On today's episode the Command Center Podcast, we have the free agent frenzy, all the new signings, we discussed them all. We talked XFL kickoff rule.
Fred, what do you think, man, I think it's gonna be great.
Yeah, I mean too. I'm really excited about. We got legend lineup. We're taking baseball and football and mix them in together. We got read Doddy stories and we got Lauren Landry swinging for the fences. It all starts right out.
Gets your gas man, Welcome.
On into the Command Center Podcast. I'm Logan, Paul sit here with Fred Smoot and Santana mostin guys. We're talking about in the production meeting girls basketball.
It's on top of everything. It's the best basketball in college right now.
It's crazy, and I think it has.
A lot to do with you know, back in the day Pat and Ewan played at Georgetown. Yeah, but he would play his freshman year, sophomore year, junior year. So we get we get a history now with the with the girls. We just watched Angel Reese go against Ill last year, like, so this is a this is I'm turn into a trilogy. Alro So, I think right now women's basketball has captured our imagination because one they stars stay like two they repeatedly go to war against each other.
And I think this the romantic size part that we're missing in the male's basketball.
I think one of the things we spoke about, and I'm not sure how long ago this was. I think it was me and you were sitting in the room just talking about how how much of their.
Games have changed. You know what I mean? These women.
Nowadays their game is on the level of some men, and I think they have to even be more. I guess you can say critical about certain things that they do like men have, you know, different ways of beating you. They can out jump through you, dunk the ball, they can do so many things.
These women have to be skilled. They have to have skill.
They have to be able to drive, they have to be able to shoot, so that the game is transcendent. And I think it's one of the things that you know, when you watch the game, it pulls us into because you see these women now they're elevating, and it's one of the reasons why QB saying, Hey, Helen, come on us VIC three, show me sluve.
You know what I'm saying.
So do you think she should do it.
I think so. I think.
I think not only for the sake of the money part of it. I mean, because who's to say she's gonna make that in her career. With the w NBA, they don't make much.
That's the problem with that. I do believe. I do believe.
Now they're a bigger star, so they getting these these shoe deals.
Now they're getting different.
She got to deal with Nike and she will be able to make it over time.
But I think that five million would be straight.
So it would be something that she can do something with her family out the gate and not have to worry about trying to do this over her career.
I think this is how because w NBA wages it's terrible, Like that's.
Why these girls are staying in college. They make it more when nil deals.
Also they go overseas Toney.
This is the way I think you blow up the w n B A but also get them paid. I had this thing I call high school proposal. Even when we go to high school games, the girls.
Play and the boys play.
Because sometimes when I go to a Wizard game, by the time I sit down for a little bit, the.
Game is over. Yeah, I'm serious, say it's the quickst doing so much. Yeah, it's going quick.
So what if we went to a Wizards game, but the Mystics play first and then the Wizards play session.
Now you feel the seat, Now you feel the se plus I get like.
Six hours, four or five hours to be here, all right, So think about how much eye buy from the concession staying out, Think about my daughter watching the game, that she's watching this game with me. I just think that's the way to truly monetize it is to put it in the high school format and make the girls play before them.
We got to put a petition out man, all these ideas.
Yeah, that's bright though, because honestly, bro, you know, you know I haven't meant to missed this game yet, not to say that I don't want to, but who goes.
To these games? You know what I mean?
I watch them on TV right now and then you can see the seats now it starting to get, you know, a little more full than they was before.
But I think that's a great point.
Man, excellent point. Fred. All right, just remind you we're about to I brought this six five. I bet three six five. We don't do ordinary. We believe every sports back right now. New customers can choose to two offers when they open an account at bet three six five.
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What you read it like that, he's like a lot of bread.
That's my Shakespearean voice, right, the Hamlet.
The Hamlet voice, all right, So we can't escape it, boys. Yeah, it's a free agent frenzy and it's back. And we got some theme music for it, the one that Fred voted on. It's horror music. Yeah, why I don't understand the horror.
Because you know what, it's Free agency is so scared because because you watch these guys be great somewhere else and you automatically think they're gonna be.
Great for you.
But one out of five free agents actually help your team win. So at the end of the day, as glorified as he is, and you know, some of these guys signed a hundred million like think about it. For instance, New York Giants signed Brian Burns, gave him a hundred million dollars.
What if Brian Burns ain't a hundred million dollar pass rushing.
So it's scary, but it's also satisfied, just like Halloween is.
Halloween is scary, but you know you're gonna get that candy all day and it's gonna be fun.
This guy over here, all right, Well, so these guys aren't one hundred million dollar guys have just been signed. We got Jeff Driscoll. I don't know how to say his name. I just called him Oz when I played with him, but Olama day Zakiyas, I'm sorry if that's wrong, and called him o Z. That's what we're gonna call him.
Jerryman Nichols and then Malachi Walker are the guys that's signed here over the last couple of weeks since our last show, and just high level, like what did you think about these signings, Like what does this mean for the team, and like what do the role these guys have?
Just keep it, I mean high level.
I just think one of the things that stands out with all these guys you see in eight year veteran, six year veteran, four year five you know what I mean, Like they're veterans, They're guys that's going to be you know, these guys have sweat equity in the game already. These guys have played a number of years where they put enough on film that these coaches say, you know what, they we have a spot for them.
We have a spot for them to either.
Earn them a spot on this team or come in here and compete and show, you know, this team and what we are trying to you know, become. So I think it's great because one of the things that we talked about leading up until you know, the draft is what we have to do is basically build a team all over. I mean, we had twenty some odd guys on the team, you know, under contract, so you have to build that team. You have to build a base of that team up, and I think these have just added pieces to the base.
