05:03I thought they might draft a kicker as an example.
05:06They don't do it.
05:07And then today they signed Matt Gay.
05:08It feels to me like it's just kind of that same thing where now they go back to the drawing
05:12board and they throw money at somebody, whether it's Thedaria Smith or somebody else, and
05:17say, we need someone who can get his eight sacks opposite Dorrance Armstrong on passing
05:21downs.
05:22I mean, yeah, I agree.
05:23That would be ideal.
05:24I'm just saying based on what I see out there, you know, Matthew Judon had five sacks last
05:29year.
05:30Von Miller had six.
05:31You know, I'm not going to pretend I've gone back to watch all their tape.
05:36You know, sacks are not always a good indicator of how effective somebody was.
05:40But, you know, the old story, if they were really good to be a difference maker, they
05:44probably would be already on a team by now.
05:47Of course, teams, at a certain point in the free agency process, they wait until post-draft.
05:51So, a pick doesn't, a signing doesn't account against the compensatory pick calculation.
05:57So, that's why some players are still available.
06:00But, yeah, again, look, they could go out and sign with these guys.
06:03I get it.
06:04But I guess I'm just saying that even if they did, for the most part, I wouldn't be thinking
06:08to myself, wow, they really fixed this problem.
06:10Oh, totally.
06:11I think that, you know, maybe they do, maybe they don't.
06:14Like I said, they've got six guys you can, you know, argue would be on the team or, you
06:18know, could be.
06:19And, you know, again, Z'Darrius Smith aside, I'm happy to see, I'm happy to admit if I'm
06:26missing somebody.
06:27But just in terms of the sort of obvious names, I don't know that they necessarily, you
06:31know, change much for me, whether they do sign them or not.
06:34Ben Standing of The Athletic on Grant and Danny, looking at the draft class, Trey Amos in the
06:39second round, would he start possibly after a competition?
06:44Is that the plan that he'd be a boundary corner?
06:46You'd have him and Lattimore and kick Sandra still into the nickel, which was the original
06:50plan?
06:50Or did they see enough from Mikey outside that maybe he plays out there?
06:56Yeah, I mean, to me, that's a really fascinating question.
07:00You know, going back to the original, you know, when they originally drafted Sandra still,
07:06he was going to be the slot guy.
07:08And that was, he was ready for that.
07:09They were talking about that.
07:10And then I don't think they wanted to move him outside.
07:12But as we remember, you know, the other cornerbacks were just, you know, falling apart all over
07:16the place.
07:17And even when they got Lattimore, you know, he's hurt.
07:20So he didn't play for a bit.
07:22And Sandra still did a good job.
07:23And, you know, I was talking to somebody with another team before the draft.
07:27And they're like, look, generally speaking, if you've got a slot corner, you can play
07:30outside, you don't move them back to the slot.
07:33So look, they needed more size in the perimeter.
07:36Anyway, they needed more depth anyway.
07:39And, you know, Sandra still is the only one you could have said for sure would be on the
07:43roster in 2026.
07:44So if nothing else, they do have, you know, another piece there for the longer haul.
07:49But yeah, Amos is going to be an outside guy.
07:51You know, if he can come in and be a contributor right away, then moving Sandra still back to
07:55the slot to me would make a ton of sense.
07:58They also have, you know, Jonathan Jones, who can play either outside or inside.
08:02He's, you know, there's a lot to like about him, the veteran experience.
08:05He's tough against the run, even though he's not the biggest guy.
08:08So, you know, and then you got Noah Ibnagany, who obviously was pretty good last year in
08:13the slot.
08:13So not to like pump the question and be like, Hey, you're like options, but it is kind of
08:18like that.
08:19I just, for me, it would be, what do I want to do with Sandra still long-term?
08:23If I want him to be outside, then he'll be on the outside and I'll have Amos maybe next
08:27year if Lattimore is gone.
08:28But if they want him to be on the, in the slot, then move him to the slot.
08:32I don't, I just don't want him necessarily moving around a ton in terms of like learning
08:36positions.
08:37You know, I, obviously you can be flexible, but what is he going to be that that's going
08:41to be the question.
08:42And I would think this is a sign that it's a slot, but we'll see.
08:45It took Jalen Lane at a Virginia tech, the wide receiver in the fourth round at 128
08:51overall, how much do you see him figuring into their offense?
08:55And do you think he'll be their punt and maybe kick returner?
09:00Yeah, I think that the fact that he can do both, uh, you know, return, it'd be a factor
09:04in a return game and on offense is why you make a move like that.
09:08You know, their top two returners last year is the key is in Cratter one is signed elsewhere
09:12and the other ones, uh, you know, not on the team.
09:14So I think that's got to be a huge factor, you know, uh, speed adding speed on offense
09:20to me was a really significant, was really critical.
09:22I didn't so much care if it was a running back or receiver.
09:24It needed to be from somewhere.
09:26They did it with a receiver guys that were on a four, three, four, 40 time.
