You know, I was like a bat arena out there on the field.
Man light.
I was light on my toes out there.
Maybe bull rust of center threw him down, hit the full back and slacked the quarterback.
I was like, man, he can start for us to get you can start from.
The Players Club is brought to you by Pepsi, the official soft drink of the Washington Commanders. Welcome into season three of the Emmy nominated Players Club. We got a new guest man, new co host Sean Springs. He spent five seasons in the Burgundy and Gold. Thirteen year NFL veteran, Welcome to the show. I'm happy to be man, this is this is this is an honor to be with greatness.
Man.
I'm the presence you back home. I'm this is home man.
Man, We're gonna have a fun We're gonna have a fun time. For those of you maybe tuning in for the first time, the Players Club this is We're gonna be chopping it up with current Washington Commanders players and also former Washington Legends players, talking live, talking football, talking
just all the things that we love to talk about. Sean, Man, I I just think about two thousand and seven when I came here, joined you as a teammate, Man, what was that We welcome London, then, man, we welcome we need with.
That experience because you thought he was the captain.
I didn't think I was a captain. I thought I was a superman. I needed to be made it was gonna be be But London was the captain. It was they brought me.
They needed some leadership, definitely. Not only did I bring the leadership, I brought some playmaker. But no, Shan Man he was a baller.
Heck, you knew, you you.
Know practice early that he was gonna talk highly about himself. And oh I remember, you know Sean. Sean is the real reason. You know, Sean enough credit, CP get a lot of the credit, but Sean is also the guy who I got to give credit to. Because it wasn't for him bringing in mail trainer, I would have never probably had the longest, you know, the career that I had because when I got here, I was broke up. You know that first the first four years in New York, Man,
I was beat up. And Sean told Cep, hey, man, I'll be seeing twent of me working on his hamstrings. And you know, inside I look, what's your coming room? Tell me to come see my guy. And Ceep called me like, hey, man, Sean got this guy, come meet him. Mail saw me and he saw me from the introduction of just saying hey, what's up that something was going on with me, right and the rest is history. So I gotta give you credit for that.
Man, gotta be a professional man, help out your teammates out.
Yeah, But I and that defensive meeting room man, we had some We have some.
Dog characters to character.
When you say character, the first thing comes to my friends.
Damn smooth smooth and Colos Rogers.
Man Wais was our defensive courd that.
But by the way, did y'all see that TikTok on Greg still going off on people in the meeting rooms? So there was a TikTok last week about Greg. Of course Greg was Greg. He's you know, he got the red dot Lennon. So everybody learning to tell you Greg when you can tell when Greg depends on what he's wearing that yeah, he's on one. So Greg shitting at the TikTok is like Greg sitting at the front of
the meeting room and he's just going over there. It was like snippets like meetings Greg that of course he's cutting people out, he's holding them accountable. He's yelling at him, and everybody's like, you see the guys heads down.
You gotta be authentic with hisself. It won't be great if it wasn't that route.
When Greg used to talk all this, you know, his bravado and all this stuff. I thought Greg was funny to me as a head coach. I knew him as a head coach, totally different as a head coach than he was as a defensive coordinator. One thing I will say about him, dude can call the defense. He had a great feel of when to call plays. So because everybody has plays and you know you're going to it with a game plan, but no one went to call a certain defense. Just having a great feeldy also would
allow me to call it myself. He just like he just point at me, like, look, you gotta just just call it that.
We did play a lot of better bands that yeah, Greg blotch.
But one of the things that I like about what g Dubb and that whole defense we said, we had characters. I think the biggest thing for us with the staff and I think what London helped was everybody kind of knew their role. London knew like Fridays, you know, London knew that he was the guy that coach relied on to make sure that these guys knew what they were
doing being lined up. So I will say that London kept that meeting room because we did have some characters we'd have been joking abound we left dvs, but London made sure this is the script, what are the checks, what are we doing? And I think that was needed. Then we had guys where you knew like, hey man, I'm out here to cover the best guy. I'm gonna make a play. You know, Sean's gonna just be fantastic. He's just Sean Taylor, Sean Taylor, and he's just listen.
I'm glad you brought up Sean Taylor. And I'm a two stories about Sean, and you remember this. We're getting ready to play the Giants. The thing we started off the season two or No. Seven seven, and I've told the story of our players club, but now we got we got Blue and by the way, we're gonna call him Blue. That's a nick that we got for Sean Blue.
So I'm gonna refer to him as Blue. So we're getting ready to play the Giants, and we were having like a kind of bad practice to start, because I think we start off special teams and like balls were being dropped and something happened in the defense where they just were we weren't clicking where we needed to be clicking. So I, being a company and as a leader, I say something, yell something like, man, y'all need picked up. You picked this up, Sean, that's DoD thinks I'm talking
to him. Sean Taylor think something. Think I'm going at him. So because I didn't know he had, I think he had. He was back there catching punch from I think he might have dropped the pun or something. So he's thinking I'm going going at him and him get him to it on the sideline, I remember, So we get it to it on the sideline. So you got to alf for mail. I'm not backing down. He backing down. It took it took Blue. He came to me. I guess he knew, having been shot teammate for a while. He's like,
I ain't gonna be at a cop him. Let me go cops. He's like he said loved to let it go, got it go the way he said it. It was like, you know what, all right, right right, you know what, you're good, I'm gonna let it go. But I just happened to have this conversation maybe two days ago. Somebody was asking me about Sean Taylor and like how good could he have been?
I say, man, I played with Hall of famers.
I think we all had, you know, experience where we either play with guys who currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or will future be future Hall of Famer. I was like, this is just he was just scratching the surfer. Ye like scratching the surfa. He was here with the ability that he was going to get to this point.
I was like, man, did y'all feel that same way?
