WEBVTT - Season Review | Episode 70

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. The

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<v Speaker 1>off season is officially here for the Commanders, who finished

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<v Speaker 1>eight eight and one. Logan Paulson and Fred Smith joined

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<v Speaker 1>me to look back at the twenty twenty two season. Okay, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean most certainly there's players to build around. There

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<v Speaker 1>were positives to take from the season, but overall, you

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<v Speaker 1>didn't advance. The season did not go the way that

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<v Speaker 1>they had anticipated or planned. And now that we're kind

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<v Speaker 1>of like a couple of days removed from this, we

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<v Speaker 1>should be preparing for a postseason game, but instead we're

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<v Speaker 1>kind of digesting what happened this year? Fred, what did

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<v Speaker 1>we learn about this team? We learned that we didn't

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<v Speaker 1>finish what we started. Coaches said it we control down

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<v Speaker 1>destiny and we still slipped through our fingers. We figured

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<v Speaker 1>out a way to lose these games. It's no one

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<v Speaker 1>position group you could point to in these lands four

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<v Speaker 1>games and say we got better play from this group,

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<v Speaker 1>we would be okay. It was a live bit of everybody.

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<v Speaker 1>Special teams wasn't special offensiting school any points. Defense started

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<v Speaker 1>to lag. They didn't make the impact play that they

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<v Speaker 1>made earlier in the year. So I think it is

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<v Speaker 1>a group we let the fan base down. But guess what,

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<v Speaker 1>Like you see, it's so many bright points. You look here,

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<v Speaker 1>and you look here, you say, oh, we with these clothes,

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<v Speaker 1>we with these clothes, but yet we did far away.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think there's the scary report about it. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I think obviously. I think Fred brings up a fantastic

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<v Speaker 1>point because you're a smart guy, friend. Thank you. The

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<v Speaker 1>idea that like this, this team fell short of expectations

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<v Speaker 1>and we had so many high expectations at the beginning

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<v Speaker 1>of the year, and you look at the quarterback position

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<v Speaker 1>and we're still looking for a quarterback. All those issues

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<v Speaker 1>are still apparent. But I do think that there are

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<v Speaker 1>some really bright spots on the roster to be excited about.

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<v Speaker 1>I think you look at the young pieces that are

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<v Speaker 1>growing and developing. Jamon davis Man, he could be a

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<v Speaker 1>really special football player. You get the young safeties, Cam

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<v Speaker 1>curl Forrest, all these guys, Brian Robinson, Johan Dotson. These

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<v Speaker 1>pieces are things you can build around. Now you kind

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<v Speaker 1>of say, what do we need to get really really

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<v Speaker 1>improved on offensive line, banking, the secondary piece. Find some

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<v Speaker 1>of those pieces and maybe it's there for you if

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<v Speaker 1>you get the right coordinator here. Yeah, you really had

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<v Speaker 1>to find the quarterback to Coronover has been saying that

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<v Speaker 1>what he went through eight different starting quarterbacks in his

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<v Speaker 1>three seasons here, So still unable to find that to build.

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<v Speaker 1>They tried to bring in a veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick injury,

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<v Speaker 1>Carson Wentz injury. That route didn't necessarily work, although we

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<v Speaker 1>understand what the philosophy was going in with that with

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<v Speaker 1>a very young team. Now you saw what you got

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<v Speaker 1>to get out of potentially Sam holl and what he

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<v Speaker 1>could grow into. So what do we do going forward?

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<v Speaker 1>Logan just said it. He just said he I say

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<v Speaker 1>office lad, like at the end of the day, we

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<v Speaker 1>just introduced Tuddy is one Bacon. Last time we was

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<v Speaker 1>great on his officive lad. We had the hogs, we

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<v Speaker 1>had guys to smell like Bacon. We see what happens

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<v Speaker 1>on the defensive, lad, when you dominate the lad of scrimmage.

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<v Speaker 1>If we can get that way on office, I believe

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<v Speaker 1>you could take an average quarterback and he can play

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<v Speaker 1>great behind a great officeive lad. Yeah, I mean I

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<v Speaker 1>think that's kind of I think that's what we're getting

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<v Speaker 1>to here, right is maybe you can build around Sam

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<v Speaker 1>how I think he showed you some things to get

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<v Speaker 1>You're really excited about his ability, his skill set, his moxie,

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<v Speaker 1>all those different things. Maybe bringing a veteran to kind

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<v Speaker 1>of mentor maybe compete with him if it doesn't if

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<v Speaker 1>the progression doesn't happen the way you wanted to. But

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<v Speaker 1>I think when talking to people around the bed, talking

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<v Speaker 1>with people that I have a lot of respect for Sam,

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<v Speaker 1>Sam Hall showed them a lot. I think they're excited

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<v Speaker 1>about what he brings. I mean to the point we're

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<v Speaker 1>talking about earlier as well as if you want to

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<v Speaker 1>take advantage of Terry McLaurin, John Dots and Curtis Samuel.

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<v Speaker 1>The line has to be able to hold up, to

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<v Speaker 1>give the quarterback time to let the play develop, to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to go downfield. And that's something that they

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<v Speaker 1>were a bit of a disadvantage of this year. So

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<v Speaker 1>they did want that kind of run first mentality. They

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<v Speaker 1>did find success with that. If we go defensively, though,

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<v Speaker 1>there's a lot of bright spots. We don't know if

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<v Speaker 1>they can really keep everybody together. I think that's a

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<v Speaker 1>big question this offseason two, Fred, what gives you hope

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<v Speaker 1>for next year with that unit. The defensive line makes

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<v Speaker 1>me smile. The defensive I sleep easy at night knowing

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<v Speaker 1>them guys out there can The fool is still a

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<v Speaker 1>young guy. Twenty seven, twenty eight, Saint Ju showed us

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<v Speaker 1>a lot. Defolk came up full circle to show us

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<v Speaker 1>the player he is. Cam Curroll is still they consistent

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<v Speaker 1>guy back there. But Julie, we need linebackers. We need

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<v Speaker 1>guys that run sideline, the sideline, the swamp paint this way.