09:30It looked like Virginia tech got him the ball a lot, sort of quick screens and, uh, slanted
09:35just, you know, get in the ball in space as best you can and let him go from there.
09:39And, you know, Cliff Kingsbury, I think can design that.
09:41So, you know, I don't think he's going to be, you know, frontline receiver snaps up barring
09:48injury, or he just comes in and crushes it because they have some other guys.
09:51But again, you look long-term, well, even if we assume that Terry McLaren signs an extension,
09:56the only other receiver they had beyond this season is a Luke McCaffrey.
10:00So, you know, they've given themselves a potential future slot and yeah, if he's able to come in
10:05right away and show he can help on offense, then yeah, you put that four, three, four speed
10:10somewhere on the field and, uh, get going.
10:13Do you feel pretty confident that McLaren gets extended at some point around the start
10:18of training camp?
10:20I, you know, I would be surprised if he's not back.
10:25I mean, you know, they, that, that, you know, what, unless the money talk is just out of whack
10:30that I would imagine they find somewhere, you know, some way to get this done.
10:35And he, obviously what he did on the field last year on top of his entire career was
10:40very impressive.
10:40The leadership and all that.
10:42And, you know, look, the majority of the moves that have been made this off season have
10:46been connected in one by one thing or by one mindset.
10:49And that is help Jaden Daniels and taking Terry McLaren, taking Terry McLaren away from
10:54him from the long haul would not be wise in that front.
10:56So I would assume they get something done.
10:59And, you know, if you're, if you're not going to somehow give, Hey, Terry McLaren, then,
11:02you know, what kind of message is that sending to everybody else?
11:04He's literally the poster child for what you want out of a, of a leader, a teammate, a
11:10player.
11:10So I would be surprised if it's not done, whether it's training camp or OTAs, we
11:15remember in the last time he was up for a deal, he did miss some of the, uh, you
11:20know, uh, the, the early part of the off season workout because of the, you know, it
11:24wasn't wholly out, but it was voluntary.
11:26So you'd like to think he he'd get there, uh, and, and participate, but, um,
11:30Ben standing of the athletic, uh, they take Josh Connerly at 29 overall.
11:36You actually on the show before the draft told us you wouldn't be surprised if
11:39they went tackle.
11:40So kudos to you.
11:41You were thinking outside the box a little bit there, but walk me through your
11:46projection for the starting offensive line at this point.
11:51Yeah.
11:52I mean, similar to the cornerback situation that we just discussed in the
11:55offensive line could be really fascinating.
11:56I'm going to assume that Connerly has the inside track to get the right tackle
12:01job.
12:01You know, it's always, uh, you played left side in college for offensive linemen in
12:05recent years, the transition from college to pro is a lot trickier than it has been
12:10in years past.
12:11It's because of the way offenses are in college and what they ask linemen to do.
12:16But if he's able to make that transition, if he's able to show something in camp
12:20that they feel confident putting him out there, then he's the right tackle.
12:23And then I think what becomes interesting is what do they do with Brandon Coleman?
12:28You know, to me, I would look to see about putting Brandon Coleman on the left
12:32side, put him in competition with Nick Allegretti.
12:35You know, I don't want to keep having Coleman move all over the place.
12:38You know, like if somehow Coleman were to beat out Connerly for the right tackle
12:42job, that would be surprising to me.
12:44But let's just, you know, maybe that happened, but ultimately he's going to land
12:47in guard.
12:47Ultimately Connerly is going to get that job.
12:50And so I would just assume have Coleman be on the left side, you know, Cosby's
12:53on the right side.
12:54Eventually you can have Andrew Wiley or Nate Herbig be that fill in at right
12:58guard.
12:59Or if Coleman were to win the left guard spot, you can move Allegretti over not
13:02knocking Allegretti, but like, you know, the move isn't just about right.
13:07It's not just about upgrading right tackle.
13:09It's about now moving Coleman somewhere else because obviously he was a third round
13:13pick and he showed some good promise and a lot of people thought he'd be better off
13:16the guard anyway.
13:16So I think that to me is going to be really fascinating.
13:19Do they, you know, do they give Coleman and Wiley real shot to be at right tackle
13:25or do they just kind of quickly say, Hey, we'd like to see what you guys can do at
13:28guard as much as anything and, uh, and go from there.
13:31But yeah, I mean, I think, uh, Tunsell Coleman or Allegretti at left guard,
13:37Biotish Cosby, but with a fill in until he's back.
13:41And then Connerly, that to me would be the, the, the best guess as to what a week
13:46one lineup looks like Ben's cranking out good content and has a lot of Intel on
13:50this draft class depth chart analysis that he posted was really good over the
13:54weekend as well.
13:54So go check them out at the athletic worth a subscription, Benjamin.
13:59Thank you, sir.
14:00As always, we appreciate you.
14:02Grant time flies by when I'm talking to you.
14:04Appreciate it, man.
14:05You got it, brother.
14:06That's Ben standing of the athletic.