2023 Commanders OTAs, Minicamp & Training Camp

[Scott Land]

7 minutes ago, Thaiphoon said:

Is he gonna keep making business decisions all offseason? All season? Since he's in a contract year. Maybe we just wrap him in bubble wrap 24/7 until Week 1?

Mathis had a Week 1 knee injury last season. He was at OTAs. So the re-injury excuse doesn't work.

Sweat should absolutely be there. He doesn't get a pass. Neither does Leno. All should be there.

Mathis is in his second year and played in ONE game. How in the **** are you going to compare that to Chase Young? That's the most ridiculous thing I've read in quite some time. Mathis tore his meniscus which usually isn't a season ending injury but was for him, even though he was posting dancing videos on social media by week 10. That's not quite as bad a blown out ACL and Patellar tendon, in which you have to get muscles from your other knee to fix it. It's VOLUNTARY workouts. Ya I think it'd be awesome if everyone showed up, but get real, it's never going to happen that every single player shows up for voluntary OTA's in May. 

We just had a tight end tear his achilles, after these last 2 years you really think Chase Young wants to risk doing something in voluntary workouts in May? He's going to go crazy and leave as fast as possible, and I'm starting to not blame him after how this fan base acts towards him. For a franchise that hasn't won in a very long time some of y'all act like we're so good that if someone isn't out of this world we don't want them on the team. Idiotic. 

Almost every good player in the NFL that is in a contract year sits out of voluntary workouts. It happens every single year. Who cares. Honestly. You think Chase Young and Montez Sweat not showing up to voluntary OTA's is going to change the outcome of the season for them? They going to go from 10 sacks if they show up to 5 sacks if they don't? I'll repeat, I wish that everyone would show up, but in reality, it will never happen. So idk why everyone insists on making such a big deal about it every year because it's never going to stop. 

[Slappy Mc]

3 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

We have our incumbent starter returning in Thomas who is another year removed from his major injury. Then we have the very solid Bates as a #2 option still here. Then we have another draft pick in Cole Turner who is athletic with big size, Rogers was definitely the 4th string and was at risk at not even making rthe final 53.  His injury doesn't impact us at all. 

Any idea that our TE room is serviceable is preposterous. Our biggest offensive need (IMO) was a legit TE. We are going into a season with a green QB and an offensive coordinator where his best offensive weapon was a dominant TE. Logan Thomas was a pleasant surprise 3 years ago and is no where near the same guy. John Bates is an in-line blocker that offers very little pass catching value. Cole Turner was viewed highly for a while before Armani Rogers was getting more PT. Supposedly, Turner's value lies in his red zone abilities. 

IMO they are all TE2/TE3s. We need our Travis Kelce and drafted defense for the 3rd time in 4 years of Ron Rivera's tenure in the 1st round. Adding insult to injury ZERO tight ends were drafted by us in a historically deep TE draft class. 

The TE position is going to hinder the offense all year, you can quote me on it. 

[MKnight82]

1 minute ago, Slappy Mc said:

Any idea that our TE room is serviceable is preposterous. Our biggest offensive need (IMO) was a legit TE. We are going into a season with a green QB and an offensive coordinator where his best offensive weapon was a dominant TE. Logan Thomas was a pleasant surprise 3 years ago and is no where near the same guy. John Bates is an in-line blocker that offers very little pass catching value. Cole Turner was viewed highly for a while before Armani Rogers was getting more PT. Supposedly, Turner's value lies in his red zone abilities. 

IMO they are all TE2/TE3s. We need our Travis Kelce and drafted defense for the 3rd time in 4 years of Ron Rivera's tenure in the 1st round. Adding insult to injury ZERO tight ends were drafted by us in a historically deep TE draft class. 

The TE position is going to hinder the offense all year, you can quote me on it. 

Which again, is a completely different conversation than complaining about Rogers getting injured. 

[Slappy Mc]

22 minutes ago, Scott Land said:

They going to go from 10 sacks if they show up to 5 sacks if they don't? I'll repeat, I wish that everyone would show up, but in reality, it will never happen. So idk why everyone insists on making such a big deal about it every year because it's never going to stop. 

Show any proof that either player can achieve 10 sacks in a season. I'll wait. 

The point isn't that "oh man how could he not show up" as much as it's a players inability to humble himself to the understanding he NEEDS the voluntary camp as much as anyone else. All three absent players should be there. Is it a death knell that they aren't present? No. Does it send a bad message to your boss if you aren't showing commitment and dedication to someone who is unsure if you are worth keeping around? Absolutely. 

