Grant and Danny were joined by Commanders general manager Adam Peters on Thursday afternoon, and asked the new GM about the ins and outs of the position, including threading the needle of building a sustained winner and competing in the here and now.
Peters, when asked about that balance, made it clear that every move is made with the idea in mind that the goal is to win in the present, even as Washington enters its first season under a revamped front office and coaching staff.
“I think you can do them both at the same time...it is a balance,” Peters said. “Make no mistake about it...it’s not a rebuild. It’s a recalibration. We’re trying to win right now. We do have goals to be really good this season. But it is my job as the general manager, in conjunction with [Dan Quinn] - and we make every decision together - is to be good now and to build a sustainable team for the future that you guys will see competing for championships every year.
“I think every decision is its own decision. The decision we may make on one player is different than the next player, or a draft pick...it’s just a reminder, what are we doing? We’re trying to do what’s best for the Commanders for the short term and the foreseeable future too. Every decision you make, you ask yourself that.”
So, with the goal to win in mind, what does that mean for the team’s expectations in 2024, with a rookie quarterback and new regime at the helm?
“You do get into trouble looking too far down the road,” Peters said. “You’re probably gonna get a radio show for of clichés here, but every day we’re trying to get better. That’s how we look at it...each day each week, you’re getting better and stacking up days. If you do that and get better each day, you’re gonna like what it looks like at the end of the year.”