I mean, you look at the year that he left for us. Already before he you know, that season one nowhere near halfway done, and he was already his numbers was godly, you know, compared to what he had got recognized for already for being a great season. He had four picks that year, had them missed about four games.
Three heard his knee, you know what I mean?
On him, he was on a pace that that season alone to just out do everything he had done. So that's why I look at him be like, y'all just don't understand man. And then at that time too, you know, he recognized as a young man that I got to make sacrifices to be great. He had already started dying yet stop hanging out. He was doing so much at a young age to make sure that he played at the level. Man, he just had it, you know.
It was his knowledge before like people was like, what Shawn do? What he wants to do? And part of it was not that he really wanted to do what he wanted to do. He had the ability to do things that others couldn't do. So he could almost show at the line of scrimmage and still be over top like we in covered too, and Sean is like standing by like at will backer.
I'm like, yo, man, get back right, I've got this receiver regard. You try to get the jamp but you susted on. So that's one thing.
But I think what happened really was he started to really understand when he started to understand the game. But it was really more so that like he really understood his abilities, you know, his abilities right, like he before he was making plays and stuff like that, but when he started under the game and matching up with his abilities and things that he could do.
He became unstopper.
Because I played with Pro Bowl guys, I play a young like and I tell people all this all the time, a young Sean.
Another guy played.
At Miami that was really good, who was very similar to Sean was a guy named Benny Blade. And if people know, like Benny was amazing, right, and he was still amazing tenth twelfth year in the league when I had a chance to play with him and Daryl Williams.
But Sean, he was on that level of like if you think about the potential of safeties, and ed Reed comes first to mind, you know, Troy Sean, you know, and I and you don't like to say this, but I think he could have been the best safety ever at all.
That's how I feel. That's how I feel. And I played with him, I sat beside him for five years. Yeah.
Man, no, man, all right, man, man, just man, damn, I missed miss We got cheated, man. But you know, and shout out to the statue being that they're gonna put it. Yeah, just we feel like we need great, great gesture that the team is gonna do by putting the statue for him that truly he just truly deserves that it's.
Time to switch gears. Man. The initial fifty three man roster has been Uh, we're gonna do something called set the tone. We called set the Tone.
Brought to you by Johnson Kendall Johnson, the official insurance broker and risk management partner of the Washington Commanders. Where our passion is your protection. Who do y'all think needs to set the tone for this season?
This year?
For me Man and I might take the shine on and I want to jump out there before London because I know London probably feel the same way about this guy. I think Frankie Levu is a superstar, you know, and our lineback and or has been tremendously upgraded. But for some reason, the first time I saw Frankie Levu, I was like, what, Like, this guy is a predator out there and he's a superstar on a defense side of
the ball. And way the reason why I said he could possibly set the tone because if you think about Dan Quinn, you think about Dallas, you think about Michael Parsons, I think Frank Frankie Levu has that he got something about him that he could be just dynamic in the blitzing coverage hit Fred Warner come to mind in London. You can probably speak on a little more, but I think that kid could be a superstar on that defense.
I'm gonna go against the grain from what we probably look at offensively and we might say, okay, you got the quarterback that you know what I mean, he can do so much with his legs and with his arm. Then you have a guy like Terry who I can easy throw out there. I'm gonna say b Rob. I think b Robb last year with the carries and people fail to realize you. You know, you look at Cliff and his out of play, you think past, past, past, but go back and watch history, look at history. When
it comes to Cliff. His run game has has always been up there too, you know, the best of the league, you know, when he was out there doing this thing in Arizona. So I think b Rob is going to be a surprise to a lot of folks thinking that hey it's all about just you know, spread out offense
or whatever. He's going to be able to set the tone and slow things down for a young you know quarterback that we have that now he can go out there and be that guy and see the guys and see those lanes you know a little much clear because we have the run game, you know behind b Robb Blake.
So piggyback it off of you with with the b Rob standpoint in order for be Rob to do his thing, need that old.
Lined to do that.
You got to do that thing.
And one person in particularly that I feel like it is going to have to set the tone.
Sam Cosmy Sam Costan.
He's a last year he balled manna play play.
He finally got settled in it till his home.
I think the best position at right guard, physical tone cetter man. He's Sam in a in a year where the offensive line didn't didn't play play up to.
The expectations so to speak. Sam did.
He was a bright spot on that offensive line. He played out standing football. And I think even this year with him being in the guard position for a second year in a row on a new coaching staff with a greater emphasis on running the football, Sam with his athleticism and its temperament, he's a tone center because at offensive lineman it is one thing that has skill and technique and all that you have skilled technique and a nasty temperament and demeanor which he has. You have the
ability to set the tone. And that's that's. Uh, He's gonna be my my tone. Cetter the fifty three man roster. Any any surprises to you as any you know, like okay, things you like? Well, Driscoll keeping the third quarter quarterback, I think you alluded to about you know, like man because now teams are looking maybe put the third guy on practice squad something like that.
But uh, I think it was maybe it was the fifty yard run. He was rolling, but he's looking like somebody please please.
But you know, in the modern day football, you know, you know, usually you just think about the first and the second guy and the third guys like I picked somebody off the street or somebody you know, uh that may be available. But uh, I think that that kid that that was like all right, they keeping a quarterback.
That that was kind of a like that's interesting.
And then another thing I was thinking about this and how many dbs on him about you can.
Talk about about that, but that was like one of those things.
I mean, it's all the safety. I mean that's my that's my wow, that's my surprise. Just so many safety But when you think about it, when you really think about it as a whole and understand what this defense is about packages, and then you're saying to yourself, yeah, we might have eleven that we say, you know, I guess you can say named as safeties, but it's really twelve. When you have one of the guys playing linebacker's he's slaughtered as a linebacker, and you just understand the packages.
And when you watch what dan Quid did defensively in all the spots he'd been in, he was one of those guys and showed different looks and you had guys that fit the mold. So when you have that, it's a great thing to have, you know what I mean. You can't look at it and say, well, man, why we got so many? Say does you look at it and say, I'm happy to see that we have so much you know, flexibility in that position that we can have that many guys and use them in different spots.
