Tuesday brought more of Grant & Danny getting some inside info from the sources who know best about the Commanders’ new acquisitions – and that started with Chris McClain from WFNZ in Charlotte, that city’s sports radio outlet.
And much like GP loves Luvu’s physicality and emotion, so, too, does McClain.
“Sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you're getting! The Brian Burns thing upset Panthers fans for a lot of reasons, but losing Luvu hurts in a different way,” McClain said. “You're losing a heart and soul type player; a guy that not only can do just about anything you need on the defense, but is also emotional on the field. His teammates respond to him, and he leaves it all out there on the field, so it's disappointing. He will be one of the fan favorites very quickly; he's one of those players that just we watch him play and it's like, man, that guy cares.”
The Panthers apparently made a similar offer but Luvu chose DC for more opportunities to rush the passer in a Micah Parsons-type role, as opposed to the true base MIKE he was in Carolina after Shaq Thompson’s injury, but that versatility is what will make him a bigger weapon.
“There were times where Carolina needed someone to line up on the edge opposite Burns and he could, but I think the best spot for him is playing off-ball linebacker and just going after things in front of him in the run game,” McClain said. “And when it's blitz time, I think he had a 19% pass rush win rate on PFF, y so he’s great there too. Coverage is maybe the weakest part of his game, but I wouldn't say it's bad – he's just, he's a football player, man, one of those guys whose position is football player and can do anything for you. The attitude and fire, and his versatility, are big things watching him.”
And, as much as Luvu was Washington’s highest-money signing of Day 1, it’s still a ‘bargain’ given how he’s still only just emerging.
“When he came to Carolina, they got him so cheap; the Jets only used him as a special teamer, so we got him and had no idea what we were signing,” McClain said. “They got a real bargain, and then he also signed an extension that was still a bargain, but this time they weren't getting that bargain. The Panthers also have been so dysfunctional in terms of different coaching stats that it took a while to kind of figure out what they had there, but he really emerge when they asked him to do even more edge work. It sounds like he wants to do more of that, and he was convinced Washington might do more with him; maybe if Ejiro Evero did that, he’d still be here.”
Take a listen to McClain’s entire call-in above!