Got some love from Fred Smoot this morning, as he joined the Junkies Thursday to talk about the Commanders’ draft class, the schedule, and all things Washington.
And on the former, he was team Daniels.
“I thought none of these guys was a consolation prize, but the more and more I watched Drake Maye, I thought he might need a little bit of time, and I don't think that's on the schedule that we’re on,” Smoot said. “I thought we were more on a Jayden Daniels schedule, who's gonna be ready from day one to get in there and give us a chance to probably win some games. He’s a dual threat and a guy that gives you time and patience to put this offensive line together, and while doing that, he can get himself out of trouble with his legs. Drake Maye has legs, but is not explosive.”
Smoot is a fan overall on the roster overhaul, saying “I thought Adam Peters was amazing in his approach, and had a plan on what Commanders looked like,’ and went through a lot of the changes – but it will be the offense that makes things go, and he thinks the Commanders got the right guys and the right leader for them.
“We kept the best players and added Luke McCaffrey to the wide receiver room, Ekeler at running back, Ben Sinnott with Zach Ertz…everything that I just said, we got better,” Smoot said. “And Jayden, he is bigger than most people think, and I'm blown away how the ball leaves his hand, and for him to be such a tall dude, that tight release he has. But I’m also blown away by the person, man. I watched him talk to players around here, he's magnetic. He's a guy that you think was maybe taken in the fourth round the way he goes around; he's a humble kid and wants to learn. I knew he could push the ball down the field, but when you get a guy with talent like that that's eager to learn from each and every coach? They’re all on the same accord, and I think that's what we gotta do in Washington right now. We have Stockholm Syndrome, but we have great ownership, a great coaching staff, a new quarterback – everything is pointed in the right direction, and we can't let the past take the future.”
All that, and maybe a schedule where the Commanders can do some damage?
“I know we have one of the most favorable schedules in the league, when you look at the quarterbacks we play; the best quarterback we're going to play in the first quarter is probably going to be Joe Burrow, but we have something that they don't know: they don't know how the offense is gonna be running,” Smoot said. “By the third game, that'll be the first time anybody has film on how Kliff Kingsbury’s offense looks here, so I think the schedule favors us. I'm not saying we’re going to the playoffs or anything, but it gives us a chance to win, start fast, and get better as the year goes on, so I think it's all about expectations.”
Check out Smoot’s entire visit above!
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