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<v Speaker 1>If any place on their defense you could say need

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<v Speaker 1>to be addressed, is linebacker. Yeah? For me, I think

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<v Speaker 1>Cam Curl the most suciting piece. And the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>Percy Butler has developed and as a guy that can

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<v Speaker 1>kind of supplement what Campro does, I'm really excited about that.

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<v Speaker 1>A big question for the Commanders' off season is the

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<v Speaker 1>quarterback position. Rookie quarterback Sam Howell had an impressive outing

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<v Speaker 1>in his regular season debut, recording over one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>sixty passing yards and two touchdowns against a tough Dallas defense.

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<v Speaker 1>I sawt Dalla Howell to get his thoughts on his

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<v Speaker 1>rookie year and how he will attack the off season. Okay, Sam,

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<v Speaker 1>you got that first start. Was it everything you imagined? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 1>It was awesome, Just truly a dream come true. And

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just super grateful for the opportunity to get out

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<v Speaker 1>there and play football again. So it was awesome everything

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<v Speaker 1>I thought it would be. A lot of guys will

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<v Speaker 1>tell me they kind of visualize the games. Could you

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<v Speaker 1>have visualized it going the way that it did and

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<v Speaker 1>getting that win over I mean, of all things and

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<v Speaker 1>all teams, the Dallas Cowboys, and know that they were

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<v Speaker 1>playing for a lot. They were, and we knew that'd

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<v Speaker 1>be playing for a lot, and you know that kind

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<v Speaker 1>of gave us a chip on our shoulder. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>even though we weren't we're playing for anything, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we still have a lot of pride and every time

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<v Speaker 1>we step on that field, you know, we were playing

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<v Speaker 1>for the name on the front of our jersey, the

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<v Speaker 1>name on the back, um. And so we weren't gonna

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<v Speaker 1>let them come in here and let it be easy

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<v Speaker 1>for him, um and so and so that's what we did.

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<v Speaker 1>Did anything surprise you about the game? Um? I mean honestly,

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<v Speaker 1>not really. I Mean I knew, I know how good

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<v Speaker 1>this team is, and I know, you know, when we're

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<v Speaker 1>playing good football. We can beat anybody in this league.

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<v Speaker 1>UM and and Dallas is a really good football team

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<v Speaker 1>and they'll they'll probably make a good run of the playoffs. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know, we played our best last night and

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<v Speaker 1>it showed. Everybody was curious to kind of see how

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<v Speaker 1>you would have chemistry with the guys and what kind

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<v Speaker 1>of rhythm you would take. UM, how do you feel

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<v Speaker 1>that went for you? Yeah? I think it went pretty

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<v Speaker 1>pretty good. UM. You know, there's obviously a couple of

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<v Speaker 1>players i'd i'd like to have back. UM, but you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we we connected when we needed to and put points

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<v Speaker 1>on the board when we needed to. UM. And it

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<v Speaker 1>was just really credit to our defense. UM. They I

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<v Speaker 1>mean they played great all night long and gave us

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<v Speaker 1>a good field position, which made my job easy. Um

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<v Speaker 1>and and special teams made um two big players as well, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>which we made it really easy for US boys. They

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<v Speaker 1>weren't letting up and they're considered a top defense in

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<v Speaker 1>the NFL. How much was it going up against and

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<v Speaker 1>kind of just being around the defense that Washington has

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<v Speaker 1>pretty darned stoup themselves that kind of maybe helped prepare

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<v Speaker 1>you for that. What did you learn from from our defense. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean I was doing a lot of scout team

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<v Speaker 1>stuff throughout the year, and so going against our starting defense,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, I really just learned a lot, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>just how good they are and how how fast on

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<v Speaker 1>those guys are, and how how good of a job

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<v Speaker 1>they do of closing windows and so being able to

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<v Speaker 1>do scout team stuff. I took it very seriously and

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<v Speaker 1>I learned a lot from our defense, and I was

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<v Speaker 1>glad to get out there against a really good defense

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<v Speaker 1>in Dallas. You know, there are some talks that they

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<v Speaker 1>might be rushing some guys or whatever the situation might be.

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<v Speaker 1>But I wanted I wanted their best um and I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted their best out there. So I was other side

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<v Speaker 1>of that that we got it. There's a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>question marks at this position. We hear um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>going into the off season, where is your mind and

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<v Speaker 1>what you know you're capable of doing and what you

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<v Speaker 1>want to be able to do going forward here with Washington. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean I don't want to get ahead of myself.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's just one game and I just want

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<v Speaker 1>to go to work this offseason and you know, just

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<v Speaker 1>come back ready to go. You know, I don't. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know what the situation will be. I'm sure they

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<v Speaker 1>have a lot of decisions that they need to make,

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<v Speaker 1>but whatever it is, I'll be ready to go um

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<v Speaker 1>and this team will get my best, all right. Congrat Sam,

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<v Speaker 1>see you around. Thank you for all your news and analysis.

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<v Speaker 1>Be sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five

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<v Speaker 1>and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>stream on YouTube and commanders dot com.