I just think when you gotta when you got a band, everybody can't be Michael Jackson. Somebody gotta be t though, right, Like the floor of the band has to be raised. And that's when you when I look at these guys, I say they raising the floor of this building. They understand that we only good as the fifty third person on the roster. The fifty third person on the roster is a seven year of it that's been there, done that really to play and the drop off a dime.
That tells me a lot about where the ceiling is going. And that's what I'm saying.
So if you raised the floor, the ceiling can only get hired.
I think one thing too that stands out about seeing some of the things that we've been doing here. I talked a lot to you guys about how my ten years here went to three playoffs. Yeah, you know it's crazy that with the guys that we had ten years only had three playoffs appearances, only one one game, one playoff game in those ten years, and four years with the Jets we went to three the same thing three
but that's in four years. Yeah, So we was going automatically almost every year when I was with the Jets. And one of the things I noticed about that team. I came in as a guy who they know that they wanted to depend on. I got hurt my first year, but they got a lot of us, you know, in the draft, like my year, the year before me, they got colds, and those guys you had John Abraham, you had Ellis Or you had Chad Peninsula, Ray mickens Day was in the draft before me, you had me. Then
every draft they got some young talent. But when it comes to the base of our team, it was all veterans. Yeah, and that one was one of the reasons why we was going to the playoffs because you had guys you just said it, guys that if somebody went down or somebody wasn't ready, you had a veteran there that could step in and be solid. I'm talking about he might not be like you said, Michael Jackson or that Curtis
Martin all that. You know, that Wayne Quebec, but he was solid enough that he can go out there and get the job done.
So when I'm.
Watching these guys strategically build his team together.
They're getting veterans, they're getting guys.
That have a leadership that's going to go out there and like you said before, show some of these young guys what it takes to be a pro and how it is to be able to be one of those role players to come in and just do your job.
You need that.
You need big shot Bob, you need Robert or you know what I'm saying, Like you know, when the star but when you need me to make the play, I will be there and I will be waiting.
Wait.
Yeah, So, like you know, I played with Oz when I was in Atlanta. Yeah, he was a rookie when it was my last year there. And he's a guy that I think he was like a lot. He's like, he's tough, he's competitive, kind of like what you're talking about. Guy like he could come in and spot duty and play a little bit. I played with Jeremy McNichols when
I was in San Francisco. Again, that guy that's always he's always been the bride's baid, never the bride, like always kind of on the fringe, but has played played in Tennessee. Was a good third down back for them, carried the ball well, So again, just a guy that adds some flexibility to the Rogers, some depths competition. The key is, yeah, he did. I think he returned kickoffs. He's kind that he's kind of that body type, right, he's kind of you know, he's six, he's five eight,
but he's like one hundred. He's like two hundred and five pounds. He's like a little muscle guy. He's tough, he's competitive, and I just you know, he played a lot as a rookie and I thought he did a really good job. And he's played a lot in Philly, like relatively speaking, given the depth there. So I think those are guys that are really interesting. Jeff Driscoll is also interesting to me as a signing because he's a he's.
A veteran athletic quarterback.
He's athletic quarterback. He's a veteran guy that again has all that experience. And so I don't know when I think about you're probably drafting a quarterback at two, right.
Probably gonna keep three you need to have, you want to have four going into training to camp period.
Yeah, but I think having guys around him that have played a lot, you know, like Jake from I like Jake from a lot, but having guy with this kind of experience, it's been in multiple systems, that could possibly another another resource for a young quarterback going in. I think is a pretty cool idea.
So every time you say Jake for I just I'm on the custom saying from State Farm.
It's very close, very close, It's very close. But yeah, I think it kind of speaks to the general philosophy, right, And you talked about this too, and I think this is a really good point. Is I think Peters has made a made a pretty clear assertion or statement that he wants to kind of build through the draft. But in order to do that, you need to have the scaffolding in place, right that the roster of veterans is there to kind of take everything that.
You need to Matt.
And then I think with the new kickoff return rules, I think guys like the key is going they got they got some more stand power with now, because when you take that that one play at the game, you take a guy like be Mitch out of your gameplay it.
So just reminder or watching by a bet three sixty five, I bet three sixty five, we don't do order. We will every we believe every sports should be I picked right now. New customers can choose between two offers when they open an account of Bet three sixty five. Use the QR code to sign up and deposit ten and choose between either first bet safety.
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I need help, I need help. You know you're providing fred You're providing the help.
I'm here for them, Like, if you need help, I'm here for you. They're like, yeah, I'm just trapped in MG on away. I got three dollars left from a pocket. Give me ten minutes, Maine. I'm coming to get you.
The Well, so, Fred, you were starting talking about the kickoff rule. Yeah, and so let's the new kickoff rules. So let's talk about that rule a little bit, right, Yeah, So the ball will be still be kicked from the thirty five yard line. That's not a change. Every player on the kicking team, other than the kicker themselves is will now line up with one foot on the team on the returning team's fourty yard line. Yet right, ye, during this new kickoff, no players can move until the
ball is fielded by the collar turn. So this is the old XFL rule. And I think Fred, you brought up a great point right at the gate. This now makes the kickoff returner a relevant position you need on the game. But how do you guys feel about this rule change. I know it's a departure from tradition and a lot of football purists, at least in my experience, I've been a little bit critical of this, but I want to get your guys thoughts on.
I just want to see it work.
I mean, honestly, I saw a snippet of it watching XFL a year ago, and it wasn't that many big returns. You know, you probably have two or three of them ran back the entire spring. I guess you could say, but you saw God be creative. And I remember, you know, I had a guy that I played with in New York, Tory Woodbury.
He was I forgot the team that he was.
