Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media before practice on Aug. 28. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
Opening Statement:
DQ: "Well, [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and I, we talked a lot about the weight of this week and nothing compared to the way the player feels, but we bring this up because it was also really cool to hear how many players want to be here. And so that's like one of the cool things that you realize when you're going through this process, and so you balance the hard week and then also how thrilling it is [to] see this puzzle start to come together. And that absolutely brings a new level of excitement for Adam and I, and we both feel that so it's a hard day yesterday and a cool day today to see all the work and the puzzles starting to come together seamlessly with a lot of players and a lot of work that goes into that. So, really tip my hat to Adam and his staff. They have absolutely dug in and it's been really cool to see."
AP: "Yeah. I'll just add onto that. You said it, it's the hardest day of the year and first time doing it in this chair and it's even harder, and but the good thing is these guys are all competitors and they all took it hard, but a lot of them wanted to be back here and we couldn't be more thrilled to have them, and we're ready to go. We got our team and I think obviously there's gonna be not the final 53. I know you guys hit on that. You know, it's the initial 53 and there's still gonna be moves that we make, but we're thrilled with the guys we have here and can't wait to go to battle with them. So, with that, go ahead and throw some questions at us."
On anticipating more movers with the waiver wire:
AP: "Yeah, I think what I think that's reflective of, John is more, one: I want want to thank our pro staff, our pro scouting staff. They scoured pre-season tape for hours and hours and hours, and really got together and gave us a lot of really good candidates to bring in and to bring up and made tapes, had our coaches watch them and all that. But in the end, I think it really speaks to the guys we have in this building and looking through the waiver wire and being really happy with the guys that we have. And we thought you compare them to the guys that you have and the guys that are out there, and we thought the guys that we have in the building we're really happy with. So at this point, we didn't make any waiver claims and we have the number two waiver claim. We still have the number two waiver claim. So, and we'll have that for the first three weeks at least, and hopefully no longer than that. And we'll keep doing that until we, we're always gonna do what's best for the team and how to make our team better. So, we didn't see that in this round, but it could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be weeks from now."
On trading DT John Ridgeway III to the New Orleans Saints:
AP: "Yeah. I think with a guy like John, hedid a really good job and you guys saw how good he did on Sunday night to, and so with that there's a lot of interest in him. And, you look at your team and you look at who you have in the building and compare it to what teams are offering. And, and we thought it's a really good opportunity for him to go somewhere and play a little bit more than he probably would've played here and a scheme that probably fits him a little bit more. And so, we were in constant contact with his agent, and John, to his credit, probably there was some things swirling around the last few days. He went out there and put some of his best tape out there and really, really paddled for us out here, all off season, all summer, all training camp. So, we wish the best for him and I know he is gonna go and have a really good year in New Orleans."
*On what lessons they've learned throughout their career to apply to building a roster at a new team this season: *DQ: "I think there's a lot, John, and I think the first part is the team. There's one thing about collecting talent, there's another thing about developing the team. I think one of the things I admire about Adam is he has a fully strong grasp of that, of the team concept and finding the best pieces that fit together. And that's our job to help feature certain players, what they can do, what roles we put them in, and so that to me is kind of the secret sauce of it, and one that didn't take long to visit with Adam about, that he had the same strong feelings about something like that as well."
AP: "Yeah, I think you said it. That was the first personnel manual I ever had, John, was [the New England] Patriots, and it says we're not collecting talent, we're building a team. And that's what we're trying to do here too, and that that rings true 20-something years later. And I think we're gonna keep getting better at it. The more we're around each other, the more that our scouting staff knows what they're looking on the field looking for on the field, offensive and defensively, we're gonna get better and better and better, and we're already on our way to that, probably faster than I thought we would be, and really excited for what's to come in the future."
*On how Adam explains their discipline and philosophy throughout the roster-building process: *AP: "Yeah, I think it really just goes back to one core philosophy is you always want to do what's best for the team, and that's for the short and long term. And so every decision we make is going to be with that in mind and we're gonna talk about it, and there's gonna be a lot of different things that come across in our desks. And we sit down and we talk about it. Do we think this is the right move for us right now and for the future? And so each time, each individual decision is gonna be the same thought process. Is this the best for our team? And that's gonna drive our decision making."
*On how much they prioritized building a strong mindset and team identity over talent: *DQ: "I think you're on the right track, Ben, that you better have an identity and know what you're gonna be about and how you get down. Because if you don't, you'll just kind of hodgepodge it around. And so, I think you see us play, you've got a glimpse so far of some of speed, of physicality of going to finish, and so those are some of the traits that we admire about a lot of the players on this 70-man roster. And the more we do it, the stronger it's gonna get. But that is a really important piece of it."