London, you mentioned the new kickoff rolls and because it's closer to the type of bodies. Yeah, right, So normally that the bodies would have been like tight end linebacker type guys, women in offensive lineman. But we're being close.
I was like, that's interesting. Maybe the special teams just dictating like we got to have more of those bigger dbs, but faster because the game is playing in space, right And understand this, at the time that we're recording this, the fifty three man roster could be adjusted by the time you all see this, so there could be some changes that take place and things like that. But I will say this, and and Dan Quinn has touched on this, and I'm sure if we if you talked to Larry Izzo, a special.
Teams coach.
For the last few years, the kickoff coverage and the kickoff return teams, really that special teams element really wasn't there anymore. There used to be guys who made football teams based on their ability to cover kicks. You remember named Roy Office Roy Yeah, yeah, I was scared of him.
Roy Man's a dude that used to play for the Carolina Pathos. He was a special tam sush teams team.
And then then the Ravens had the boy that played that won All O J.
Shoot, he was my teammates too. Now, O J. Bergantz was Special Teams.
Yeah, we had a guy here who played and end up end up playing lineback up for Buffalo one man game.
Yeah, shout out to my boy Slater.
Uh, Matthew Slater man like that kid made a career on Special Man his dad a couple of years ago.
It could be coming back to your point, right.
But but when you look at that element, you're gonna have to have more athletic guys, bigger bodies, guys who can cover kicks, and guys who are blocking and the
kick offf return. As I looked at this roster, I'm always intrigued to see how many undrafted guys are able to make the team, or even a guy like you mentioned Jeff Drisco or a guy like Jeremy McNichols, guys who initially when you when you come into this look at the ross as it's being put together, or the ninety man roster, like these guys are kind of afterthoughts, so speed not in their minds, and you know, because and they proved it, but you know, not a lot
of fan fear and they earned their will to just learned it. But a guy undrafted free agent Tyler Owens, Yeah, man plays and.
Every single time he got opportunity.
To make plays as a defensive player, but also as a special team to tell her kicks and then Coason Yankova as a fourth tight end.
So you know, taking advantage of your opportunity.
Yes, And it's interesting now because now that you can put veters on a play on a on a practice squad, it's interesting to see how teams are deciding who are you gonna put on a practice squad? Am I gonna let this guy hit that market? Because to your point, I mean, Orange making the team, I mean was like you would have thought, like, now he's a camp body, right, Like he's gonna just.
Cover a couple of kicks. Man, that kid was.
He was out there dominating after that, like every single time he got out on the field.
A play was made.
Tanna wire receivers, Man, you look at the initial guys who made the wide receiver.
What are your thoughts on that position group? After the big news, after the big news of the week.
Well, well, yeahs, we can.
Start with the news. We can start with the news. I was wild. I was a little floored by it because you look at the potential there. One of the things I know about this game, man, the ability to be you know, a lot of guys have ability. You know, you can see it. So many guys be on the practice feel you be like, man, he's talding that he got this that. But if you're not putting it out there consistently, especially in the floor of a game, then
we have no place for you. And that's what kind of was some of the little whispers was around, like, look, man, we know the guy can play, but we don't get that energy from him all the time.
Well, it was really about players. Sometimes it's about the attitude or the type of.
Attitude, that type of player the coach is looking for.
I say this, and I've always been a big Jiha Dodson fan. Me too, going all the way back to his college days. I'm a big Ohio State fan. You went to Ohio State and I can remember Johann just destroying the fire State always go back, and so I was a big fan of his. I'm sorry that I hate to see that it didn't work out for him in Washington, just because I was a big fan of his and a.
Lot of times but Philly London.
Hey, man, that man got the best offer from you. At this point, in time, and Philly had the best offer. You take the best offer. I look at it like this, everybody, every scheme is not for everybody, right, and whether I look at myself like I came into the league as a four to three inside linebacker, I couldn't have been a three four linebacker three four inside linebacker initially in
my career. Eventually, as I got more season than became later on in my career, I was able to play in the three four defense, and I did that on under Jen has lit in this defense and playing in front with sometimes.
Yeah, but it's just different. It's different.
So with Johann maybe the things that they wanted him to do at the wide receiver position, his skill set may not have fit as much as the guys stay opted to keep. So it's not necessarily it's a detriment or a criticism or what he did. It might be a testament to what the other guys did. So I can look at it like this. Ros Philly is a team that has Super Bowl aspirations. They like his skills had enough to today say hey we can utilize some put him in there.
He's by far a plus to anything they had in the slot. Every day, I've seen over there, so you know, and not to cut you off, but just to get back on the office. You know those wide receivers. Yeah, you you you hit it on the head. You know, maybe it don't fit here, but I understand what you're coming from saying Philly, but you have think about it two from two aspects. Say we keep them and you still can't pay him next year.
If Philly's offered me a third and Cleveland's offered me a sixth, you tek him to send him to Cleveland because Cleveland, let's say clevean off for four. Am I gonna sit him to Cleveland for this fourth? Or am I gonna take Philly's third?
I'm getting a third? So it's like and you have to be confident knowing that, hey, yeah we put him over there. We want to see him twice a.
Yeah, you know he'll be We all get motive, everybody that's just to nature this baseness.
