Commanders Insider Ben Standig Talks Daniels, Dotson Trade | Full Interview | The Rich Eisen Show

been a little little news coming out of Washington Commander camp and a lot of it has to do with the quarterback being named a starter that we kind of already knew but still this is my team my team that I'm following this year only because I feel like no one's talking enough about him Dan Quinn's Bunch but a guy who can help us out and get more understanding of what's going on with the commanders here's Ben standig rider for the athletic he covers the commanders Ben I feel like this team is riding under the radar a little bit no one really knows who this Washington Commander team is they got rid of so many guys but then they brought in so many guys and yet one of the big names is obviously the quarterback they selected number two overall jel Jaden Daniels is now the starter are we surprised is it just part of the process because before it was like oh we're not going to play him until he's ready or this and it's like all right look he showed us enough he's a starter how did that process go on him being named a starter uh well let me just say I'm kind of happy at least initially that these this team is is under the radar because the last three and four years they were way above the radar for all the wrong reasons oh yeah I got so I'm happy to have a little bit of normaly uh here in town but yeah no but look this Jaden Daniels thing the minute he was drafted I think it was pretty clear he would be the guy barring you know some poor transition to to the league they brought in Marcus Mariota to have a veteran a responsible move but clearly Daniels is the better quarterback not just in the future but right now watching this unfold in practice and you know they've been Dan Quinn's talking about competition this really is it's more than just a buzzword in Camp this is really what he is preaching across the board because they're not just simply uh bringing in some new players they're trying to reshape the entire tone of this organization that hasn't want to playoff game since 2005 so in the case of Daniels I I think he just didn't want to def declare a starter knowing that he wants to see other people battle at other positions but it's been pretty clear for a while that Daniels would be the guy for most of training camps he's been getting the first team reps he started both of the preseason games and again frankly he just is better and he's been really on target with a lot of deep throws the staff has been really impressed with his decision- making in the pocket and uh where to throw the ball and he's also been a pretty good guy in the locker room there's no Diva Vibes at all he's just one of one of the team and uh yeah they've he's checked all the boxes but they wanted to make sure they went through every box not just rush the process so now we got Caleb Williams will be the starter week one Jaden Daniels will be the starter week one Bo Nicks now the starter in week one as well they've all hit the Milestones that they needed to see uh from their head coach but I feel like we don't talk enough about their offensive coordinator in Washington Cliff Kingsbury former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals we know about his college background as well what is this offense now going to look like like what have you seen so far from practice and even the early parts of preseason that this offense can look like led by Jaden Daniels so it's a b it's a big question for sure and obviously one thing the staff knows is their big Advantage coming into the year is that people don't know exactly what's going to happen because everything is is very different but that said you know Cliff Kingsbury is not going to completely change what he did in Arizona and in college a lot of uptempo uh offense a lot of two three four receiver uh you know they'll have shots down the field and Jaden Daniels works perfectly as that sort of read option quarterback that goes with this sort of fast breaking offense that said we haven't really seen much of uh other than the uptempo part and the the formations the the the routes have been under wraps they are barely throwing the ball down the field at all in in the preseason they've also got a pretty good run game in in Brian Robinson and Austin Eckler and it's not going to surprise me at all if they lean hard into that Duo both to help Daniels you know get acclimated as a rookie and also there are questions on the offensive line particularly at tackle so again I think he's going to go up Tempo I think he's going to move his receivers around a bit more than people might uh think but we'll see what happens when the games ter real but it's a real chance to be a fun offense especially if Daniels can can get going quickly and I don't see why he's not going to be able to do that commanders beat rider for the athletic Ben standig joining the Rich Eisen show Kirk Morrison filling in for Rich uh I know one less uh weapon for the commanders on that offense kind of explain to us cuz I hear Jan Dodson and look that name was this off season part of the plans for the offense everyone like oh they got Johan Dodson and Terry McClaren and we were like okay and now right before the third preseason game Johan Dodson being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles what do you think the thought process when it thought thought process in trading away Jan doson who I thought was a starter on this football team yeah look he's been a starter his first two years his rookie season he led Washington with seven touchdown receptions like a lot of people last year though he had a down year a lot went wrong uh here but he didn't seem to bounce back quickly or really at all this year where other veterans who who came back seem to have that extra pep in their