1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:05,439 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Commanders Today Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. 2 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: We are less than two weeks away from this year's 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: NFL Draft out in Las Vegas, Nevada. Head coach Ron 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: Rivera and company are hard at work preparing for the 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: team six picks, the first of which coming eleventh overall. 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,959 Speaker 1: Washington has spent their previous two first round picks on 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: the defensive side of the ball. Will that be the 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: case again? This draft our logan Paulson sat down with 9 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: the head coach to learn more about the strategy behind 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 1: the draft process. Coach, last time, I got to talk 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: to us at the combine, and I think a lot 12 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: of fans think that's like the start of draft season, 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: which it is, but you guys work on it year round. 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: How is the post combine process for your Pro Day's 15 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: top thirty visits? What do those things give you that 16 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: maybe you don't get at the combine? Well, I think 17 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: probably the biggest thing that happens when you go to 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: the combine, you know, you do the speed dating thing 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: twenty minut to talk to a guy and can you 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 1: move on to the next player. Now, once you get 21 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 1: into this phase of it, there's an opportunity to really 22 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: get to know these guys, not just on tape, not 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: just on Washington and workout, or not just in that 24 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: twenty minute speed dating. Now as an opportunity that you 25 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: guys that you're really interested, guys that you're intrigued by, 26 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: our guys that you want to know more about. You 27 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: can go spend time with them and go watch them 28 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: work out. You can send coaches, you can send scouts 29 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: to dig a little bit more. And then we have 30 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: the thirty visits bring a number of the guys in 31 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: that you even want to get to know even more about, 32 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: or guys that you want to have a medical check 33 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: on with your own doctors. So this is an opportunity 34 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: for us to dive in as to who these guys 35 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: are as not just football players, not just as athletes, 36 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: but as young men as well. Yeah, as a player, 37 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: I'm not that familiar with the thirty visits. I didn't 38 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: go on one. What are you doing with them on 39 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: these days? Obviously? The combine you said, it's that speed dating, 40 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: you get film, you get all these different kind of 41 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: structured elements. What's different? I mean they're here all day. 42 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: What do you do right? Well, what they do is 43 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: they'll come in the meet with different people as far 44 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: as we're concerned. They'll meet with position coaches, they'll meet 45 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: with um, the coordinators, they'll meet with me. Then they'll 46 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: also meet with our Strength and Condition and they'll meet 47 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: with our director Player Development, and they'll they'll meet with 48 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: our our our sports psychologists. Okay, just an opportunity for 49 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: them to just meet, mingle and mix with the different 50 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: groups of people as well. UM, They'll they'll they'll they'll 51 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: meet with some of our interns just because they're picking 52 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: them up or just because they're helping them with all 53 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,239 Speaker 1: their travel needs and everything like that. So everybody that's 54 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: that's here in this building will or could have a 55 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 1: chance to help us get to know who these young 56 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: men are. And do you find that players are different 57 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: at the thirty visits than they are at the combine? 58 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: Are they more relaxed or like? Well, that's what you 59 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: try to do, is you try to create a positive 60 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: atmosphere for them to come in and really kind of 61 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: let their hair down, be very candid about about things 62 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: and and helps us to really understand even more so 63 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: than who they are. Right, And I've been on some 64 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: different teams over the course of my career, and some 65 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: people use these thirty for these top thirty visits as 66 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: a way to kind of mislead other teams. Is there 67 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: a little bit of games someship going on here or 68 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: is it? These are all just purely evaluations. Now these 69 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: are purely valuable. So again, um, you know, it is 70 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: hard because I do get some people say, oh, you 71 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: want to throw them off, but you know what, we 72 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: really want to get to know them because again, you're 73 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: about to make a serious investment, right and you have 74 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: to know the ins and outs of who these these 75 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: these young men are. And so that's something that I 76 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: think because you know, obviously teams do use these to 77 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: kind of throw people off the scent. How do you 78 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: establish pure draft value because obviously, like you have your evaluations, 79 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: but you have to know what other teams are valuing. 