[Slappy Mc]

4 minutes ago, MKnight82 said:

Which again, is a completely different conversation than complaining about Rogers getting injured. 

It's one less body my friend. There is very little separation between the tight ends in the room. That is a double whammy of bad. Especially since none of them are or have the potential to be game changers, a body means a lot in the big picture. 

[MKnight82]

28 minutes ago, Slappy Mc said:

It's one less body my friend. There is very little separation between the tight ends in the room. That is a double whammy of bad. Especially since none of them are or have the potential to be game changers, a body means a lot in the big picture. 

Then sign another UDFA TE.  I can’t tell if you guys are joking or not.  Rogers has 5 career catches.  Him getting injured doesn’t impact our season at all. 

[Slappy Mc]

3 minutes ago, MKnight82 said:

Then sign another UDFA TE.  I can’t tell if you guys are joking or not.  Rogers has 5 career catches.  Him getting injured doesn’t impact our season at all. 

My frustration is less with Rogers getting hurt and more with the thinking that the position is even remotely stable. 

"It's a blow," coach Ron Rivera said. "The young man really progressed well for us last year. But we feel confident in the group of tight ends."

They stated that they were happy with their TEs going into the draft as well. This is faulty logic, IMO. Rogers injury itself is unfortunate, but its not the issue. How anyone could look at a room of Logan Thomas, John Bates and Cole Turner and have any confidence is naivety at its finest. 

[MikeT14]

55 minutes ago, Slappy Mc said:

Any idea that our TE room is serviceable is preposterous. Our biggest offensive need (IMO) was a legit TE. We are going into a season with a green QB and an offensive coordinator where his best offensive weapon was a dominant TE. Logan Thomas was a pleasant surprise 3 years ago and is no where near the same guy. John Bates is an in-line blocker that offers very little pass catching value. Cole Turner was viewed highly for a while before Armani Rogers was getting more PT. Supposedly, Turner's value lies in his red zone abilities. 

IMO they are all TE2/TE3s. We need our Travis Kelce and drafted defense for the 3rd time in 4 years of Ron Rivera's tenure in the 1st round. Adding insult to injury ZERO tight ends were drafted by us in a historically deep TE draft class. 

The TE position is going to hinder the offense all year, you can quote me on it. 

I don't think anyone disagrees with anything you said. In fact, I've said what you said almost verbatim. 

But acting like we're going to suffer extensively because Rodgers got hurt seems steep. 

[lavar703]

1 hour ago, Thaiphoon said:

So then I get to make this a big deal because I cared about it and definitely complained, right?

Of course you can lol. Me not thinking it’s not a big deal is a difference of opinion. 

[lavar703]

10 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

I don't think anyone disagrees with anything you said. In fact, I've said what you said almost verbatim. 

But acting like we're going to suffer extensively because Rodgers got hurt seems steep. 

We’re going to suffer extensively because these dummies thought Rodgers was actually a meaningful player on this roster and that’s why they chose not to upgrade TE. So now we’re stuck with a blocking TE in Bates, a washed 32-year old who’s paid higher than Dalton Schultz and Mike Geisicki and is still somehow on this roster being the 11th highest paid TE in the NFL and a 5th round pick with a RAS  not remotely resembling someone who’s going to become much more than camp fodder. 

[lavar703]

14 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

I don't think anyone disagrees with anything you said. In fact, I've said what you said almost verbatim. 

But acting like we're going to suffer extensively because Rodgers got hurt seems steep. 

Head on over to Hogs Haven and read their TE post from today if you think fans aren’t disagreeing. There are genuinely fans of this team who believe we have a solid TE room. It’s insane. 

Edited May 24, 2023 by lavar703

[MikeT14]

1 hour ago, lavar703 said:

Head on over to Hogs Haven and read their TE post from today if you think fans aren’t disagreeing. There are genuinely fans of this team who believe we have a solid TE room. It’s insane. 

That’s like asking me to read Twitter for sane Commanders takes lol

[MikeT14]

1 hour ago, lavar703 said:

Head on over to Hogs Haven and read their TE post from today if you think fans aren’t disagreeing. There are genuinely fans of this team who believe we have a solid TE room. It’s insane. 

And again, I understand their argument for it. I vehemently disagree with it. But it’s similar to Chase Young. Injuries killed the room last year so this year is different. There is a chance. 

