“Not that you can guarantee you're gonna be knocking on the door every year, but let me tell you this: your future is bright. I’m excited for you guys.”
That was Merril Hoge’s opening statement to the Junkies on Thursday, as he joined the guys to discuss some thoughts on the big game but also weighed in on a special Commanders season that ended one game short.
What does Hoge see as the biggest needs to be able to get back to this spot?
“If you can get a difference maker on defense, that's always helpful; when you have somebody that you just got a game plan for, that's always a big deal,” Hoge said. “Offensively, I think you can do some stuff where you become a little more explosive. That can help, never hurts when you can attack in all phases, and building inside the trenches is always important, whether it’s improving or getting depth. I think there’s always value there. You have the biggest issue solves with the right quarterback, but teams win championships, and everybody has to contribute and play a role.”
Hoge has said in a visit to the Junkies last year that he thought Daniels was the most complete and NFL-ready QB in the Draft, so that tracks – but to his trenches point, the two defensive tackles take up a large part of the salary cap but the Commanders were one of the worst teams against the run, so how do you solve that puzzle?
“It’s important to know the numbers to make decisions like that, because you just can’t make moves based on how much money you have invested in someone,” Hoge said. “That’s why I look at depth in those areas.
Contract-wise, it’s not easy to move on from some people, but keep this in mind: everybody was brand-new in this process, and you did it in one year. That’s a rarity, and you’d think everybody’s going to get a little better next year because you know each other so much better. You have to ask if this is the bet you’ll get, or if there is room for growth, and you have to have that perspective before you start making a rational decision. If you don’t see it, then yes, you have to make some decisions and choices, but salary does matter. Sometimes you have to live with a guy, and that’s why you get some depth; the more depth you have, the better off your team can be.”
Take a listen to Hoge’s entire visit, which, along with some big game talk, includes him explaining how his Pittsburgh teams back in the day followed a similar path back to glory and more!