But speaking of that core, I'm pleased with it. You know, I'm not. I've never been the guy that got caught up on names. Now what I love to see more firepower? Yeah, but I think man, Also, you know a lot of that stuff stems from you know what the offense allow you to be, you know what I mean. We saw Christian Kirk in his offense in Arizona, you know what I mean, and he was like whoa, and you see what he did, went and got paid. So you know,
same way with Terry. When Terry came here some years ago, what six years ago, he was a third round pick. We never knew Terry was gonna be Terry, but he got that because of the ability of having the opportunity. He was available and then he had opportunity. So now that's gonna be these next guys. You know, you get your you get your Diammie Brown, you get the guy
I can't think of his name. A lot of that is the kids, the kids, the kids, you get all these guys now that have the chance to step into that molde of saying, hey, McCaffrey, you know, young guy. You know what I mean, he's a young guy. But now they have the opportunity to go out there and make do with this, you know, you know, with their their ability and his opportunity. So I'm just looking forward to these guys going, you know, having a great year.
I'm not big on size because I hear everybody, that's all you hear.
Ring on size.
Yeah, of course, because a couplet five five on a good day went out there and and ran circles round the best of them. So of course you're right. But I feel like we have those kind of guys there.
You know, Jameson crowded shout out to yo GM him and Pringle crowded and Pringle hats off to you.
Yeah.
Man, just thinking about another defensive blue. Let's think about this. Let's we need I think we need to touch on this the defense in general. We haven't seen this projected starters play in a game together. You know, Duran and Jonathan neither one of them played in any of the preseason games, or Bobby Wagner defensively, what do you think this defense is gonna look like?
Exciting?
For one reason, I love the way those guys ran to the ball. And you're right, the starters that made it got the reps in practice and the joint practices, but the backups were just running to the ball. Everybody was around the ball, and it looked like and it's not a knock on last year and the staff what they did last year, but it felt like this defense under Joe went everybody, whether you're the first or third or second team, I mean second or thirdeen, you were
all on the same page. You communicated, you move well. You know, London, we talked about a defense like, ain't no real big gaps here. It was a few times where teams may plays whatever, for the most part, they play well together at every level. So I think the defense is gonna be exciting. And you talk and talk about one reason is Joe Witch's attitude and what he brings down. Another thing man is bringing in Bobby wagoning
with it. You know, people don't give that London. You came in year what nine here.
Was going to season people closer and closer similar to look like Bobby, but the similar to Bobby.
But people don't understand how important that is for you have that type of leadership in the middle of your field to get people lined up.
Absolutely, that is not like talk about it. You don't know.
You have to be able to set the defense. Yes, and you so from your office perspective as soon as you come out, as soon as y'all come out of the field, off the out of the huddle, and a lot of time teams don't even huddle. Now me as a middle linebacker, I have to be able to see everything, everything in order. The reason being, I gotta set the front to your formation and who's the who's this still tight end? Whereas the pass if we got to blitz
that set off the passing strip. We got a pressure to set off the week the weakness up the week passing strength, so I mean weakness, uh, things like that. All those things you have to be able to process and process quickly. Because Sean is a corner, I'm relying on London to make a ram call so that I don't have to take on to be rock well, not only you gotta you gotta you want to get outside
and get set and look at the formation. Now he can go through his process of okay, this is the formation, here's an alignments this alignment this so the.
Quicker you can make that call out.
It allows everybody to play faster and play more, play better. So having a guy like Bobby Wagner, who's my season and they still can play so a lot of times I feel like, you know, we talk about the experience piece, and he's a tremendous uh experienced player, but he's also still can make play make plays. He let league and tackles last year. Yeah, hell let league and tackles still can make plays. I'm looking forward to seeing what those
guys do. I think the standard that Joe West had, Joe Jr. Has those guys playing that practice in that like he tell you, man, they safe for everybody.
And I'm happy you have that kind of standard because you know, you understand, playing a long time here or just in the league alone, you know you don't like those teams where Phil has that country club by, you know, where everybody just happy and everybody feels safe. No, got you gotta fear that your job is on the line every time you step between those white lines on the practice field. That's how I took on practice, whether we
had them kind of coaches around or not. And luckily, unfortunately, I've always had I guess you could say probably one year that I didn't have a coach that put that kind of fear in his players, and that was my last year here, you know, understand, So so I've always had Gibbs was like that, Shannon Hans was like that, you have those coaches that, man, look, we're not taking you coming out here. Lack of day zuku in practice or not showing up and being the guy that we
expect to be you to be on Sunday. So I love that temperament from my staff alone, because I feel like that's going to create the kind of chaos that they're trying to build within. You know, you know their playing, you know style or whatever.
All Right, more Players Club after this, and we got a special guest for you, don Dalla. You're listening to the Players Club presented by PEPSI.
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Slash Commanders.
You're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi. This is an ice cold player brought to you by Pepsi, the official soft drink of the Washington Commanders, and we are blessed to be joined on the Players Club bah perenial Pro Bowl tackle, eight year veteran former first round draft pick, Jonathan Allen.
Thank you, Thank you, Jay.
We appreciate you joining this man.
I appreciate you guys having me Aspir's finest man. Yeah yeah, yeah right, you're right. JA got a new head coach. This is your third head coach that you've been in Washington. What's it like playing under Dan Quinn?
I love it, I love it. I mean it's been my favorite coach so far. And I think it said something when you got guys like Bobby Wagner going in the year thirteams who want to come and play here because of coach Quinn in the atmosphere that he breathes like you guys see it, like the energy, how he takes care of the players while pushing us.
Man, there's nothing like it.
Yeah, And when you get a new coach, you always feel like you got to prove yourself. And so what was it that you wanted to show the new staff what you brought to the table Because they knew about you right obviously, but what did you want them to know about you?
For me, the biggest thing that I wanted them to know about me is how hard I practice. I feel like I feel like everyone is going to play hard during the game. Come, I mean, that's just what we do. But I take a lot of pride in practice. And for me, I wanted to show them how tough I was on the practice field and how I don't like to miss time and really my work ethic, you know what I mean.
So that was my biggest thing.
Being that you've been through this before, you know, as London just you know, he alluded to this is your third head coach? Was it ever a time? And knowing that we finna get a new staff in here was it ever a time you saying how long is this going to take? You know what I mean? Am I going to get this staff that's going to come in and take me to where I'm trying to go on?
