- 6 weeks ago
Nicki Jhabvala made some waves on social media yesterday when she tweeted about Washington’s rough joint practice with the Ravens. She joined The Sports Junkies to break down the Commanders biggest concerns ahead of the regular season. What’s your biggest worry as a Commanders fan?
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00:00Nikki Javala, Commanders reporter for The Athletic.
00:04She had, to steal a Mike Marr phrase,
00:07boots on the ground at Owings Mills yesterday
00:09for the Ravens Commanders joint practice.
00:12She had the phrase of the day, too.
00:14Well, she had to tweet her around the world.
00:16Hey, Nikki, good morning.
00:18Nikki, how are you guys?
00:20Hey, Nikki.
00:21We're doing well.
00:21So this was the tweet that rankled the fan base.
00:26This is the worst I've ever seen the Commanders offense in years.
00:31Ever.
00:31Inoperable offensive line.
00:33It's got 930 retweets, 4.5K likes, and 317 comments.
00:40Have you had to hire around-the-clock security
00:42to keep the HPTC weirdos at bay at this point?
00:47I've kind of just not looked at Twitter on purpose.
00:51Just the less I know, the better.
00:56But, yeah, that's not the one I expected to really take off,
01:00but, okay, you know, whatever floats the boat.
01:04That's what you saw.
01:05I mean, that was your opinion.
01:06Hey, not just her.
01:08I mean, everybody was kind of chiming in.
01:10Yeah.
01:10So let's talk.
01:11It was bad.
01:12Yeah.
01:12Let's talk about how we got there.
01:14So the Tunsil thing, it is what it is.
01:17It's, you know, I don't even consider him
01:19the starting left tackle anymore.
01:20I consider it Brandon Coleman.
01:21You know, like, it's over.
01:23And I think Coleman will be okay.
01:25He's not Tunsil, but I think he'll be okay.
01:26They won 14 games with him largely in there.
01:28So I'm okay with that.
01:31Yesterday, now I'm a diehard fan, just so you know, Nicky.
01:33I can't be objective like you.
01:35I'm just a fan.
01:38So I'm looking at it, and on the bright side,
01:40and by the way, as a diehard fan,
01:42I do think they're going to miss the playoffs
01:44before they had Laramie,
01:45because when the schedule came out,
01:46it traumatized me.
01:47I still haven't gotten over it.
01:48I don't know how we overcome this schedule.
01:51And I like our pieces.
01:53But yesterday, if I'm trying to look at the bright side,
01:56I go, okay, 40% of our projected
01:58starting offensive line at this point,
02:00take Tunsil out, wasn't there.
02:03These guys didn't, they haven't practiced together.
02:06Offensive line, everybody knows,
02:07beyond just sort of the strength and technique
02:09is communication.
02:09That obviously is a disaster.
02:11Couldn't even execute snaps.
02:13Got a rookie in there,
02:13just probably scared poopless.
02:16So that would be my optimistic take.
02:20The negative take would be,
02:22hey, maybe this is what we got.
02:24Like, you've got, you know,
02:26is Laramie really going to hold up 17 games?
02:28I mean, these offensive linemen,
02:30they're in car crashes every play, right?
02:32This might actually be what we got.
02:33Yep.
02:35What do you think?
02:39I mean, having earned a reputation of negative Nicky
02:42over the last three months or so,
02:44somehow, I think you have to look at it like this.
02:49Like, Sam Cosme wasn't in there.
02:51He's a huge piece of it.
02:52And that's a temporary loss.
02:54It was an illness.
02:55Yeah.
02:55But you have to count out Laramie Tunsil
02:58at this point.
02:58Maybe later in the season,
03:00if there's a playoff push
03:02and he's healthy and cleared,
03:03maybe there's a chance.
03:05But you have to rule that out.
03:06So you got Brandon Coleman,
03:07you got Chris Paul at left guard,
03:09you have somebody at center.
03:12It could have been,
03:13it could be either of those two guys
03:16unless they bring in somebody else.
03:18And if Allegretti is not healthy in time,
03:21you have to look at it that way
03:22because that's the reality.
