There’s a reason most football teams huddle before snapping the ball, send potential receivers in motion and fake handoffs on play-action passes.
It’s called deception, and theoretically, the less your opponent knows, the better your chance for success.
That said, unless they’re genuinely uncertain about which quarterback to choose with the second overall selection in Thursday’s NFL draft, there’s really very little reason for the Washington Commanders to be as publicly secretive as they are.
While the Chicago Bears haven’t officially said they’re taking former Southern Cal star Caleb Williams No. 1 overall, it’s apparent that they will, and they haven’t denied such speculation. That essentially leaves the Commanders to choose between reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, Drake Maye of North Carolina and J.J. McCarthy of national champion Michigan.
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Most reports, attributed to anonymous sources, indicate Washington is leaning toward Daniels because of his size (6-4, 210 pounds), mobility and arm strength.
On paper, at least, if makes sense: his numbers last season (3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, four interceptions in 12 games) are reminiscent of those posted by Joe Burrow is his 2019 Heisman-winning campaign at LSU (5,671 yards, 60 TDs, six picks in 15 games).
Maye and McCarthy also have their strengths, so it’s really a matter of finding the best fit for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s system. Daniels seems to be a bigger version of Kyler Murray, whom Kingsbury coached to some success when healthy with the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s possible that the Commanders are still kicking every tire and checking every reference in the final days before the draft. As we’ve previously noted, nearly half of quarterbacks drafted in the top 10 since 2000 have qualified as busts because of poor performance, injuries or lack of protection.
But much like politics, after having three months to evaluate the candidates, if new coach Dan Quinn and GM Adam Peters are still wavering, it’s a bad sign.
Daniels’ agent, Ron Butler, trolled the Commanders on social media last week for hosting the top QB prospects as part of a 30-player group that visited Top Golf rather than conducting individual interviews.
Peters, who learned under GM John Lynch at San Francisco, doesn’t need to please Butler or any other agent. His job is to find the franchise quarterback that has eluded this franchise since Joe Theismann’s leg snapped in 1985. Whiffing on the chance can set a franchise back for several years, as has happened in D.C. multiple times in that period.
If it requires every second between now and Thursday night to identify than player, so be it. But it hints of indecision from a man who’s entering his first draft as his team’s top decision-maker — at a particularly critical time for a franchise that’s trying to shake off three decades of sustained futility.
If there weren’t so many promising quarterbacks in this draft — many observers have predicted six will go in the first round — it would make more sense to keep all cards close to the vest and entertain trade offers.
The Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders are itching to move up and draft a QB, but they may be able to get their guy by dealing with Arizona for the fourth pick rather than moving up to No. 2, which would require a significantly higher price. (Just ask Washington, which did that to draft the dynamic but injury-prone Robert Griffin III a dozen years ago.)
Only in the unlikely scenario in which Peters and Kingsbury actually prefer someone like Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. (and his two repaired ACLs) would it make sense for the Commanders to trade back from No. 2. They already have a slew of high draft picks (nine in the top 100) to address their many other glaring needs (offensive line, edge rushers, tight end, linebackers and secondary).
The leadup to every NFL draft contains enough disinformation to fill a Russian news conference. No one wants to tip their hand too soon.
But the Commanders might be best served settling on their guy at No. 2, letting him know now and strategizing for their other crucial picks. No matter whom they choose, he’ll need help and guidance to resurrect a franchise that has been mired in incompetence for far too long.