So I need to go elsewhere? Like, did you ever have any of those thoughts in your head saying, Man, I don't feel like I want to go through this again here.
I'll be honest. That's how I felt at the end of the season last year. But after talking to mister Peters and coach Quinn, I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of. I just like the energy they brought out, like what they were saying. And you know, I always said that I wasn't going to let the things that went on in the other regime effect my decision about this one. And you know, after OTS, I was like, win, loser, draw, this is
something that I want to be a part of. I want to see it out.
And it's Mitch just I'm glad you mentioned last season because we had you late in the season on the players Club and just looking you can see the frustration and that you were dealing with and seeing you and observing you this off season in training to cap in preseason. I can tell a different you, different energy, different vibe. You seem like you're in a better place, better space.
What did it take to get you there? I know you went through you know, talking to Dan Quinn, talking to Adam Peters, but it also you know some things you probably had to do. Is just like, Okay, let's really get to where I want to be and really embrace this.
I know for me it's not about the wins and losses.
And I feel like that's something that a lot of fans think that I'm just frustrated because we lose, which I am, but whening there losing the NFL, in my opinion, comes down to five players a game, give or take. If they sing a different way, that's usually going to determine the game. For me, it's the process, and I mean the simple way I can put it. I just want to be around a bunch of dudes who love the game and want to play football the right way.
If I can get that, hey, I can work with it.
You played with Nick saban Man, but you want at every level.
You won in high school, you won in college, and I know that's been adjustment. That's adjustment in your mindset. So you say it's not about winning, but you want to win.
The Super one thousand percent.
I definitely want to win, But before I can even focus on winning, if we're not doing the little things right here every single day, I can't even focus on that. So I love what we're building here. I love the guys we brought in. I mean, obviously, when you have a quarterback like Jayden Daniels really just gives everybody hope and really gives you a chance because you know, without having that quarterback position figured out, you don't got a chance in this league in today's football.
You spoke about Bobby being here. Now has his present been felt already?
For sure?
I Mean when you look at a guy like Bobby, who's usually one of the first people here, how hard he works, it really gives no excuse to anybody else.
You got a new DC also, Joe widd Jr.
This is his first year being a defensive coordinator, and when you interview him, when we talk to him, I'm looking like, man, why is it what took him so what took him so long to get a deep DC job? We know what it's like to, you know, to talk to him outside of the meeting room. What's he like in the meeting rooms and also on the field? Good question, all that.
I love it.
I love it.
You guys know, you can teach anybody exs and those that's not really hard. It just comes down to just knowing the game of football. But when you got a coach who you want to play hard for, who preaches, who lives what he preaches, and loves that physicality from the back all the way to the front, seven man, I love it. I just love him, and I'm I can't say how excited I am for Tampa bay Man, and if I don't, I don't like to guarantee a lot of things, but you're gonna like the way this
defense looks. I can't say how we're going to perform because I don't like to make guarantees, but we're gonna go out there.
We're gonna play real quick, real quick.
So earlier today I actually was talking to to Joe. I ran into him in the hallway and I mentioned to him there was a play in the preseason game against New England where they ran I think a screen or.
Something, and it was ten guys in the in the frame.
Ten guys in the frame just around the football, and the eleven guy the only reason he wasn't in the frame, so just because he was a corner, you know, playing outside or whatever. That's what you're talking about and playing with that type of intensity and just go get.
I was gonna allude to that too, because that's noticeable. Like I mean, you know, we watching preseasons, so it's hard to really get up for it and say everything is vanilla. But the one thing that stands out, especially defensively, everybody to the ball. I mean, you had young guys in there tackling like they was linebackers. And I'm sitting here, you know, I was joking with Fred. I'm like, Fred, yeah, you couldn't play very noticeable, bro, And that's something that
you know. I'm a receiver and I understood what it took to stop guys on a high level. And I used to I'm watching I'm gonna be real with you. I've said this all last year. I didn't like the way we played outside because no one was physical, Nobody bumping on it, nobody putting hands, nobody. And instantly you see that already, so you know that's that jumps off the screen. You just spoke about it. We're gonna like
what we see. I can't wait to see. I can't wait to see it in a real game, you know what I mean.
It's gonna be fun.
Man.
The standards of the standard and Coach Coin said the best places for anybody.
But it's not for everybody.
So what's next for Jonathan Allen Man, perennial pro bowler. How do you take your game? Which is year seven?
Right, you're going to year eight?
Yeah, what what's next? How do you take your game? Here?
I think for me, the difference between great players and average players just consistency. Great players have. Great players have more great plays more consistently. And I don't think that's me going out there and search for players, but I think that's me falling back on my training and doing little things the right way, taking care of my body like I never have before, take care of my nutrition like I never have before, and just raising up my
floor so my floor is high consistently. So if I do that, I think that's the difference between you know, good and great players. So I'm looking to be great more consistently.
You're missing changing your nutrition and you shared that you hired a chef for the first time this year. You look lean even at you know, three hundred poles. I guess whatever you are, but you look lean at and you can tell the difference. What was kind of the thought process behind, Hey, I want to I want to hire a chef, get in the best shape. I don't know if this best shape you've ever been there, but just just maybe doing something different this offseason.
What was the thought process?
I saw a quote from Lebron James and I thought that was so interesting. He said, if you want to be great in your craft, you're going to have to sacrifice your loved ones.
You know what I mean.
And that's a conversation of how my wife like, we're not gonna be able to spend as much time together, We're not gonna be able to go out on days like we like to. It's going to be a sacrifice between me and you and our relationship. You just have to understand why I'm doing it. So I saw that and that really hit home to me because I would I want to sacrifice my relationship as much as I feel like I could have, and I think that's been
a huge change for me. We don't go out anymore handing those at seven o'clock every night, I'm putting on my game ready, my normoutech got a two hour routine every single night going to bed. Can't go home and watch TV and spend the quality time that I know that she likes.