He was a special teams coach for now he's a special teams coach here at Howard. Yeah, I was so crazy that how you know for a circle he's back in the area. But I remember him telling me. I asked him about it. I'm like, bro, how did like, how do you like that? He was like, man, got to be creative. Like we're finding ways to be able to use these guys like they're in the backfield. Like it's basically like a running back getting the ball out
of the backfield. You have to bring guys from one side, do different things, you know what I mean, try to you know, get that to spring that kick or whatever. So I just want to see it work. I want to see how creative some of these special team gurus are on this level and see we can get more returns than two or three this year.
Well, the thing about it is they want to see the return just happen, and what what was getting in the NFL was I think maybe thirty to twenty five percent even just raining the ball out right now with their kicking rule in the AX fil this eighty five percent return because most of the kicks they bringing them out because for the return team it's in your favor to bring it out.
Now there's a penalty. Now the ball comes back out to the thirdidah.
So it says, now let the return man return. And I think it just it brings another level to the game, cause we know this offense defense very exciting.
But especially team got something very exciting about it.
But it also shows you too that they're more worried about, you know, wanting to see the I guess you could say the excitement part of it, then worried about a guy.
Like Jeremy Reeves who who made his living running down on kicks.
You know what I'm saying, Like, I think it takes away from guys who really made a living out of running down on kicks because now you put me in a couple of mouths, they slowed the impact that no, no, that's no doubt, no doubt, it's about safety. But I'm just saying, like, how many guys this is going to affect that was that was just you know, I'm a
kickoff demon, you know what I mean. You know, we had so many guys on our team that we knew that, Man, I'm gonna sit here and watch this kickoff because those guys sitting in the middle of a thing, I'm saying, So it's gonna go peel somebody.
That's what I want to walk. I'm gonna be.
It's gonna be interesting to me just to see what it takes from those guys who may live in just doing that.
You know, I see when I was watching the XFL and I was covered. This was back when during COVID
you know, just a couple of years ago now. But one of the things that stuck out to me is I do think it makes those special teams guys more relevant because this is a play that was almost completely dead, like you could get away, like you think about it, Joey slide Like one of the things like his superpower was they they had no returns allowed this year because he just kicked them all out the back of the end. So now those guys, you could put anybody out there.
I could go out there and cover a kick. It didn't need to be Sean Taylor, Logan Paulson who's terrible at covering kicks and no one would even know, right, And so I think, like now you're trying to promote that this play is relevant again, You're gonna get guys who have special teams value. The back end roster guys are not just gonna be who's the best four string
linebackers like who also can play teams. So I think it helps, It adds value to guys in my opinion after watching the XFL two guys like Jeremy Reeves, because this is the same format that you do when you're doing it in practice. People forget that, like you, right, the same skill set that you're utilizing when you're covering kicks in practice the using games. It's just again, like Fred said, the impacts not quite.
I get your point too, because I wasn't looking at it like this, because you know it's it's we always prided, uh, those guys on the team, especially the kickoff team, to be in a run. And so now if you're not a runner, but you still make you can tackle tackle.
If you ain't, you ain't got to worry about your running. We gonna put you right here.
You know up front and when that guy get the ball, go make a play. So I get your point with that.
This this, I think it opened up the NFL to say welcome back to the Mike Sellers and the rock Cock rights of the world, the people who made their living on special teams.
I just think it makes it more relevant. Like I think you could get away with having bad guy like bad relative term here, bad guys covering kicks and bad guys on the return team because it just wasn't a thing you had to do very often. And now something you're gonna have to put some time in on to your point, get created from a coaching standpoint, and we got to teach skills. Now you got to teach skills on how we're gonna block this, how we're gonna return this.
I gotta have a guy who's gonna hit this, because say what you want about the blocks, that returner still's got it.
Bro, you gotta know he still gotta he still gotta hit that. He's still gotta be the toughest part.
Like when I'm watching it was like pulling tea last year watching the XFL, cause I'm like, you can't. It's no right way to hit it like you gotta go full. You gotta be patient one or the other. You know what I'm saying, And so it's not I say I'm I'm I'm gonna pay attention from the standpoint I want to see the return part of it.
But I understand the part of what you make.
You know, the point you're making about you don't have to be a guy that's you know, that can run fast and get down.
And I think you're gonna have to because returners are usually fast. And if you know, we all want bad angle from getting dusty.
But this right here, now you know, it's no angle.
It's like you're right here, Like the only thing you can do is block a guy will If you can block, you can make sure you get that behind in that hole.
So you be like and be tight because.
But if one of them returners hit that thing running and like, think about it, we go, it's gonna be a small burst. You're gonna wait till he catch it. You're gonna burst, but then you're gonna have to break down. So that small burst and then you get to the breakdown. Now, I got to find the runner that's gonna it's gonna be different. I'm gonna need them to be chasers. I'm gonna need my kickoff team to be great chase.
But if you watch the XFL and you saw what I was because I paid coach.
You know, we went to together, we went to a cup of game.
It just seemed like it was a bunch of just like, Okay, it's gonna be the ball of me down right here, because they ain't going nowhere until one or two guys burst one.
You know, you know I had.
One of the things they showed when they made the rule announcement is the teams in the XFL that were the most creative, so they were running you know, reversus counters and then all of a sudden it takes it Because I think about it, this is this is nerdy football talk, but essentially right now it plays like the run duo just blocking straight right and you're asking somebody to win on the hole, which is tough, right, But if you look at the teams that were successful, they
were running it like power and counter on the outside zone. And if you can get that kind of line of scrimmage action there, you can get a pretty dynamic runner. So's it'll be interesting to see what it turns into I'm really glad from a football standpoint that the play is now relevant that I actually have to watch the play. I used to like literally, I record the game and buzz throll on the TV copy. I wouldn't even stop because it's going to be a touchback, it's going to
go to commercial. I don't care, right, but now I gotta watch it. I gotta watch play and so, and I think it's going to help guys again, like the keyst guys who have some returnability to find a home on a team and running back, and they might be different skill sets than what we're traditionally accustomed to, but you better be able to shock and shed get to that football and make a tackle. So I'm excited for
that one. The other one that I think is a little bit maybe more controversial because I actually think people are coming around on the kickoff thing, is the hip drop tackle. And this one, to me seems like it'll be impossible.
