It’s list season, baby!
That’s what Cakes said during Tuesday’s Sports Junkies, as the guys prepared, nine days out from the NFL’s vote on a Commanders ownership change, to break down the article from Riggo’s Rag that listed three immediate issues Josh Harris should tackle right away when he takes control.
EB had his own list before hearing the article, and Cakes guessed EB’s would not be on the list…and indeed, No. 1 was signing Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin, which all four Junkies agreed was going to happen.
“Maybe that’s just something they’re waiting to do until after the sale is finished, and everything is buttoned up?” Cakes asked.
Issue No. 2 was adding an offensive line coach, which they haven’t done since firing John Matsko in mid-March.
“It appears that Travelle Wharton, who has been an assistant the last four years and is liked within the franchise, could get the nod, but that hasn’t been made official yet,” Cakes said.
“They also have Juan Castillo, the tight ends coach, who has done a lot of offensive line work, so I don’t think that’s a big deal,” JP said.
The third thing on the list, however, is the one that may be most pressing: the team needs to figure out what to do with Chase Young and Montez Sweat…but how soon can they realistically do that?
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“That will be a big decision for the brain trust that will be running the front office,” Cakes said.
Indeed, EB’s list was completely different, because as he noted, all three of the things on Riggo’s list are more for whomever is in charge of football operations, and not necessarily the owner.
His list?
“No. 1: make (Harris) available, sit-down interviews for all the beat guys and TV/radio stations, because Dan Snyder has been a mystery to us for 25 years,” EB said. “He seems like he’s a private guy, but we need a little PR tour to show that he’s different from Dan. I just need to see that he’s normal. You don’t have to be like Jerry Jones and do daily radio hits, but maybe once a year?”
“I agree, he has to make the rounds as the new face of ownership,” Cakes agreed. “And if he doesn’t like doing all the talking, they can do it in a tandem with Magic Johnson or someone.”
No. 2 on EB’s list is a Cakes favorite: lower the costs of parking and concessions, to show you’re trying to work with the fans in good faith.
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“It’s a nice show of goodwill,” Cakes said. “He’s seen the rot of the franchise and the empty stands on Sundays, so maybe he’s seen that and knows what can be done.”
And finally? The weakest of the three, even EB admits…
“Ensure the field conditions are elite,” he said. “Make sure that week in and week out, you’re off the terrible field conditions list and kickers aren’t complaining. However you do that, do it.”
Cakes then added a No. 4 as a bonus, as a “big splash move”: sign Dalvin Cook?
Once again, the football operations department is more on that, but hey, Cakes can dream, right? Maybe, but just when it got back to on-field product, in came Valdez off the top rope with a very interesting final thought:
"He should issue an apology to fans, basically for Dan Snyder," Valdez said. "I think that's a great way to get your foot in the door with disgruntled fans, and it's a classy move that's a clean break. It's like a Jonah Hill text message to the fans! If he started his presser and said, 'Thanksgiving is over'? Oh man!"
Listen to the entire segment above!
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