But and that's why I think it's.
So important to have a great woman, you know what I mean that I don't have to do it on my own, but she has to understand if I want to take my game to the next level, it's I'm gonna have to sacrifice you.
And she's cool with that.
Yeah, we've all had we've all been on that road. I remember just talking to someone recently. Someone from my university reached out to me like, hey man, we want to, you know, collaborate with you on Instagram about the six six days until we play our game. And he was asking me some questions and I was like, that's one of the things that stood out to me in college
that I took with myself, you know, pro wise. You know, I remember when I got hurt my first year and I was trying to get back to Tanner that was playing on that level collegiately in the pros, and the first thing I had to do was cut friends, cut my eating habits, cut my hanging out having us. You know, I knew that that got me through college. So when you speaking of it, it just resonated with me, because that's what people fail to realize. Like if you take
a little bit out. You know, Coach Coach Davis or Bush Davis used to always ask us how many slices of pie you giving out your pie? See what I'm saying. If you say I got a piece for everybody and all these other things, then you don't have enough for yourself to be great. And that's you know that that made me think about that. So that's the way to go about it. Man. And I'm gonna be honest with you. But I've been watching you every year here throughout your whole career.
Here with us, and I've been watching them since high school.
Regardless.
I watched this West Scale scrimmage real quick before we let John go.
You gotta tells the story about what he showed up at your your camp.
You hand.
So you know, I through the Shawn Springs camp every year, and real good camp. It was all about giving it back and it wasn't as many high schools was today and the aspern this community, and I'm looking on the sideline. I see a big old dude in the cut off shirt. I'm like Mackey, coach, who's the new parent. He goes, Man, that's that's that's my uh my d tackle Jonathan Allen. And when I said it was a tenth grader, right, he don't even remember he was about in tenth grade.
I said, hey, man, and I think Jonathan, if I'm not mistaken, he just came from like Alabama or somethingwhere like that.
He had moved up here.
And uh he was just a humble kid working the camp at the sleeves cut off the stone Bridge. And I remember watching him in scrimmage the very He'll remember this play, man. I seen him like I think it was Westfield Centerville, like bull rusted center. Threw him down, hit the full back and slacked the quarterback. I was like, man, he can start for us to do.
He can start from you know what I'm talking about.
Like that's a great way right here, man, joh We absolutely appreciate you being on this edition.
Of the Players Club.
We like to have all our guests side of football, Matt, if you would side of this ball with my side of this ball.
We greatly appreciate that offus.
I appreciate you, guys.
Man.
I used to come up here every year for y'all's training camp and be out in the stands, so it's always sur real for me being able to come here and talk to you, guys.
I appreciate you.
Ain't your best man.
You're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi.
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Welcome back to the Players Club. This segment is called Drive Time, presented by Eastern Automotive Group any car anyway for everyone since nineteen eighty eight, fellas what we got to do to get off to a fast start this season.
You know what, I think, first and foremost, gotta protect the football. That's the first and foremost thing. Turnovers are such a big indicator or determinate of who wins the football game. So protecting the football and being able to also convert on the flip side of that, take the ball away. We protected the football, winning and turnover battle, I think those are That's definitely one way we can get off to a fast start.
For me, it's play clean football.
I think they did a good job in the preseason, not too many penalties or whatever in games. And one way you can lead to turnovers is you can get like a holding on offense, get backed up and then have a third long and you.
Get a penalty. So for me, it's about play clean football. I don't know. Let's let's not jump off side.
Let's you know, there's no passing apperance, that's do all the things. Let's not give the ball game away. Let's let's make opponents beat us.
I think that go hand in hand. I think you know, if you playing clean football, protecting the football. That allows you to now get yourself in position to score football, you know what I'm saying. So that's that's my number one thing. You know, when I was an offensive guy, uh playing each and every time we had a we had a driver is I wanted to get get in scoring drive, whether it's three or six, and were kicking the extra field you know, I mean, I'm kicking an
extra point. You're trying to get points every time, you feel and it makes the world of a difference if you see yourself offensively having those opportunities, because now, regardless of what you know happens defensively, if you're scoring, you're still giving yourself a chance, you know what I'm saying. If you're not and that that next team get the ball in driving score, you're putting yourself that far behind the eight ball.
So, and what's what's the term is a fast start? Are we talking at the first quarter of the season? Is two and two a fast start? Or three and one a fast start? Obviously we love to go four and oh right, you know we're talking like.
I guess that's that's a very good point. That's a great point. What's what's the fast start?
You know, let's say this the game against Tampa Bay. We haven't talked a whole lot about that. That's that's gonna be a challenge going down there. But I love it though, because now you Tampa Bay very under the rated, under the radar type of team. They were a playoff team, won a playoff game. One of the Detroit last last season had them as a one score game late now in the fourth quarter or in the fourth quarter of that ball game, you know Todd Bowles and that defense.
We don't have to go in there protecting the football. I think, Well, let's address the elephant in the room.
Then to the fast start.
Then with a rookie quarterback, well let's address so let's address.
It like you elefit of the role.
I don't know, we've been messing around, but in order to we all know that the quarterback position and how they bring Jayden because because in the preseason he played and he looked when he was in there, and but that wasn't the you can't count that and that wasn't the full full. Uh, what's the arsenal of everything that leash? How much are you going to little faster I be, how much you put on Jayden's plate the first game when it comes to the play calling and you know what you give him.
Well, I was gonna talk about just when you mentioned far as record wise being a fast.
Start, but it's all coming down quarterback.