step as it were you know seem to buy in more Dodson just seemed off for most of this campaign and not just off you know in terms of like the route but I think it's was also his Vibe wasn't hitting with what with Dan Quinn was preaching and the analogy I've been using now for the last week or so is um I happened to watch the movie Miracle the other day for the 800th time great great movie great movie and and there's a scene early in the movie where you know Kurt Russell playing her Brooks turns to his assistant coach hands him a piece of paper with 26 names on it that he wants to bring to training camp the thing is though it's on day one of this bigger try out with like a 100 players and the assistant says wait a minute what are you doing here this doesn't even have some of the best players on it and her Brooks responds I'm not looking for the best players I'm looking for the right ones and I think for where this team is right now of course they're going to try to win but every move that they have made with led by GM Adam Peters from the time Peters showed up has been bigger picture they want to establish an identity they want to establish what it means to be part of this team they didn't spend lavishly to bring in a bunch of players to get a sugar high they want to build something and they are looking for those guys who understand the competitiveness the aggressive nature that they want and I know some of that can sound cliche but that's why they're doing this and taking their time rather than saying we've got to go and I just don't think Dodson fit and with two years left on his contract rookie deal they got some good value for him they don't have much else to receiver besides mclen I'll give you that but this to me is a tone setting move more than it is just about you know reshaping the wide receiver room Ben nothing wrong with a sugar high by the way nothing wrong with it man trust me I've had a few of yeah Jolly Ranchers and all but Ben standing ComEd Commander B writer for the athletic I would say this though that we see the trade and we see kind of the competition that's been going on what is this now new culture you mentioned a little bit Adam Peters the new general manager Dan Quinn new head coach formerly defensive coordinator uh with the Dallas Cowboys but how has this camp this pre-season been different than maybe what Ron Rivera had done in the previous Seasons yeah yeah so I think there's a couple things like in terms of like the day-to-day process I to me it's been much more efficient that they they have found ways to throughout the limited time they have each day to really get these guys maximum reps they're constantly shifting from one uh one drill one one side of the field to another whereas in the past it felt like maybe I'm not saying they were being lacked at days ago but the urgency didn't seem to be there um on defense with their new defensive coordinator Joe wit Jr who came over with Quinn from Dallas uh he is a uh he he he's a he's a really uh uptempo coach we can say he's he wants his guys to talk he's going to talk and they want these guys to run around and and you know be aggressive at their own defense again so much of this sounds cliche but this has not been something that's been the the the norm here and so uh the comp the notion of competition by the way look at the players that they brought in this offseason of all their draft picks basically all but one was a team captain in college which means just that there's a certain leadership component that these guys bring that was recognized at the at the college level they brought in free agents they didn't spend big really on almost anybody but they brought in guys like Bobby Wagner future Hall of Famer on a one-year deal they brought in Austin Eckler who's got a chip on his shoulder after a down year with the Chargers Zack her sure maybe he's he's you know on the back nine of his career but he's been a pro bowl player on a really good teams and he has the attitude to to What It Takes they bring guys like that in combined with these new pieces Jaden Daniels included and this is the combination where you take the you know you take the guys just coming in pair them with the been there done that vet to do things the supposed right way and now all of a sudden you start building your attitude and your and your tone and by the way let me just say you know even though last year the ownership the franchise sale occurred right before the season started it wasn't until this season that it really felt different and to remove the cloud of the Dan Snider era and at the end the Ronda Vera part to remove that it really is legitimately sunny here the it's there's no more cap ceiling it feels like anything to sound like Kevin Garnett anything is possible right again maybe not this year per but going forward I think that's what they're all aiming at I think that's given them New Life new attitude new energy and you know this competitiveness yeah I think it goes back to how I how we talked about it to start they've kind of been under the radar a little bit there is the you know the conversation is not about what's going on in the uh front office or on the outside the conversation now is they got a starting quarterback and Jaden Daniels and now you look at the Dallas Cowboys you look at the Philadelphia Eagles which is again that's kind of funny you trade within division right but hey that's the new NFL we were in cuz that before was forbidden you can't trade in a division and now it's like the norm but you think about the teams now in this NFC East Cowboys and Eagles have won the division in the last couple years but here comes the Commander's new head coach obviously new general manager Now new quarterback what is the true life ex I mean the expectation for this football team is this a team that's