*On if Dan Quinn has had a chance to talk with the initial-53: *DQ: "Yeah, we had a team meeting today for the first time. And, it's that connection together. I would say they've connected really strongly, which doesn't always happen right away, but to see a lot of these guys as teammates, what they want to be about the standard they've set for one another. I think that's one of the really coolest parts. When you look back and you watch, and I felt that Sunday night. Adam and I were both after the game, just seeing the energy for the players, after a score, after a big play, the sideline kind of going crazy for some people. That's the type of environment that Adam and I both really want to be a part of, where we know we can work our ass off, but really enjoy it too. And so what I do see from this crew is a crew that does that. And so they're working really hard together to find their edges, but they're also enjoying it together. And so that's why, what better compliment than to when you release somebody and they text you back later, 'Hey man, I really wanna be a part of this or that', or when a player gets claimed by another team and they're waiting around to visit just because they wanted to check in with Adam and make sure to show that gratitude and appreciation. That doesn't happen everywhere, Chick. And so to see that, I don't think there could be a better compliment of the people that Adam has brought in that they stand for the right stuff."
*On what he has learned from his first time as a General Manager going through the process: *AP: "Yeah. It hits harder. It hits harder, and I would look back and I'd always look at, [San Francisco 49ers General Manager] John Lynch and say, 'Why is he so, has so much turmoil and he's not sleeping one night, I think you're fine', and then you're sitting in that chair, you realize the totality and the weight of it and it wears on you. And it is, they're hard and they're hard. These are guys that you see out here every day and they're working their tails off and they're going for it. And so when you're having those conversations, you understand like how much it means to them and how much it means to you. And you want to keep every one of them because they're all, you know, they're all worthy of being there, but you can only keep 53 and another 17. So, I now understand how hard that is and how much it weighs on you. It's, it's tough. Yeah."
*On releasing draft picks from last year and balancing team control and talent: *AP: "Yeah, I think in regards to the draft picks from last year, and I think DQ hit it on the other day, Mitch, these guys were all Commanders and they're all ours, so and we're thrilled to bring a bunch of them back on the practice squad and you how it goes. They're, a lot of them are gonna be playing for us this year. And so, a lot of those guys embody what we're looking for. We just had in our eyes some other guys ahead of them. But that doesn't mean that they're not gonna keep getting better and become really good Commanders for us. But you're always, we're trying to win and it goes back to his initial press conference, we're recalibrating so we're not, you know, we're trying to build for the long-term and win championships year in and year out, but we're also trying to win right now."
On if they anticipate making any major moves before the season:
DQ: "Define major [laugh]. It's too easy."
AP: "I'm trying to think of something funny to say, but I can't. I'm going to give you the same answer here, but we're always going to do what we think is best for the team. So, if a major move comes across and we look at each other and we talk through it with each other and we think that's best for us for short and long-term, we're going to consider it and we're going to make the move that's best for the team. We're not averse to any of that, but we're not just going to go make a big splash move just to make a splash move."
*On the supporting cast around QB Jayden Daniels and on the WR room: *AP: "Yeah, we really like those guys, and that's why we felt we were comfortable with making the moves we made. And the guys that we have now are getting better and better each week. And not just the receiver room, but then you have two, really three running backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield. And one who's a specialist at it, and [RB] Brian Robinson I think is underrated at that. And then [RB] Jeremy McNichols is a jack of all trades. And then you got the tight end room where we got four really good tight ends on the roster, and another, a fifth one on the practice squad that can all catch the ball. That group of eligible receivers we think is really good and have gelled really well with Jayden."
On if they thought about getting players back in the trades that were made:
AP: "Yeah, I think you look at all the options when you do that and you have conversations back and forth about what you're getting for compensation. I think certainly Ridgeway was a pick swap. I disagree with you a little bit with [WR] Jahan [Dotson] on a pick swap, but we got some good value for Jahan. And if it's the players that help your team, then you definitely consider that. In our estimation, the trade that we made was the best value for us, and if there was players that we thought could help us in the short and long-term, we would've considered that too but in the end we thought this was the best deal."
On if it's hard to stay in a long-term mindset with the start of the season 10 days away:
AP: "I think it's a lot harder to get good players at this point in the season than it is in March and really in April. Those are the times when you can really get a lot of good players and there's just not as many out there right now. They're all on teams for the most part. You can tweak your roster a little bit at this point for the most part, unless you have a big opportunity somewhere. But we're really happy with the guys that we have out there and we're pumped to go see them. And they're going to go out there and I think really compete their ass off and play hard. I guess it's a long-winded answer just to say we're happy with the guys we have."