03:24I mean, he's been out for almost the entirety of camp,
03:27Allegretti.
03:28And there's still no clear timetable of his return.
03:31And the season is two and a half weeks away.
03:32And that's a calf injury.
03:34That is not something you mess with.
03:35I mean, I hate to even put this in the universe,
03:37but we've seen what calf injuries can lead to.
03:41Yeah.
03:42And you never want to take that risk.
03:44So you got the center position in question.
03:46Right guard Cosme will be back.
03:48And then right tackle is Connerly.
03:49So there's a very decent chance
03:53that four of those five guys
03:55that were playing yesterday
03:56will be in there in week one.
03:59So like, yes, there are backups,
04:01but that is, that's what you got right now.
04:04And my thinking was,
04:06Cosme undoubtedly a big piece,
04:08but if the drop off in play is that steep without him,
04:12that says everything about your depth.
04:14And it's very, very thin right there.
04:16And I don't think there's any denying that
04:18at the, on the interior line.
04:20Like they don't have the depth they need at guard
04:22and they still don't have an answer at center.
04:24You hope Allegretti can get healthy
04:26and that he's, you know, a good center
04:28and maybe even an upgrade over Biotish,
04:31but we don't know yet.
04:33All right.
04:33That's what I wanted to hone in
04:34and drill in on how we got here.
04:36Cause we can kind of debating this a little bit too.
04:38They kind of surprised those of us that,
04:41you know, I'm a diehard fan,
04:42but I can't evaluate offensive line play
04:44unless you pancake somebody.
04:45Like, I don't know.
04:46So I thought Biotish was fine.
04:48I didn't know he,
04:49they didn't particularly care for him.
04:51They got rid of him with a quickness, right?
04:53They were, boom, we're done.
04:54See ya.
04:55And then my assumption was
04:57they were going to go with Allegretti
04:58who's filled in at times.
04:59And I thought Ben, okay.
05:00And the narrative that I get from you people
05:02that cover the team is
05:04he's a better communicator.
05:05The guys love him.
05:06He recognizes things at the line of scrimmage.
05:08And then I'm just assuming technique wise
05:10and strength wise, he can handle it.
05:12That's kind of what was going into my brain.
05:14JP, my colleague here,
05:15is kind of taking the attack.
05:16Well, they did it
05:17because they thought they were going to upgrade
05:18with Linderbaum.
05:19And then they went out and whiffed on Linderbaum.
05:23And so they're settling with Allegretti.
05:27Where's the truth in all of that?
05:30I think both things can be true.
05:32I think they do like Allegretti,
05:34you know, making the calls at the line.
05:37That was, if you listen to Dan Quinn
05:39and what he said about Juliana Jones
05:42and Matt Goldman,
05:42those were the first things he mentioned
05:44is they know the system.
05:46They make the right calls at the line.
05:47I think read into it what you will.
05:50That was important.
05:51Um, but they also wanted to upgrade that position
05:55and with the center market the way it was,
05:57this offseason and free agency
05:59that they thought they could.
06:01Um, now they weren't willing to pay
06:03$27 million for a center.
06:05And I agree with that decision.
06:06Um, that's a lot of a money
06:08to allot to that one position,
06:10especially when, you know,
06:12most of your roster is turning over annually.
06:14And, oh, by the way,
06:15you do have that big quarterback contract looming.
06:17Um, so you want to maximize the roster while you can.
06:20Um, so I agree with that decision,
06:23but there are also two parts to this.
06:25If you want to get rid of the Adish, okay.
06:27Like I, I can get behind that,
06:30but there should be a plan in place.
06:32And if you're not,
06:33there should also be a backup
06:34to that plan in place.
06:35Like if you're not going to get Linderbaum,
06:37um, if for some reason that market gets out of whack,
06:41which I mean, to me,
06:42$27 million for a center is sort of out of whack.
06:45Um, then what, you know?
06:47And I, I don't,
06:49I never got word that they pursued anybody,
06:52anybody else aside from Linderbaum,
06:54um, to that extent really.