It all comes to the quarterback. It all comes to them. Its playing as a unit a fast start. To me, that's gonna basically hear at both of what y'all questions, record wise and quarterback wise. It's how how much they look like a team out the gate. Yeah, because they're not a team until you go out there and you play together, you know what I mean. Yeah, we could come out and say we all the same any more. But when you know you have a team, it's when
those guys are complimenting each other. You understand defensively, offensively, special teams. Everybody's out there putting each other in position to succeed. So to me, the fast start would be one, how well do they look like a group? You don't have to win to look good as a team. You can play good enough and say, man, they just lost it by a field goal, they just lost it by
you know, whatever it may be. But to me, that will that will basically get that to what you're saying record wise, because if they look like a team early, then they have the potential to have a better record, whether it's it starts early or leader you know what I mean. But you want them to look like what they're trying to be the culture that said, and you want to see that out the game.
Yeah, absolutely.
Now you you made the comment that the fast start and getting off to a fast start and winning all that it's all about the quarterback.
I don't think it's.
All about I don't really I don't think it's all about the quarterback.
It's not.
You don't have to put it, so go ahead.
He's a major part of it.
The quarterback is because the position, he's a major part of But if you think about this, there's so many other weapons that we have offen we got it. We got some backs that can run the rock. We got you you can get the ball out of his head quick. We got some defense that they don't have to do their part. They don't have to make plays, they're don't have to take the football away. So the it's it's not all about the quarterback. All eyes will be on
him because that's just the nature of the position. And he's the second overall pick, Heisman Trophy winner. Well, yeah, he don't have to play well, but he doesn't have to be the saving that's have to And I don't think I don't think you going to Tampa Bay in that type of environment with with the Todd.
Bows defense saying hey Jaden, you gotta you know, that's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying in a different way London and Seawan Springs on defense, we know going into the game, a rookie quarterback is gonna have to beat us. That play calling edge going to be. I don't care how good Santana is. He could be all pro. But if I don't feel like Jayden can get him the ball accurately deep ball hit me in spots, I don't have no fear. So what I was saying, it's not all about the quarterback, but it is also everybody is going into the game Kennem rookie quarterback beat me, beat one.
But with that being said, is what that rookie quarterback brings to the table as well.
That's exactly so.
With that being said, you can't also be in certain coverages knowing that he can be running up behind you, behind if you got your back turned to him, that that's what And just from what you saw, simple sized preseason, he's thrown it in him. So get your point. You one hundred percent right, But when you look at him, you're gonna come in that game saying this is what I know about Jaden from what I saw in collage and what I don't know.
I don't know, I don't know. Pros give him that respect the first week. First you fastart, I don't know if we do, and.
And and then you'll be that product that ball going behind you. You know what I'm.
Saying, I will, I would, I would respect you because I'm saying I'm not gonna I'm not gonna sit on Santana.
Yeah but you But but we're talking, we're Runnon and Greg and we were.
Talking like, here's the here's the thing that we have. First and foremost, they don't know what the offense is gonna look like. They mean, it's the type of bay bucket. They haven't seen Washington, the Washington command, this true offense.
They got some. They got some.
They might they watch watch and all the stuff, But you gotta understand this. It's a mession of Arizona's offense athlete Lynn As the run game coordinator, what he brought from, what he's bringing to from San Francisco, and those elements Brian Johnson past game coordinated, what philosophies and things he'll he's bringing to him, you know. So there's a lot of different elements to this office. They they don't see one thing that we know. We know who the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers are. They're high pressure team. They blitch the third most out of anybody in the National Football Ball League from a percentage standpoint last week last year.
So having a game plan that has answers.
For those blitzes is what the game plan will, you know, be highly predicated on.
And thank god they don't have shack and white.
That's worrying. It is time for fan questions. Let's go, let's do this and let me kick it off. The Actress TV twenty personal question.
When is the world? When in the world are they going to give you your gold jacket? I think she might be talking about London, but I will answer for myself. No, that was a personal questions. Here's a real question, serious questions. How do you feel about the linebacker corps and well, Jamin Davis breakout as an ad as an edge rusher. That's a great question. Yeah, I feel great about the linebacker corps. I look at the additions that they made.
First and foremost, Frankie Louvu was the highest, the highest rated linebacker free agency. We were able to get him very underrated, playing in a small market like Carolina. He just didn't hear a lot about him. He's a baller, can do everything. Then Bobby Wagner, we know what he is. Speaking of gold jackets, he will have one of those.
And the young guys.
You know they drafted Jordan McGee. I know he's injury right now, but I thought I thought he's he was going to sail. But collectively, it's an entirely new lineback and Corps is looking at Jamin as a edge rusher, and as it speaks to Jamin, I think he's really developing as an edge rusher and be showing that he can play that position.
What's up? Next question? Fan question at Dominique Underscore O r S. I n I that because I don't know how to pronounce it. What player on this roster were you most like to have on yours? I guess they can say your team, and uh so, I don't know if it's a two question things. So I'm gonna answer that one first, which player on this roster? What I most likely have on my team? That's a good one, man, that's a good question.
They try to ask, like, who you think is the best player that you want to say? What team were talking about?
Yeah, one of my Washington teams. If I had to pick a guy, I would have loved the two guys. I would have loved the dran Payne type player, John day Adam type player, because I felt like we was missing.
That we had big griff.
We had big grip, but we was missing the Pro Bowl caliber griff remember you good he got hurt. Was missing that Pro Bowl rush talent. So I would have loved to have two guys like then, what you about you guys?
For me, it's Jane Daniels.
I think Jaden is a I mean he is a superstar potentially in the making. You saw Chris Collins work on Sunday Night said, hey man, this guy is a star.
I think Jane is gonna be starting.
Let me get let me, let me touch real quick. I would love to have seen you paired with Terry Terry Klain. I think y'all too with this dabbit.
You're right, you absolutely right, I said, cook because you got a guy that's real gritty and Terry, Terry, just get it, get it done, no matter how. And I was like, you know, I was like a batterina out there on the field, man, right on my toes. Don't watch the light on my toes out there.
