The Athletic's Ben Standig is back from his West Coast vacation and ready to talk Commanders, Dan Snyder, Ted Leonsis and the Wizards with guests Joe House (The Ringer) and attorney Stephanie Weissenburger. Ben opens the show sharing a bit about his vacation and diving into his new profile on The Athletic about first-round pick Jahan Dotson. Plus thoughts on Curtis Samuel and Daron Payne. Then Stephanie enters the chat (15:30) for the latest on whether Snyder will testify before the Oversight Committee and under what circumstances. What's the end game for both sides? Should Congress drop the subpoena talk? How long can Snyder stay on his mega yacht? From there Ben and Joe, two DMV natives, discuss the Commanders and Wizards (35:54). They start with the Commanders' on-field vibe two weeks before training camp (some optimism!) even with the polarization around Carson Wentz. Then it's all about the Wizards starting with those amusing comments from Leonsis following the re-signing of Bradley Beal. Also Johnny Davis's struggles (Ben was at Summer League), and where hope exists.
The Athletic's Ben Standig talks all things Commanders with former Washington and Denver lineman turned NFL analyst Mark Schlereth. The fellas discuss hope with Carson Wentz, Chase Young's needed next step, organizational culture, Mark's alumni visit, his favorite Commanders' offensive lineman, Motley Crue vs. Def Leppard vs. Poison.
The Athletic's Ben Standig is here talking about Commanders rookie receiver Jahan Dotson with Penn State wide receiver coach Taylor Stubblefield (go look him up!). The smoothness and Torry Holt, those hands and the first-round pick's mindset. Then Ben answers your mailbag questions on Dotson vs. Curtis Samuel, Daron Payne or Chase Young, Cole Holcomb's value, nickel options and more.
The Athletic's Ben Standig is here for an emergency podcast following the news that the Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin have agreed to a 3-year contract extension worth roughly $71 million. The guests: Brian McNally (NBC Sports Washington) for the immediate reaction and Brad Spielberger (PFF) on the contract terms. What it means and what comes next. Plus Ben with the latest on owner Dan Snyder and the Oversight Committee.
The Athletic's Ben Standig is back to talk about Congress coming for Dan Snyder -- and to talk with Washington Commanders rookie tight end Cole Turner! Plus thoughts on what the Wizards did in the NBA Draft Ben opens the show with some notes including injury concerns for Chase Young and Logan Thomas. Then sports law attorney Stephanie Weissenburger joins the pod to break down all that happened at Wednesday's Oversight Committee hearing and its ramifications for Snyder (11:20). From there, football talk with Cole Turner including what he learned in camp, help from Carson Wentz, humidity and bugs, that hair and more (34:14). Then Ben wraps up the episode with thoughts on the Wizards selecting Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis 10th overall in the NBA Draft.
The Athletic's Ben Standig welcomes back Jay Gruden to the podcast for episode 200! After Ben opens the show with notes on Dan Snyder skipping this week's hearing on Capitol Hill, Gruden joins for a fun and informative Q&A (8:20). Topics: What's the looming battle between NFL offensive and defensive coordinators? How will Carson Wentz help Terry McLaurin? Who did Gruden chat up at Sean McVay's wedding? Which of his former Washington players does he keep in touch with? Is any part of Jay cool with not being the head coach here considering the last three years of chaos? Tons more as well. With the NBA Draft this week, Ben and George Washington University men's basketball coach Chris Caputo explored the lottery picks and potential options for the Wizards. They also discuss Caputo's challenges at GW and scheduling other DMV programs.
The Athletic's Ben Standig recaps this week's Commanders minicamp and the entire offseason program with analyst Logan Paulsen. Ben opens the episode with notes on Carson Wentz and Dan Snyder skipping next week's hearing on Capitol Hill. Then Logan joins the discussion as the fellas bookend their Commanders' chat from the first OTA week. Detailed thoughts on Wentz's offseason, Daron Payne's impact, Chase Young's recovery timeline, Benjamin St-Juste thriving in the slot, Jamin Davis finding his way, Logan's favorite current player to watch on tape, his biggest concern and more. Then Ben wraps up the episode with some quick thoughts on Terry McLaurin's contract and Ron Rivera's no-trade edict (56:04).
The Athletic's Ben Standig is ready to talk about Terry McLaurin, Jack Del Rio and the Washington Commanders, and Steph Curry, Bradley Beal and the NBA Finals. Guests: Joel Corry (Inside the Cap podcast) and Michael Lee (Washington Post) 2:40 - Ben begins with what he's heard on whether Terry McLaurin and Daron Payne will attend this week's mandatory minicamp. Also more fallout from Jack Del Rio's comments. 11:20 - Joel enters the discussion with his view on the McLaurin negotiations, the challenge with keeping Payne and what Washington is doing right with Carson Wentz. 33:20 - Ben and Michael deep dive into Stephen Curry's spectacular Game 4 performance, his legacy and his impact on the Warriors in the NBA Finals. They also discuss where Curry ranks among the all-time greats including Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant (108:05), and what the Wizards should do with Bradley Beal (130:11)
The Athletic's Ben Standig is talking stadium fizzles, looming congressional hearing, Jack Del Rio fallout -- and what it all means for Commanders owner Dan Snyder's next moves. Plus actual football talk (offense more stable than the defense?) and whether Terry McLaurin shows for next week's mandatory mini-camp with Michael Phillips from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Ben also replays part of the Dec. 19 episode with Al Galdi where the two were at their fortune-teller best on the stadium talk (55:25) UPDATE: Ron Rivera, via a statement issued by the team, fined Del Rio $100,000 for his comments on Wednesday. The defensive coordinator referenced the Jan. 6, 2021 events at the U.S. Capitol as a “dust-up” while defending a tweet he posted earlier in the week that questioned why nationwide protests in the summer of 2020 that included "riots" receive less scrutiny.
The Athletic's Ben Standig is here to talk all things Washington Commanders as OTA concludes with radio legend Scott Jackson and Matt Paras (Washington Times. After Ben's opening remarks, the fellas get into Jack Del Rio's political comments that sparked headlines, possible on and off the field fallout, and what it means for Ron Rivera. If you want to avoid such talk, jump to the 24:05 mark. That's where the focus shifts to Carson Wentz's upside and his first press conference this offseason; why Curtis Samuel and Antonio Gibson worked on the side; latest on Terry McLaurin and Daron Payne; the top takeaways from this entire OTA session.