[Thaiphoon]

3 hours ago, Scott Land said:

Mathis is in his second year and played in ONE game. How in the **** are you going to compare that to Chase Young? That's the most ridiculous thing I've read in quite some time. Mathis tore his meniscus which usually isn't a season ending injury but was for him, even though he was posting dancing videos on social media by week 10. That's not quite as bad a blown out ACL and Patellar tendon, in which you have to get muscles from your other knee to fix it. It's VOLUNTARY workouts. Ya I think it'd be awesome if everyone showed up, but get real, it's never going to happen that every single player shows up for voluntary OTA's in May. 

Gonna take your paragraphs in order.

1) You don't have to try to educate me on the human body. I know what is involved in the injuries, and the rehab.

2) As for comparing it to Chase, I'm doing it because it shows him up. And it shows that the "he might get reinjured" excuse is just that...an excuse. Mathis was injured less than 12 months ago. Chase was injured 1.5 years ago. The possibility for a reinjury is higher for Mathis now than it is for Chase. And yet, Mathis is there. Chase isn't. Leaders put in the sweat equity. They don't just talk a good game.

3) ah, there's the "It's voluntary workouts" I was expecting. I can play OTA bingo with  "voluntary workouts" and "he might get injured" or "It's a contract year" and "he gotta get his bag"

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We just had a tight end tear his achilles, after these last 2 years you really think Chase Young wants to risk doing something in voluntary workouts in May? He's going to go crazy and leave as fast as possible, and I'm starting to not blame him after how this fan base acts towards him. For a franchise that hasn't won in a very long time some of y'all act like we're so good that if someone isn't out of this world we don't want them on the team. Idiotic. 

Yup. Back to the re-injury excuse I see. Injuries happen. Let's just wrap him in bubble wrap until Week 1 then, just in case. 

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Almost every good player in the NFL that is in a contract year sits out of voluntary workouts. It happens every single year. Who cares. Honestly. 

Yes. Most of them have a body of work to rely on. Chase has one full season that was 3 years ago. He doesn't have much of a leg to stand on to miss OTAs because "it's a contract year". I'd be willing to give him more slack if he had actually done something since 2020. Alas, he hasn't. Additionally, most are not on their rookie deal when they are sitting out these workouts. They are hoping to force a new deal prior to showing up. With Chase, he's not getting a new deal this year. The organization didn't pick up the 5th year. So sitting "because it's a contract year" only hurts him.

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You think Chase Young and Montez Sweat not showing up to voluntary OTA's is going to change the outcome of the season for them? They going to go from 10 sacks if they show up to 5 sacks if they don't?

Happened in 2021 for Chase. Played like garbage for 9 games before getting injured. In the offseason before that? He was MIA for the voluntary workouts. So yeah, past is prologue for him.

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I'll repeat, I wish that everyone would show up, but in reality, it will never happen. So idk why everyone insists on making such a big deal about it every year because it's never going to stop. 

We missed the playoffs. This isn't a playoff team. We were 8-9. Everyone who is not currently rehabbing should be on that field because of that. And the ones rehabbing should be doing what they are supposed to do by the team doctors/trainers. If this were Patrick Mahomes missing an OTA, I'd still prefer him to be there. But he's "got enough chips at the table" (my poker reference) that shields him from any criticism for missing those team activities. But this is a guy who has 9 sacks in 3 seasons and most were from his rookie season 3 years ago. He hasn't done squat since then. Want to change the mind(s) of me and others? Show up when you're not required to. Do more than the bare minimum. 

Better yet, you're right. Team workouts aren't effective ways to get ready for a season. Let's just change it to every player can do what they want and then just report 5 days before Week 1. Sound ridiculous? You bet it does. And why does it sound ridiculous? Because you know deep down that players need to be present with the coaches AND their teammates during these activities. The more you miss, the more you miss. I mean for Chase, he's a grown man and no one can force him to be there. I just don't want to hear a word from him or his fanbois about how the organization did him wrong or that he's not considered a leader on the team. Leaders show up. 

[Thaiphoon]

1 hour ago, lavar703 said:

We’re going to suffer extensively because these dummies thought Rodgers was actually a meaningful player on this roster and that’s why they chose not to upgrade TE. So now we’re stuck with a blocking TE in Bates, a washed 32-year old who’s paid higher than Dalton Schultz and Mike Geisicki and is still somehow on this roster being the 11th highest paid TE in the NFL and a 5th round pick with a RAS  not remotely resembling someone who’s going to become much more than camp fodder. 

I don't disagree with you there.