right there that can knock on the door of the playoffs or what do you want to see in year one of this regime first of all it's amazing that of the four teams in the division the only one who's not dealing with controversy is this one yes right Philadelphia's got the jayen herdz Nick serani Dallas you know their main players are all wanting new money the Giants or the Giants uh it's a great way to great way to so there again there's a lot of positive here to me you know look I I if if if we're talking wins and losses sure getting nine wins or so would be a big step forward I think realistically though can this team be competitive game in and game out I I had somebody mention to me earlier the Arizona Cardinals last year and I know the Cardinals didn't win a ton of games but as the season progressed they were they were competitive they were they were making their opponents not just walk in the building and you know say we got this they had to to earn it and I think that's what you want to see from Washington Plus Jaden Daniels he doesn't have to be CJ strout okay but if he can show that he is the guy that there's a real that this is all the hype is real seems like it's heading that way then next year on his second year of his rookie deal Adam Peters can go aggressive in free agency in trades and now you take advantage of that so I just think think they need to make those strides forward and again this is why they're working on the Baseline of their attitude their competitiveness rather than saying let's go get you know trade for Brandon I hopefully that doesn't happen in the next 10 minutes but you know what I mean like they're not making the flashy moves that that I know so many people want because they understand there's a bigger picture involved here and they're waiting to build on that and I think that to me is what the expectation would be competitiveness and Jaden Danel showing he belongs yeah they're going to hang their hat on the offense obviously Cliff Kingsbury but I want to get you out of here just talking about the defense a little bit you talked about Bobby Wagner this defense doesn't have montz sweat or chase young of a year ago both guys traded away they still got donon Payne and the guys up front but tell me about this secondary a little bit tell me just the defense in hole because I think was it Martin Emerson was getting who no was that em no not Emerson forb who who was the cornerback that was getting roasted forbs yeah I I get them both mixed up because they both were at Mississippi State together when you're watching them and I'm like they were like in unison they played well but now I'm watching them in the National Football League Emerson is playing great over with Cleveland and Forbes is over on social media just getting trash with all the highlights yeah well look the the strength of this defense is going to be up front you've got the two pro bowl defensive tackles and John Allen and donon pay now you have they've had very little linebacker the last four or five years now you've got Wagner they the one big move that they made this off season was signing Frankie louu yes who likely is going to be the play the Micah Parson's role in this defense where you line him up on the edge linebacker all over the place and he can get after the uh the quarterback the secondary is where things start to get a little dice here I think they've got some interesting options at safety but cornerback you mentioned Forbes I think this is where opponents are going to pick on them they've got their top outside cornerbacks Forbes Benjamin St juice and Mike Davis who they signed in free agency not not showing a lot of uh impressive work so far to my eyes in Camp and you mentioned forb is really struggled last year now I do think he's made some strides this year he put on some weight which was needed because he he only weighed like 165 at the combine last year right uh so I there's still hope for him and I do think one big hope is the Dallas coaches last you know last couple years they had Trayvon Diggs lead the league in interceptions and last year Don Bland went from a fifth round pick to setting the record for most interceptions return for Touchdown Emanuel forb set the college record for most interceptions return for touchdown in the career so I think there's hope that they can get with him and and and and get him back on track but I think early on in particular the the cornerbacks on the outside I I think could be the weakness for sure on this defense uh Ben I know I I know last question for you but any anything in terms of the last preseason game how do they handling it it's Jaden Daniels over there with a clipboard and a headset and a ball cap what's the what anything to to take out of the last preseason game for these Washington commanders yeah Dan qu qun hasn't said anything official yet he said he will tomorrow uh probably after their practice I can't imagine any other starters will will do anything uh Jane Daniels has only played three Series in two games um I mentioned Allan Payne and Wagner they haven't taken the field at all yet and uh you know I think you've made it this far I think you know they've had two joint practices they're obviously getting in their own practices I think they feel comfortable with that so the only starters I could see playing are probably guys like I mentioned the cornerbacks maybe some look they traded away Dotson some of the receivers beond mclen probably need to get out there show what they can do but I can't imagine Jaden Daniels would be out there even though Daniels versus Drake May would obviously be fun even if it is the preseason Commander beat rider for the athletic Ben stck appreciate the time my brother thanks for having me catch the rich eyes and show every single day on the Roku Channel 12 to3 Eastern for free