06:56Um, so then they really did feel like
06:59Allegretti was ready.
07:00And I don't disagree with that decision either,
07:02but then you look at your depth there
07:04and they didn't have it.
07:06They don't have it.
07:07Um, you know,
07:08we don't know what Matt Govan can be.
07:11This is, he's a six round rookie at this point,
07:13just kind of thrown into the fire.
07:14Um, but outside of Allegretti,
07:17they don't have anybody with,
07:19with experience period on the line.
07:21I mean,
07:21Jillian good Jones has played two offensive snaps in his career.
07:24Right.
07:24So don't you think it's pretty much a hundred percent lock
07:27because of all,
07:28all those facts that you just threw out there.
07:30They've got to go out and find somebody,
07:33either a free agent or make a trade.
07:34I think they have to.
07:34They've got to,
07:35they've got to do it.
07:36You just find somebody who's a free agent
07:37or what,
07:37you know,
07:38claim off waivers.
07:39The,
07:39the one benefit they have is their number seven
07:41in the waiver priority list.
07:43Um,
07:44so there,
07:45is it a five or one fire over there right now?
07:49Like,
07:49are they,
07:49are there,
07:50are they panicking?
07:51On fire,
07:51hairs on fire,
07:52all the cliches.
07:53Nobody,
07:54nobody went home last night
07:55and they're,
07:56they're meeting,
07:57trying to figure out how do we salvage this
07:59before it gets,
08:00gets,
08:01you know,
08:01it's crazy.
08:03Are they losing their minds
08:04or are they taking the tack?
08:05No,
08:0540% of our offensive line wasn't there.
08:07We're going to be okay.
08:08Don't worry.
08:09Yeah.
08:10I don't,
08:10I don't get the sense that they're losing their minds
08:11because they've known what their offensive line
08:13is for quite some time.
08:14This is not new.
08:15Like the way they played yesterday was,
08:17you know,
08:18exceptionally bad,
08:19but they've seen what they have at center
08:22with Nick Allegretti being out for most of camp.
08:24They know what they have on the interior line
08:26and they haven't rushed into anything.
08:28I think they are just reading between the tea leaves.
08:32I think they're of the mind that,
08:33okay,
08:33let's see what,
08:34you know,
08:34comes out of waiver cuts and,
08:35you know,
08:36consider all our options then.
08:38Cause there are,
08:39there are a number of competitions across the league
08:42at center.
08:42I,
08:43Buffalo is one that I'm kind of watching closely
08:45cause they have,
08:46you know,
08:47a young guy that could be pushed out just out of numbers.
08:51Right.
08:52In the Texans,
08:53Tennessee Titans,
08:54they have another competition.
08:56So those,
08:57there will be centers available
08:59and they'll just have to kind of figure out
09:01what makes the most sense.
09:02Nikki,
09:03the Twitter keyboard warriors have already deemed
09:05Sonny Stiles a bust.
09:07Hmm.
09:07Even though he hasn't played one regular season snap.
09:10What have your,
09:11what have your takeaways been from Sonny Stiles
09:14through the preseason games,
09:15through training camp so far?
09:18Yeah,
09:18I feel like,
09:19yeah,
09:19that's sort of ridiculous.
09:20Um,
09:21it is a lot ridiculous actually.
09:23Um,
09:24yeah,
09:24I love the dissections of every,
09:26all 14 of us snaps in the preseason opener.
09:28That was fantastic.
09:30Um,
09:31but I,
09:31I think for one,
09:34I mean,
09:34they're not really doing a whole lot on defense
09:37at this point in the preseason.
09:38They're not like game planning or anything.
09:40Um,
09:42but then you also step back,
09:43like he's a rookie just kind of thrown in.
09:46Yes.
09:46He's a personality with exceptional talent.
09:48He has the perfect frame and build for what you want
09:52in that position.
09:53Um,
09:53and there's a reason he was drafted as high as he was,
09:56but that doesn't mean he,
09:57he steps in day one and it,
10:00you know,
10:00lights the world on fire,
10:01you know?