Just tail us defensive players not show up. Just tail us not show up anymore. But you don't have to tackle like that though we already listen.
I mean, if you saw some of the tackles that day was basically highlighting saying you can't do bro, It's obvious, like, Bro, you're gonna hurt somebody.
One of the reason I'm jumping on your back is because you gotta step on me already.
That's why you get a jump.
But it's so let's be clear, I can still tack you from behind. I can still I can still do a hip drop, like I can still tackle that way. And just to be clear, Australian rules rugby took this tackle out last year or two years ago, and everything's been fine. It's a very specific action. It's two hundred plays from last year's NFL. It's not anytime I'm behind you I tackle you. It's not me tackling you and
flunging your legs. It's when you are dragging me and I intentionally drop my weight onto your legs, which is a play so fun that if you tackle correctly, it shouldn't be an issue.
It's so funny.
This tackle came because of one day in queenn Do y'all not remain a melma. It's it's Seattle. They stole it to what they call alligator.
It's a gat role, which is a different tackle than this.
But it started because we couldn't hit we couldn't hit high no more.
So one rule change for this rule.
Change, it was it wasn't. It wasn't because the high. It was because of the helmet to helmet cond So they went and they consulted with the rugby leagues and the way rugby league's coaches. So like traditional like high school, like you know, you're out there, it's like get.
Your head across the ball. Across the ball, yeah yeah, and so.
Now you got to get Now with a alligator tackle, your hat goes behind the ball, but you get into an alligator role. And if you don't get the role right away, you're gonna fall in the dude to like probably, look, this.
Is what I'm saying. So one rule a birth the other one. Yeah.
But so ultimately, let me just say this, I do think that the rule on helmet to helplet contact makes players safer, allows player to have longer, healthier lives post football, and so I think that that is an important rule. This is an interesting rule because now it's kind of like you said, it's a consequence of that initial rule change. I just don't know because like when you look at the so they did the thing on the NFL Network where they showed clips that they thought were hip drops
that actually weren't hip drops. So even people who are who know what they're looking for are having a hard time identifying a sackle. So that's the thing. It's like, it's happened so quick, so like, are you gonna just call it if someone gets hurt?
People have made that tackle and guys got up.
It's fine. I've been hip dropped a ton of my career.
To Roy Williams was good at that.
He was doing it a different way though he would come dah.
He got He was the guy that I heard the horse call. Yeah. So I just think I think it's a I appreciate the NFL's response and motivation to make the game safer, and I think it's still pretty physical game, like when you watch games on Sunday, like like there's still big hits. Guys have adapted to the tackling rules. I just don't know how you give this to the officials and be like, hey, this is super subjective legislature.
And so what I did here because I was complaining to something about this, is that the NFL is actually not going to encourage refs to call this penalty unless it's very obvious they're going to find players post game right to kind of get.
It out of it.
I mean, I don't know what you think about that. It's just I don't know. It seems like it's gonna be.
That's like me going through a light and I know I stopped at delight and then you're gonna get me a ticket in the middle, Like, I don't like that.
Give me a flag if I did some wrong, don't make me get home. And I look at my locker. I got this dog on thing. You got, fine, give me five pouts. So that's I think.
I think we all appreciate they're trying to make the game safe for the players. I just don't know. I just don't know how you call this play.
I like trying to take the body slam out of rest. It just can't. Sorry but I did.
But you but you know, but you didn't hip drop tack.
I was going to say to me, hip drop tackling is a very.
Specific thing, and it's a lot of these guys and you see nowadays who catch who catch tackle?
Yeah, Like to me, I think those are the guys that you you say.
Okay, bro got a hit you gotta tackle because I see a lot of linebackers waiting for the guy to get on the side.
I'm like, I'm gonna jump on the back of and try to pull them down.
So if you want to highlight those guys, yes, because I feel like that's the only time you see this tackle being made, or if it's someone that's just so so awkwardly tackled a guy and he didn't realize that this guy is strong, and the guy started getting carried and he's like, oh, I got to save myself because I'm gonna look bad on TV.
So you right, My hip tackling didn't come with dB. I mean with WHI receive was a running back. It came with tight ends.
It came with bigger because tight ends are.
So damn I need to I need to use everything I got and so I'm grabbing you, gonna match me grabbing you, you dragging me, And now I got a hollow shine.
I need you because I need to get you down.
And just to be clear, like you can still drop your hip to tackle, I just can't drop on your less And so it's a the march seems like line.
They'll figure it out. They always do.
All right, So now we have a legend lineup, and this segment is presented by Northwest Federal Credit Union, the official credit union of the Washington Commander. Stop searching, go Northwest. Checkout NWFCU dot org slash Washington to see how easy it is to join. Now Northwest can help make your money work for you. Stop I have a branch or visit NWFCU dot org slash Washington. Today. Man, that those letters just messed with my dyslexia is so bad vertical.
I was like, whoa, here we go. So, so what we're going to do today is we're going to make a roster of veterans.
A baseball lineup.
Baseball lineup, and so I don't know that much about baseball, but our producer, Jason, just a guy. Jason did a great job of getting this all set up. So basically what he's done is he said, we're going to make like a hitting lineup for baseball, and we're going to put kind of Washington legends in there. So number one in the in the hitting lineup is a consistent hitter. So I'm on above average speed, gets on base, right,
So that's kind of what we're looking for. So we'll read off each position as we go down, just to kind of give some clarity. Let's start with number one here. Who kind of fits that mold? Do you think in the in the storied history of the Washington franchise.