Maybe laid on.
My toes out there, man, watch me.
Man, it was like a mosquito.
I was. I was tip toe across. I was light on my toes. Hey, No, okay, next question, what player from your roster would most help this current squad?
Me?
They need a covered corner like me, I would say, I like that Chris Samuels.
Though, I would say your left tackle. Yeah.
In a big addition, top yeah, man, I would blue definitely because he said you need a corner, need a corner?
Man? Who else Sean Oh got they got safeties. They got safeties. That's left. I think we in the consistence may be the left tackle Trent or the left left tack Hey Tanner on this team. Yeah, think about it. They Yeah, you need you need more than one? Yeah?
Yeah, so you got two ones? Yeah, you got him and Teri's two ones. Ballerida over here, Yeah, Ballerina all right, I got a questions for you. This is ye jab fifteen. Who besides Jaden are you? Who besides Jayden are your breakout starts to watch on offense and defense this year? For me, it has to be a Centistra Mike is a monster. That kid that's gonna play. Obviously, we saw him playing in a slot London. We talked, we were talking about this earlier. We saw him playing in the slot.
But we think he has a footwork and potentially even play outside if need be. I think he's a he's an X factor, is a rookie, and I think he's gonna be He's gonna be good.
Defensively, I would say Louver. I mean, don't get me wrong, wagon It's gonna be Wagoned. He's gonna be the guy. He's gonna be the QB or the defense. But I just I want to see that that kind of play from Louver level. And I don't know if I'm pronouncing his name right, you know, but Louvu love Louvu. He just one of those guys. He had that fact he had like you just look at him. Man, the way he lines up, you are jerseys back in the day. He was like one of those guys watching him in practice.
So I can just imagine how he's going to be. And I watched them all last year, you know, playing in Carolina, so defensively.
I would say him, what about your offense, guy, I'm gonna say mine for the last both y'all got offensive guy. I want to see, you know, and I might be a little biased because I played against his dad. I want to see if McCaffrey could develop into the third guy. Yeah, I want to see if he actually because because because the kids been playing with receiver two years, I thought he showed some spark in preseason.
His pedigree with his family, you know.
You know, so I would say him, and that might be a little bitter because I think Yai had a great preseason, but I would love to see McCaffrey like, I think he's gonna be a good player.
Man.
I'm gonna just keep it obvious, you know, I'm gonna go with Terry. I mean, we've seen Terry put up the number and take obvious what I'm.
Saying, because because it's obvious that he's one of those guys that you can count on.
But every year is a new year, and he got a new quarterback. So I want to see Terry. Terry hasn't been dynamic the way that we know he could be because of the said you understand now having this quarterback. If these guys get on track.
He's still a rookie, He's still a rookie yet, right.
This is the talent, the the his abilities that you know what, the way he can pass the ball, the way he can you know read right now, from what we saw some of the things just getting Terry the ball, he seemed to be a guy that knows how to get the guys that can help him out the ball in their hands, you know, fast and let them do
what they got to do. So I just want to see Terry have a great start, you know, with the with a quarterback, because I think he will help the quarterback tremendously if he can get out there and show him like, look, men, I'm open s throw me the ball.
You know, yeah, I'm so Offensively, my breakout star is be rob rob Robinson Jr. I think him in this offense was his ability or greater emphasis first and foremost on running the ball, he's gonna he's gonna put up turn up yards. He should have over a thousand yards rushing. But also his skills set in catching the football. He had natural hands catching the football. And I'm sure they'll figure out ways to get him involved in the passing game.
So when you can buy those two things together, him being able to catch the ball out of the backfield great inferences on running the ball.
He's going to be a breakout star in this league.
And if you play fantasy football, I know a lot of teams that a lot of people are drafting players you want to I think you want draft well, I'm thinking about the fantasy But he is gonna split those touches with Eler on the third down, right because you never was clearly brought here for the down package change. But and then so that that's my offensive guy. Defensively, I'm gonna go with Dorance Armstrong. Yeah, like he produced
in a limited role with the Cowboys last year. Ye as a pass rusher, could go inside, could play outside.
It's defensive man.
He's going to play a lot more snaps here. Whether it's I don't know what the percent is gonna be. Imagine at least sixty percent of the place he can be on the field. With more snaps, he'll he'll get more productivity out of him and offenses, if you think about it, they're gonna be first and foremost. Hey, we gotta get it. We gotta get Deron and Jonathan Block. Got to make sure we get these guy So he'll be getting a lot of one on one something like that.
So I'm thinking and thinking that he can have a breakout season because with more playing time and the guys he'll be playing with the loan that defensive front. Let me ask you thinking about in that same line, So, uh, jar Man, he's playing d n now, right, he's an edge rush jam I'm sorry, Jamie's playing ed rusher now. So we gotta look at him as it's a new new breakout guy. Could he be a breakout guy? I don't know if he was.
I don't a few standpoint how many yeah, how many snaps? So how many?
Now he could be could be that guy like like the Cowboys had last year when they used to bring in Fouler and he got the spark he said, that's the defense at times. He could bring that kind of spark to the defense. Just knowing that he probably gonna be subbed in at times when we need to play, need somebody to come out, you know, come off the edge for a little faster or whatever, because I think he brings that to the team more than anything. You know, he might not, he might be rusty or I can't
even say rusty. He might be what she called it raw raw at that position. But I think with just his ability to play fast, it's gonna be a shock to I might want some teams tackle that. Oh man, I want. I won't ready for this. And now he gets he gets into a rhythm and gets into a groove and you know, have a good season doing it.
Yeah, well, fellas man, this has been fun. First edition of the third season of the Players Club. Appreciate y'all to it, and then we'll see y'all next week same time. The Players Club is presented by Pepsi, the official soft drink of the Washington Commanders, and in part by Johnson Kendall Johnson, the official insurance broker and risk.
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