10:02Um,
10:03and you have to think about kind of what they're looking
10:05for in preseason.
10:07Some of it is designed to be the way that it is.
10:09So I,
10:10yeah,
10:10I don't read into any of that.
10:12I think he's,
10:13he'll be just fine.
10:14Um,
10:15I think there is some getting used to,
10:17um,
10:18you know,
10:18for any rookie,
10:19just stepping in the pro speed,
10:20you know,
10:21you're playing with grown men at this point,
10:23it's different.
10:24Um,
10:24and then especially at that position,
10:26when you take on the added responsibility of relaying the
10:28calls,
10:29cause you know,
10:30Frankie Luba has been wearing the green dot primarily,
10:32but Sonny Stiles will also wear it.
10:34Um,
10:35you know,
10:35so whenever Luba is off the field,
10:37it's probably going to go to Sonny.
10:39That is that,
10:40that requires more thinking.
10:42And a lot of times guys end up thinking more and not playing
10:46fast and freely.
10:47And I think that's what they're waiting to,
10:49to see happen with him.
10:50And I think it will happen.
10:51And it just,
10:52you know,
10:52takes more than 14 steps.
10:54A quick question.
10:55I just,
10:56you know,
10:56again,
10:56in a mild panic over the offensive line,
10:58just mild,
10:59uh,
10:59when you're watching that joint scrimmage,
11:02uh,
11:02cause I'm assuming,
11:03look,
11:03there,
11:03there's some time and these guys are all geniuses.
11:06Not every team is perfect.
11:08Right.
11:08In fact,
11:09no team is perfect.
11:10They all have holes.
11:11They scheme around things.
11:13So obviously if the offensive line is an issue,
11:15they're going to be chipping more,
11:17you know,
11:17two tight ends,
11:18all that crap.
11:18Are they doing that in the joint practice or is it just mano a mano?
11:23You take your guy.
11:24We got to see what we got.
11:26No,
11:26I mean,
11:27they,
11:27they've been playing with multiple tight ends in there.
11:30They've been chipping.
11:31Um,
11:32you know,
11:32it's not as,
11:33it's not as physical obviously as live games.
11:38Um,
11:39but I mean,
11:40they've,
11:40they've put,
11:41you know,
11:41complete fronts out there.
11:43Like it's just,
11:44it's not good.
11:45And it's,
11:45it's really,
11:46you know,
11:47it's really just a center position.
11:49And I,
11:49I don't mean to pick on Matt and Julian.
11:52Um,
11:52they've been thrown into a tough situation,
11:54but that is the glaring weakness.
11:57I mean,
11:58Chris Paul had sort of an up and down camp,
12:00but I think over the last week and a half,
12:02he's been pretty solid.
12:03Um,
12:04he was good in one-on-ones.
12:05Brandon Coleman has been solid at left tackle.
12:08Um,
12:09Connerly,
12:10he's,
12:11whenever I watch him,
12:12he's always better in like team drills or,
12:16or games than he is one-on-ones.
12:18Um,
12:18but he's been okay.
12:20You know,
12:20um,
12:21and Cosme's,
12:22Cosme's had an exceptional training camp.
12:25And he's just,
12:26he's huge.
12:27And he's one of the strongest guys I've seen.
12:29And he,
12:29he is a really,
12:31really good player.
12:32Um,
12:33and it shows that he's back to full strength.
12:35Um,
12:36good.
12:36It is.
12:36It's just that center position.
12:38And it's right.
12:39They got to find a way to,
12:40to fill it in and get some depth because you just don't know what
12:44Allegretti is going to be like with this injury going into the season.
12:48Joined by Nikki Javala,
12:50commander's reporter for the athletic,
12:51which is,
12:51is it fair to say that the offensive line is going to make or break this
12:55season?
12:56I mean,
12:57I feel like that every season.
12:58I mean,
12:58I feel like your offense can only go so far as this front five.
13:02Um,
13:03if you don't have the protection,
13:04if you can't get the run game going,
13:05I mean,
13:06it inherently starts with that group,
13:09but with it being the way that it is now,
13:12yeah,
13:13definitely.