I'm my leadoff hitter, and.
We gotta we all gotta be on the same page with this.
My lead off here is Dayre Green.
Wait above every speed he gonna get on the base, he gonna allow the next hitter to make sure, Like I want, I want the first gown base to be a base stealing threat.
But isn't he like isn't he like? He's like a home run guy though, because he's made big plays interceptions time.
Oh really, maze, Hey he more speed, Like once I'm on the bags, now you gotta watch him.
Hey, Darrel, is that second base he could steal third?
Like?
Now he becomes a legit threat for the second hitter because the second hitter is a power hitter, right, yeah.
So second hitter is the best contact hitter, has good back control, surgeon with the bats, so.
That means the ball wheel get it into the field with this guy. And if I got Dale green Lee, now I got a threat to go in and score right now.
So are we actually Jason, I got a question for you can kind of here for a second. Are we actually, like kind of are we saying this is the based on athletic traits? Yes, so we're trying to do or are we saying based on play style while they were here?
Whatever you want to do.
I'm taking it's pretty serious, guys. I'm taking it's pretty serious.
I think I think both things could be right. I like that. When I heard it, I put myself there.
Yeah, I said, you know, because the first thing stood out was consistent hitter. And when I think a consistent hitter and a football terminology, it's a guy that's moving the chains consistently with my physician, you know what I'm saying. So I was like, okay, when it was a first down need to be made, even when I was long into two and I was a third down guy coming in, I was in the I was in the option of getting the ball movie changed.
You know.
I was a guy I remember, like, you know, I played cards in the off season with and Trail Row, you know, and Trail's and you guy he was younger than me, but he played with the Giants and he was like he's like, Tanny, you know what I hate, man. You know when you moved to the slot. We've been getting ready for y'all games. And I dB coach would tell of young guys, don't get don't get side traded and see eighty nine coming in the game and think he's he's no longer eighty nine. He not still gonna move
the chains on you. So don't be that guy. And he said, I be damn third down, you got a first down, he said. The coach is shaking his head at So I laughed when I had those conversations with guys, because I never considered myself as still like being a guy that you talked about in your locker room year twelve, thirteen and fourteen. And I'm in the slot and I'm like, I'm coming in third down. But so when I saw this, I said, Oh, that's me. That's the guy that's gonna get on base and let.
Everybody else do that. I can live with that. I could live with Santana.
Like like Brigands or somebody like just the guy who's gonna be consistent, like cloud of dust, gut on there.
I'm not my leadoff.
So you're like, so we're not talking play style here. We're talking more.
Like we're mixing the athlete and the play stoff the place. I like both those. Okay, all right, so leadoff. I mean either one is fine.
It's no wrong the right answer. I just think it's just us saying who we like at des spot.
All right, Number two, best contact hitter who has good back control, Surgeon with the bat. I don't know it's because he said surgeon, but I think Surgeon is.
The number one thing standing out in my head.
I'm gonna start this one off. I'm gonna say, d Hall give you my example why. And like I said, we just trying to them into what they do.
He also played baseball. NY worry about d Hall.
So and one of the things about go ahead.
Do you remember during the lockout year? I remember d We're having a meeting with the n f L p A and we're all talking about what we're gonna do and how we're gonna save this money, and we had this emergency fun if it early long and everyone's taking it really serious, and the Hall says, he stands up and says, I just go play baseball in the MLB. And I was like what, And he's very good baseball.
You know what I'm saying, Like, he's a hell of an athlete. I know, like, didn't you play basketball to you can, but.
This is one of the best, one of the better athletes I've been around. I think I have been around some like class A athletes like class A.
So when okay, they have number two best best contact hitter, I think and I'm not so so I'm not trying to say that he was a good hitter when it came to football, but when it comes to his position being a cornerback. Yeah, the things that stood out to me about d Hall he was a surgeon and what he.
Did best and this says a surgeon with the bat.
He was a surgeon at dissecting and when the when they jumped that dog on interception. So I think of him, he's a he's a perfect guy for that, you know that fit, you know that criteria that just he was one of those guys that don't try him over there because he's.
Good at what he does and he's going for show, make it hurt for you, and.
He's gonna get a good outfeel to too. You might want to put him in shortstop. So he was I can dig d hout right there.
I seeking like Sonny Jergensen because the surgeon, you know, like that kind of precision elemental. Okay, yeah, like like the Hall is a better athlete than say no offense to Sunday. But you know all right, okay number three, this is easy all around best hitter, contact power smart in London here, what would you do?
I was going Sean Taylor there as opposed to power, scary window come on that.
That you get. I seen the scary you can read a little more.
But when I say when I see it all around, when I see it all around, I think that's what brought me to Sean because.
But London was an athlete. London was a point guard in basketball. You can run better than the average and told.
You to Washington dinastay. London is on that getting then interception. He can interceptions. He does spin move. He showed you young London. He almost got Tom Brady fire.
So I enjoy that I can dig London there because we are gonna push on Taylor the scary guy.
It's a scary guy power he's a yeah, so what is it? Hits hits the diggers makes the other team scared. I was gonna say Truent Williams for this one. Honestly, he's a freaking yeah, he's a freaking dude. But Sean Taylor, Trent Williams kind of that freak athlete that fits in that spot, the guy that I mean Like, so for Trent, I mean, obviously everyone knows Sean Taylor, but for Trent, like he was that dude. Man. You remember him run down on screens, getting out in the front, setting the tone.
Have you ever played basketball with dude? I remember walking with.
Him when he told me he played running back as a kid. I said, yeah, he was. He just grew up one day. He got older one day and it got bigger.