80 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: How do you work that out in this process where 81 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: everyone's trying to mislead everybody. It's no, it's a hack 82 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: of a question though, just because of the fact that 83 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: people do see things differently. Yeah, right, you know, it 84 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: goes back to that that old saying about you know, 85 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: if you're gonna buy it, you're gonna buy a baseball card, 86 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: you know, and it says, well, I want ten dollars 87 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: a work ten dollars you know, right, Yes, if you're 88 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: only willing to spend five, then that's what it is. Well, 89 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: somebody may say, well he's not a first round right, 90 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,839 Speaker 1: you may say he is. Well, who's right? Who's wrong? 91 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: The only time tells. I mean that's the truth, because 92 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: you don't know if you spend a draft pick on 93 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: a guy, if this guy's gonna be that guy. Yeah, okay, 94 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: so everything's everything's a gamble, everything's a crapshoot. I mean 95 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: because if if this, if if this was a perfect science, okay, 96 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: then everybody would pick properly. I played with with Richard Denny, 97 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: who was a twelfth round pick back in the day. Wow, 98 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: you know that's the thing you tell people is so 99 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: so everybody says, oh, you guys were smart for draft 100 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: to him. Yeah, we have been smart way to take 101 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,239 Speaker 1: him in the right. So this is an inexact science. 102 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: And sometimes it's about fit because some guys may go 103 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: to a team and four years later he's gone, and 104 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: then he goes somewhere else and he prospers, and he 105 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: goes Oh, well, why is it? Well, because it's not 106 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: fit's a big thing. It is a real legitimate thing, 107 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: which you know, I mean, if you don't fit an offense, 108 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: you know, you're not gonna play a lot, You're not 109 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: gonna get opportunities Austin, you fit an offense. And guess 110 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: what they're doing. They're throwing the ball to the tight 111 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: instead of making them a blocker. Yeah right, that's not 112 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: that's not me, coach, that's not me. So are there 113 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: any things that you do to kind of mitigate that 114 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: the risk? You know what I mean? Is it the interview? 115 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: Is it the like? What is it? I think, Well, 116 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: we do a combination things. Obviously, our scouts, you know, 117 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: they they go and they collect names for the future 118 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: as well, not just about the guys that are there, 119 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: but they're collecting names. They're trying to figure out who's 120 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: guys that they've got to watch, and they'll watch guys 121 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: for the next few years as well. So it's not 122 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: just about coming in and you know, it's it's it's 123 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: these twenty guys are possible draftable guys. It's also thinking 124 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: a little bit ahead off. So they start this process 125 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: and they'll have notes that they'll go back and they'll 126 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: refer to as they start watching guys. So we get 127 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: very in depth reports from this group. Um, we have 128 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: a group of our of our of our top guys 129 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: that are always out there, you know, starting with Marty 130 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: Hernie and starting with Eric Stokes, you know, and and 131 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: Gribbs and and and then our national scouts. I mean, 132 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: these guys are the ones that really dig and dive 133 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: even deeper than everybody else because you know, they're focusing 134 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: on the now, right, they're the ones that focus on 135 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: this year's draft more so than than than the area 136 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: scouts I see. Yeah, And so like for me, for example, 137 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: like if I watch a receiver, you know, and I 138 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: see a receiver that doesn't block, he slides down my 139 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: board because I question his ability, his passion, his love 140 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: of the game. Do you have anything that you look 141 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: at when you're watching film, Well, when I watch tape, 142 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: and receiver is a good place to start, because you know, 143 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: it's not just about catching them all. It's not just 144 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: about running routes. But it's, like you said, it's also 145 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: about how are you fitting into the offense. Because if 146 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: you're a guy that doesn't run his routes really hard 147 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: all the time. Yeah, okay, yeah, that's a little bit 148 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: of an indicator. Because if I'm off of safety, I'm 149 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: going back and all sudden I see that the X 150 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: receiver's kind of jogging off. It tells me, you know, 151 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: he's not involved, So I'm gonna look over here, I'm 152 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: gonna look away from him. Well that's not a plus, 153 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: that's a minus my book. Why because he's not playing 154 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: every play as if he's getting the ball. Because if 155 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: he released hard outside and went vertical, Nowlson, that's safety 156 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: gets pulled out of the middle of the safety gets 157 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: pulled out of the half. Guess what it's just done. 158 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: It's opened up a whole portion of the field. So 159 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: when I watch tape, I watch tape with a specific 160 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: thing in mind. There's certain positions that I'll watch during 161 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: two minute drills on Make sure to follow us on 162 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: all of our social media platforms and watch Washington Football 163 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: Today weeknights, five thirty ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. 164 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.