13:14Um,
13:14I think Washington right now has the luxury of Jaden Daniels.
13:19I mean,
13:19we saw that on the last play,
13:21you know,
13:22from practice on Wednesday.
13:23It was,
13:23I mean,
13:24he just lobbed this absolute beauty,
13:26like from his back foot,
13:28he's got two edge rushers,
13:29you know,
13:30barreling towards them.
13:31Um,
13:32probably would have been clobbered if they were allowed to hit.
13:34Um,
13:35and just there's an absolute dime to Antonio Williams.
13:38And that's just shows like he,
13:40he is that type of quarterback that can mask a lot of these deficiencies.
13:44He can overcome a lot.
13:46Um,
13:47but that again,
13:48speaks to kind of where they're at as a line,
13:50because even he kind of struggled to get past what was happening yesterday.
13:57I mean,
13:57their second series,
13:58I think it was,
13:58you know,
13:59batted pass,
14:00batted pass,
14:01drop pass.
14:02Um,
14:03it,
14:03it was just,
14:04you can't,
14:05you can't run much there.
14:07I noticed,
14:08uh,
14:08I,
14:08I've loved,
14:09I mean,
14:09I didn't know Antonio Williams before we drafted him.
14:12And I looked at all this,
14:13this,
14:13the highlights and I went,
14:14Oh my God,
14:14I love the way this guy moves away.
14:15Gets off the line of scrimmage.
14:16And I understood it at first.
14:17I want,
14:17I want big receiver.
14:19I'm a bigger,
14:19you know?
14:20And then I looked at it and went,
14:21Oh,
14:21I get it.
14:21Look at this guy's wiggle.
14:22It's yeah.
14:23This guy's a freak.
14:24Um,
14:25somebody said,
14:26I think it was my buddy,
14:26George Carmi,
14:27like online guy with really covers the team really well.
14:29And he,
14:30he said they're kind of,
14:31he's getting the vibe.
14:32They're kind of hiding them like they did McLaurin in his rookie year and
14:36that he's going to have a really big impact.
14:38Is that,
14:38is that he might be onto something,
14:40huh?
14:41I think he could be a really good player and I'm with you.
14:44Like I totally underestimated him and I,
14:47I,
14:47I feel stupid for that.
14:49Um,
14:49but it's true.
14:50I mean,
14:50I,
14:50I also looked at the size.
14:52I felt that I still think they could use some height there,
14:55especially since they don't have it,
14:57you know,
14:58a ton at tight end with Ertzcon.
15:00Um,
15:01but he's,
15:02he's just a smooth player.
15:03He glides.
15:04I mean,
15:04to me,
15:04it digs is very similar.
15:06Just he can run as fast as he can vertical as he can,
15:10you know,
15:11side to side,
15:11which is just,
15:12I look at them like,
15:13how is that physically possible?
15:14Right.
15:15but he's just so smooth and some guys can just grab anything that's close to
15:19them.
15:20I mean,
15:20he makes catches look easy that I'm looking at and like,
15:23like,
15:24did that just happen?
15:25Right.
15:26Um,
15:26but he's,
15:27he's a very good receiver,
15:29very polished receiver.
15:31Um,
15:32so yeah,
15:33if he can hold up,
15:34I'm still a little iffy on the side,
15:36but if he can hold up,
15:37I,
15:37yeah,
15:37I think he could be really good.
15:40Nikki.
15:40Thanks as always for the time.
15:42We definitely appreciate it.
15:43keep your head on a swivel out there in those,
15:45uh,
15:45commanders of border streets.
15:46Okay.
15:48I appreciate it.
15:49Thanks.
15:50Nikki Javala commanders of border for the athletic.
15:53She was there in Owings mills for the joint practice between the Ravens and the
15:58commanders,
15:59uh,
16:00coming up at nine 20,
16:01we will talk Virginia tech football with Brent pry,
16:03their former head coach.
16:04He's now the defensive coordinator.
16:05He'll join us coming up at nine 20.