And my favorite thing about Trent ever is him making tackles and interceptions, like because he would run down, he'd run past people, sink his hips and like light dudes up. And I said, oh, man, like, where'd you learn how to do that? He's like I used to cover punts in college. He used to cover punts in college.
What like a Dalius Thomas was a gunner?
What are you doing? Man? Like?
He's an athlete. Man.
I remember walking up playing the Baltimore in my first year and I as a coloner, I have to block the gunner for the point. And Jed, I mean my coach, was like, hey, we're gonna put up this lineback out there with you to help you.
Like for what, because you're gonna have to block a dish.
To watch film?
You're telling me, no, no, this is before the week store.
And I was like, all right, that's fine because I knew a day he's from Mississippi.
And they were like, no, he is the gunner and he's the best gunner in the NFL. And I was like, my god, what have I got myself?
Here?
Was he?
He was like big, six hundred and fifty pounds, ran a four.
Four forty playing college like Blacker him him.
All these boys was at us at the same time. Uh, Pat Curtain a, Dlius Thomas.
Uh.
They had like seven pros, TJ. Slaughter, Oh got like they was all the top Easton. They was all at the school at the same exac time.
That's pretty wild. That was like when like Greg Hardy or like even when Darren Waller was playing gunner, Like Darren Waller is like six two yes, covering down there anyway, So we got a little side track. So five hit her in the fifth spot is a contact with some pop like number three, but just a little less inability.
I gotta read Doddie doubting. I gotta read Doddy some love. You hit me.
He would have and won't and won't blink, you know, and but you put him in space.
I was you know, read was money. We was DB's again.
And see people don't stay read. Were hearing Nate and people didn't know he couldn't hear.
You tell his story all the time. Every time we talk.
About He used to get so mad at me. You know, I'm not the type of guy that played tricks doing the game.
You play tricks in the game, you know.
I get to the huddle and read a look at me because he won't on me to tell him to call, and I just I.
Do this with my lips and I'd be.
Like, yeah, making those sounds, no sound, what's the call? Was such a good dude. You were just making that guy and he was probably like young when you played with him.
Yeah, but but but listened. Would go to the wall for you.
Though with his body said percent. He leave him by to be a bit of two percent.
He used to give his body.
I remember him tackling Brandon Jacobs, like just throwing his soul into the tackle. They come out with like a broken stern up and then play play the rest of the game. Dude.
For all our fans that listen to this, y'all, y'all give a special shot to read make sure y'all tag him on this podcast because we got to get read out more Flowers. Man, he was one of those guys that you know how like when you're on the team with guys keeps the team together. It's not even that it's like I told you how it was with guys like you might not I might not share nothing with you.
Yeah, but I had love for I would look at like, you know what, but that worked. I think I invite him to my house with dinner, like he's one of those and we Re showed up with a neck break.
Oh yeah, the neck row. The netro that's right, had a cracked up. Dude. He was crazy, man. He was not like a big guy.
In rep right, bro, but he threw his body or around. You know, Re said, I got one way to make it.
He would have been great with his defense. The defense. He would have been great with his defense.
No doubt anybody else that kind of fits that.
Well.
I got another read tight end read Jordan Reed. Jordan's Oh Jordan Reed.
Jordan Reed is one of the biggest Washington football ifs ever. I just think this dude talent was through the roof, like I think highly the guy.
Yeah, I mean he was, you know, outside of Santana, maybe the best route runner that I played with my career. I appreciate you what I'm saying, but like the type of guy, like I remember him doing one on ones with the DB's. I remember, this is not to hate on Josh s. Norman. He came to the first practice. Josh Norman is this guy just made all this money, all this part. Remember that he's bawling in Carolina. It's his first day of practice. And Jordan's like, all right,
let's do one on ones. And it's like kind of like, no, you're a tight end. And Jordan gets out there.
And I was like, oh, dangate Adams.
When I watched Adams him and joyed rerun the round like basketball.
Players patient, Yeah, just how to set you up?
All right?
So number six, y'all gonna laugh with this one.
Swings for the fences, swings out of his shoes will strike out a lot.
I got run Landry, that's my dog.
But that damn Landry gonna here. You're gonna knock you out. You're gonna miss, You're gonna hit the TV. Landry.
That's funny, so funny.
I talked to l Run two weeks ago.
Real, I'm having call in on one should so we're gonna get him back in the fold.
But you hit this from right on the road. That damn you know what?
You know what always stands out to me him getting that Djack that game against the first game of the season, talking that crap.
With DJA and the first player of the game. Look, they did this to that boy, and that boy came up running.
And is the post safety like that?
Why did you bite him back there?
Man? Also, I know Lauren gets a lot of hate for that play specifically, but my rookie year, that dude was on pace to be defensive MVP. I think through like six games he had like one hundred and five tackles, two interceptions, and five sacks.
That was through like eight games.
And what I'm saying, you remember people, people forget that like he was like when he was on he was on Offen say this hateful to run that he didn't get a chance to have Sean, because if he had Sean, the Holy Team would have.
Made his career.
Like having Sewn Kase, Sean would no longer got to play strong. Just let let the run go up and do what he want to do. He want to, he want to, He want to go in there and eat. He want to go out there and tackle. Seawn could have played that center field, and he was a strong safety naturally, but he was a hell of a cover safety too.
Man.
He would go sideline aside.
At the time, you're talking me Sean Streams, Collos Rogers, Sean Taylor run. You can't get too many defensive backfields like no, then we add a d hall in the middle of it, like you gotta realize when we stepped like my DV coach, like, I ain't got to do muhing, listen, I'm gonna put whatever five of.
Y'all I wanted.
No One was so sad about that because as a receiver, I see this every day and I'm like, how in the hell they getting beat? And then look up at our front line. We ain't got nobody, nobody getting out to the quarterback. I mean it was at one time.