DQ: "We love developing the players too. Where we are on August 28th, players are going to also grow and improve with it. Every good team does that. You're playing your best towards the end and that's part of developing and growing and that's a cool thing."
On coming in with no preconceived notions of the roster:
AP: "Yeah, it's great to come in and it's also good for me to have a fresh set of eyes, but it's good for the players that were here to have us having a fresh set of eyes on them and allowing to evaluate them for what we see. I think with the guys that we brought in and I can't be more complimentary of the guys that were already here and the way they bought in to what DQ was doing and really having just a kind of a renewed sense of what they're doing. I could go on and on, but the big names, you got [DT] Jonathan Allen, you got [DT] Daron Payne, you got Brian Robinson, [G] Sam Cosmi, [WR] Terry McLaurin, all those guys bought right into what DQ was doing. That was really cool to see, because they didn't know us from anything either, just like we didn't really know them from anything, and they bought right in and that was cool to see. We're really proud of that, really happy and thankful to them for that."
On molding the roster:
DQ: "Yeah, there's a lot of excitement. As hard as the last couple days are, there's also a sense of excitement to see this puzzle come together and clear it and go. When you have that, you can feel why we are so excited for this group and that's about to go out to practice. There are a group of guys that are absolutely going to go for it, and that's what we're looking for. It's cool to see this puzzle come to life and see how it all fits together and the pieces fit together. It's a really cool experience and you can feel our excitement for it because we know what they can do."
On constructing the practice squad:
AP: "Yeah, I think philosophically on a practice squad and really just kind of anywhere, you're looking for a really good mix of guys that can come in and play for you. That's one of the coolest things, one of the only good things about COVID is that we were allowed to get a bigger practice squad because of the things that were happening then. That allows you to get six veteran players if you want on your practice squad and then you can fill in the rest with younger guys. So, you have a mix of guys that can come in and sub in if you have a few injuries for a week or two, and then you have other guys where you can continue to develop and like DQ says, even the veterans are still developing at that time. So, you want to get guys that can help you right away, and then have another group of guys that can keep developing. That's what we would look for, but you're always looking to get the best 17 that you possibly can."
On what "win now" means to them for this season:
DQ: "The win now is not way down the line. It's not the end of the season and I get that's what a lot of people want to do, but I think we'll miss everything if we do that and look to what's down the line as opposed to how do we just go and keep attacking it, keep getting better. It's our division, all of that. If we do what we're capable of doing and play the way that we want to play, we'll be really proud of those results. But to say where it's going to be so far down the line, not interested in that. Just want to see how good we can get and then do it again and do it again. And if we do those over and over, there'll be some really cool things that'll come from that."
AP: "Yeah, that's my answer too [laugh]. No, it's really just getting better every day and then the rest will take care of itself."
On how they are doing:
DQ: "Well, we appreciate that. It's hard for us, but nothing compared to the guy that sits across from us in those seats. And I think that's what maybe was so remarkable for some of those guys to reach out and want to connect with us, knowing that they really want to be a part of this locker room. And I think, what a cool compliment to the players who are in that locker room. That's who they play for, one another. To have that experience of wanting to be here so significantly, that means a lot. I think what a cool compliment to those guys in the locker room."
AP: "Yeah, I'd agree it is hard for us, but it's definitely harder for the players. But it's hard for everybody in the building, because you develop relationships with all these guys, and I commend everybody in the building for handling with class. Everybody who was part of the operations. There's a lot of people involved in that from support staff to coaches, and really everybody in terms of getting all that handled in a first-class manner. And we appreciate the players the most for handling a first-class manner and handling the way they did and appreciate everything they've done out there. A lot of them, they'll continue to do out there."
On if the NFLPA's three quarterback ruling played a factor in the 53-man roster conversations:
AP: "Not a lot, not a lot. I think as you look at it, we thought [QB] Jeff [Driskel] did a really good job throughout. Got better and better and better throughout training camp or throughout the offseason than training camp. And we thought at that point when we were making those decisions that Jeff earned a spot on the 53. So, we have Jayden and [QB] Marcus [Mariota] and then the third spot was open, and Jeff went and took it. I'm proud of him and proud of the way he played, and I think he earned it."
DQ: "It's a really cool quarterback room here. The coaching their connection together and to see these four guys working together and in support of it all that goes into it. It was by design that we were going to be heavy into that space from a coaching point of view. And to see that transfer into the players and the belief in them, it's been all we'd hoped it would be."