I sat there. I told you, I waited for Dee.
Hall come off the field, and de Hall came off like he was like pissed, and I said, bro, I counted the rocks rest Wes Welker ran eight different routes to get open, and Tom was just sitting there waiting.
The Hall had covered him so long somewhere he couldn't cover him no more. And then he got open and the.
Boot touchdown and I said, d All, that one't your fuck, bro, No one's putting pressure on this quarterback. So I hate to the fact that we had so much talent in our secondary man, and we just ain't have No, we ain't have a good enough rush didn't come together.
I like that one though. That's probably the best one so far. All right, seven, you're okay, nothing great, but everything you do everything, well.
Yeah, it's me, is it you? I'm gonna say that something like that, I say, I put Kejr. Ghost.
I was gonna say Ketj put Ketch you.
I think he was just solid man, like he was one of those guys who you know, they didn't give him no credit, but he was every time you put him in the game.
He made a play, Yeah, made a play.
Was excellent at that, Like he was just such a good leader, very solid.
Another one I got Rocky mcintized, Rocky mcintize, because nothing.
Makes me feel better than walking to hudder and look around and Rocky smile.
I still I still laugh at the story that London gave me with Rocky. He said, I have to tell you this story one day about rock You know, Rocky and Hurricane. He said, Man, you know you know as a linebacker. You know I watched so much to whereas that if I see something go different, i'ma I'm gonna do it.
I'm gonna call a play.
That's gonna benefit that up because of it, because we know it we ran in the week before or whatever.
He say. Man, I ain't trying to put your boy on it. I ain't trying to put him out there. He say. I told Rocky, hey, we're gonna do this, do this because they keep doing it. Rocky saying, no, we ain't go We ain't go over.
There this week.
I'm doing what coach said, these ain't Rocky, we done ran it before, not this week. We ain't doing any practice. He said. Rocky would not go outside of the box. Tell him. So it was just funny.
Else it was funny because I remember me and Reggie doing that in college. So you know, for you know, we played together four years, you know as true freshman's. You know, Reggie started as a true freshman. I came in on third downs as a slot receiver, and then next year I started at the Z and still played slot.
So Reggie got tired of like we just not up on the same side. We just do.
Everybody knows Reggie's on the ball and was off the ball. So we got to the point that every time we came in till we was doing Zacha zip Zacha zipp would be like zach to the other side of zip to the short side. There was emotions and when we had like you know, a bunch of formations or something, instead of Reggie taking the ball, you take the Ballggie come over. So CJ, our receiver coach, which is the head coach of the Houston team right now, are for the UFL.
CJ got mad.
He got us on the phone. Bro, say b you know, he from New Orleans, say, Bro, what y'all doing out there? And reggis like, calm down. He made the play, right, He's I just don't want the other guys to get confused and say, no, we're letting everybody know that me and Tan are gonna switch positions to try to get other guys over.
Yeah, he said, you y'all, y'all made it. Y'all, y'all don't need me no more. You know what I'm saying.
And it was just funny because once you watched the film, you realize that we really was out there, you know, playing chess instead of checking.
You do that on your own own. That's unbelievable because I know, like Kyle would spend like days formation trying to twitch a bitch and get and you guys just said we was to the point.
Where we played as freshmens, we dominated a freshmans, we had great sophomore season, we had our junior year, and le's go ahead and play with these guys.
Now.
You know we're gonna make you think a little more because now you know you can't just say ready to X ten of disease.
Them gonna tell us the truth?
Yeah, absolutely, Okay, So we're on eight now eight and that is you're here for defense. Not a good hitter, but you an excellent fielder.
So I don't even That's where I got stuck at. Yeah, like it's you like I didn't have a guy because I'm like, I ain't got to be a defensive with offensive prowise.
But how are you defensive player with offensive? You got something Jason we got.
Was of a defensive player with offensive Sean Taylor had off Champ Bailey.
Receiving yours and rushing yards.
Maybe you could look at it as a guy that did one thing exceptionally well, like that was his thing.
Andre Cottle, Dude, what arens Alexander.
Games?
I know what I'm saying.
He just was like he don't fit that because he was he was great.
That we like the special like the special team's ability, you know what I'm saying. Like he just was a he's a dude.
Let's go Mike Sales here because Mike, I'm just here. Indeed, his he did what he great? Like Mike for that, Mike Sales.
All right, that's one number nine speed demon.
Not a right hitter, heyst town of number one in the leadoff. It's gotta be dyrel great, No, but it don't.
But it's a great hitter, but.
Can't fly like this is need somebody who is like arms We need somebody Armstrong.
We need somebody who wasn't great at that position, but was great when it came to just running by you.
So you got to look at the whole thing. So Darryl Green was great, you know what I'm saying, all right, all around great.
So we need a guy who wasn't what's his first name?
Armstrong? Yeah, Armstrong, who you're talking about? Go with the return guy?
That was thanks dude, Armstrong. Dude, this is this star about Armstrong.
So we used to do fly.
So Armstrong can't remember his first name, Brandon Banks. Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but he used We used to do flying. You could run into the kickoff, right, and so Danny Smith used to measure forty times to see how it was a flying forty Anthony Armstrong, great, dude, Sorry, remember your first name, Anthony. But anyways, she used to do flying forty times. I remember we're in a meeting one time and he's going over everyone's flying forty times, so like mine's like a four eight, you know, like
it's like my normal forty times slow. And he gets to Anthony, who was the number two, and you know what, it was if you can guess it, it was like for two it was a three seventh. I know, it's crazy, it was My dude could straight.
Listen.
You remember in twenty ten, man, when he became the starter at Z had like a thousand.
You know, he had nine hunred I had.
I had a thousand that year he had nine hundred, and I was mad because I'm like, this was gonna get him paid, you see what I'm saying. And I'm like, bro, and he I remember had that conversation. I was like, Bro, it's all you needed that thousand because you know these teams are look at that and be like, well he just got a thousand yards. We gotta pay him like a one a thousand yard receiver, you know. And he ended up going to the Cowboys next year?
Was that the next year?
Yeah? The next year he didn't come back and they didn't even use him.
Man, I'm like that dude could straight fly. Brandon Banks and fly. Did you play with anybody like that? Listen?
Man? Hey, my generation was speed personified.
I got a great story about Brandon. So you know, Brandon is just going straight out fly little dude, So.
You have to use you know, three the servet forty started to cut you off.
No, I didn't hear it.
So we were we were. He was here for he was a trial and we were at their same rookie municamp. We came at the same time. So they said, hey, everybody who's not a priority for agent has to come out and run a forty if they want. So Brandon is fully spatted up. Just finished practice, mind you, okay on that turf outside the astro turf. He ran up four two four two four and spatted cleats on astro turf after practice.
He could fly, but don't thee Star wars fly to.
Yeah, he can fly to So no, no getting back to Brandon. So he was running these kickoff he kept breaking them. And I remember when I was with the Jets, I had a guy named Jonathan Carter and he was a guy from Troy. He from Alabama, Alabama bread guy. I had to play that Troy had. He played a year at the Giants. He came over to us, and I remember I take I took him home one off season and brought him back and her Matt was brought me in his office said hey, you did that, So what you're talking about?
He said, He said, who who Jay? Call him?
Ja?
He said who Jay Gud was working with this summer. I said, Now, I took the Miami with me. We worked together.
He said, Tannah, you got a job at this if you ever want to come and be a coach. He said, I have never seen a turner. The guy was a running back, but he was tall. The man was running routes like but all he did was just watch me run routes. And he just did everything I.
Did, so I couldn't take credit for it.
But he just came around guys like myself so fast, fast forward. Brandon Banks reminded me of Jay Gutter.
They so fast. Put You're in the NFL. Everybody's fast, so they would break these things and guys will.
Catch him in an angle. So I told Jonathan the same way I told Brandon. I said, bro, when you getting open cut across field, don't try to outrun everybody getting the guy up on you and break put it, put your foot in the ground. His first return, both of those guys first return was off of me telling me both of those guys, So, yeah.
Man, great coach. All right, So Jason you got there, you got our team. He got our lineup.
I got it, all right. I want to reiterate here to our fans if we didn't say it. These are guys you played with most like there are a lot of legends that are obviously hollering.
Yeah, we didn't want to go to back. We didn't want to do guys, you know, right.
Uh So here we go leading off, Santana Moss, d Hall, London Fletcher, Sean Taylor, cleaning up, Read Dowdy, Lauren Langy just swinging for the fence, Kendrick Goldsend, Mike Sellers and then Anthony Armstrong or Brandon Banks and I put at d H Trent Williams.
Like see that what I'm saying that they had no rivalries and no no major group come be wrong or right.
Some guys people remember, some guys people don't. But I also would like to tell the ax, the fans, tell us who you think that's best for those slots.
It's great, absolutely, And I'm gonna throw one out to you guys, all right, who's the ace, the starting pitcher, the guy you need?
You need them to come in?
You're like an ace and baseball, if you're losing four games like you, you're ready for this guy to come in.
He's gonna put your back.
Guy.
People ain't gonna like this, but he threw gays how all the time, and they probably got him fires.
Pat Ramsey, Yeah, and you was and you were sniffing that day because because you're tripping right now.
So so what I would say is, this is the only time I would dig deep outside of a guy that that I played with. And I'm only gonna do it because I feel like this guy deserves that.
I say, Joe Thimany, we used to return punts.
We talked so much about Doug. Doug did a hell of a job Unner, you know, winning the Super Bowl. But I think thisman and Ripken don't get enough credit for what they've done as quarterbacks. Here and Joe, Joe's everywhere, He's all over everywhere, but we don't talk enough about who.
He was to this team before he got hurt. Loved Joe. He was that dudey Joe, and you played football in the NFL.
You great.
I don't know, no bad Joe.
Now you look at his career like Joe was like, like you know how you and tell us you did everything. Joe actually did everything.
I don't know he did. He may return punts in the game like.
Number Seriously, he's number eight on the punt return listen here every Yeah, he turned punts bro as a quarterback.
So I was gonna say, is there anybody like from a past rush standpoint that would be like the closer for you? Like I was thinking like Ryan Carrigan, like Bruce Say. I played with Brew but he was like near the end though, right, but he was still he was.
Still past rush. So you know, you got your Drake cords. Other world you got. You know, if I could say one position we.
Probably ain't hit on all the time, probably has been there with Char's man and dexter manmon guy.
Yeah, yeah, those guys we didn't. We didn't go that deep. But I'm gonna say a guy who was with us who I feel like the defense changed and and it messed him up and why Marcus Washington. Yeah, if he was able to play the play the guy. If he was able to get outside as an outside lineback three rush and just going go out to the quarterback and do what he did best, man, this guyud have been Pro Bowl every year.
Leavar Arrington too. The bar was not supposed to be in space.
Just kind of wondering because I always think of, you know, obviously quarterbacks, strong guys.
So Rush, I would probably go LeVar. LeVar had some specials, special stretch. Still, yeah, he was different. He was just an animal, man, he just yeah.
And so like Tanna said, if you guys have different lists, maybe you're an older fan. You want those guys, those kind of legends to be able. Yeah, yeah, put them in there.
Man.
We love to hear it because I was like, yeah, get to set evolved. That's right, that's right. So guys, thanks for joining and thanks for listening, and that's gonna do it. Thanks.
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