ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Commanders Free Agency and 2025 Draft | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL

On this episode of Next Man Up, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter talks Commanders Free Agency, the 2025 NFL Draft, head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Commander's family walking in a very very special guest as
we rap free agency and head into the NFL draft.
Y'all know him very well, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
He's a busy man, but he took the time to
come rab with us. Adam, how you doing man?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hell? Then Brian, how you doing?

Speaker 1 (00:15):
I'm doing good, doing good. It's crazy to think last
time we spoke it was this time and we were
looking at all the things that commanders could possibly do,
and the national outlook was a lot different. I feel
like now they're talking about commanders a lot differently in
your neck of the wood. Is that true?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, listen, one man helped change the entire narrative and
atmosphere around an organization, and thanks to the quarterback, they're
in a great position to be in for the next
twelve fifteen years because of Jade and Daniels. So yes,
from one year to another, you look younger, Brian, and
you're too much much better.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
I appreciate that you look younger as well. It's a
lot easier to do this job when you're winning, as
you know for sure, and such a missions Jada Daniels,
I kind of want to actually touch on that real quick,
because when you look at this draft, especially in this
first round, those top ten picks, I don't know if
we've seen a draft that has more speculation on who's
going to go in those top three picks. It doesn't
seem like it's really set yet. Do you feel that
is because of Jaden Daniels and what he was able

(01:13):
to do at that number two pick. Do you feel
like that kind of changed how these teams are looking
at quarterback prospects.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
No, No, it's just that the depth in this draft,
the equality of quarterback in this draft is not as
good as it was last year, at least by the
opinions of personnel people across the league. And so last
year you had was it six quarterbacks that went in
the first twelve or so picks. This year we may

(01:38):
probably will have two quarterbacks that go in the first
twelve picks. And there are people that believe, right or wrong,
that the top quarterback in this draft isn't as good
as most of the quarterbacks in last year's draft. So
it's just a function of the year we're in. It
doesn't have any to do with Jayden Daniels, Jade Daniels
has had a tremendous impact on the Washington franchise and

(01:59):
the National Football League, but not this draft in particular.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
And when you're looking at this draft and all the
things you hear because you are that excellent NFL insider,
are you feeling that there's going to be a lot
of moves in this first round? It's sounding like there's
a lot of speculation on teams moving up and down.
Do you are you hearing those same things from the NFL?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Well, I think there's always movement in the first round, Brian.
But this is the first time, as we tape this
on Thursday, April third, first time since nineteen ninety three
that we haven't seen a team trade a first round
draft pick. Every team has its initial first round draft pick.
And the reason that you haven't seen much movement of

(02:36):
first round draft picks so far, I believe is because
of again, the quarterbacks. Usually quarterbacks are the players that
drive trades. There were people that were trying to trade
up for Washington's pick in the last draft. There were
people that were trying to get up to get Drake
May and JJ McCarthy. In this draft, I think there

(02:58):
are a few teams that want cam Ward. But outside
of that, I don't think there are a lot of
teams that are willing right now, right now in advance
of the draft to move up. Now, that may change
when we're on the clock and when teams have a
chance to get a certain player at a certain spot,
but right now, to date, we have not seen anybody

(03:19):
move out of the first round and every team as
its initial first round draft pick.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Well, we can definitely talk about the draft a little
more on but I want to go back to free
agency real quick, because last year when we spoke, the
Commanders were on the verge of having a very very
strong free agency. I don't think we realized how good
the player was going to play that they brought in.
When you look at the freegency they had this year,
the second time around for Ap and company, how do
you feel they fared and how do you feel they
tackled free agency this time around?

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, we'll find out the season. Right Like, if you
had asked me that question, and maybe it did last year, Brian,
I would have said they were aggressive, they were active.
Let's see how it plays out. And because the quarterback
played the way he did, he elevated everybody on the franchise,
and I think he'll do the same thing. So look,
they went out and traded for Laramie. So they added

(04:07):
a lot of good players, really a Durrance Armstrong along
the defensive line, Javon Kinlaw along the defensive line. They
brought back Bobby Wagner. You know, they were busy again.
I just think when you have a quarterback that good,
it usually rubs off on everybody, and so everybody looks good.

(04:28):
Look good, the front, the coaches look good. You know,
there's a reason Matriot coordinator's got head coaching jobs year
year because Tom Brady was playing quarterback and son Danigels
can elevate the whole franchises.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
And it seems like it's not just Jadon Damas. It
seems like what dan Quinn was able to do in
his first year is really changing things as well. When
you hear around the league, like we have players come
in these freezes, come in and sit on next man up,
and they talk about the story around the league when
it comes to dan Quinn and his leadership and the
family atmosphere that is here. Are you hearing those things
as well when you talk to other NFL organization or
other free agents and things like that at an agents,

(05:00):
are you hearing those same things?

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, I think dan Quinn's greatest strength, his superpower, is
being a culture builder. I mean that's what's made him
a great coach through the years. And you know, you
could question other things and wonder about other things, but
there's no questioning the fact that this guy knows how
to build a culture, establish a culture within an organization.

(05:24):
And that was on full display in his first year
in Washington.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
And you look at that twenty ninth pick in that
first round, that's very different than where we were at
last year. I think we all knew where we are
going with the number two pick. Now we're at twenty nine.
You have a lot of familiarity with the owners around
this league. Are you feeling that there could be any
moves with that twenty ninth pick for the Washington Commanders.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, of course. I mean always like, that's a range
where a team that doesn't get a quarterback early on
or wants to move back into the back half of
the first round to get that quarterback that's still sitting there.
Maybe it's Jackson Dart, maybe it's Tyler Shuck, somebody like that.
If that's still an option. Yeah, that pick becomes even
more valuable, But you couldn't say now three weeks out
of the draft that there's going to be movement at

(06:04):
twenty nine. It just it all depends on how the
board falls.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
And Adam, before I let you go, I think one
of my favorite things about getting to work with you
is not that you should just an insider, but you
know the game. You understand how to evaluate players and talents.
When you look at a guy like Jaden Daniels coming
into year two, what do you want to see out
of him at a development standpoint? Because I mean what
a workie year was. How does he improve on that
and build?

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, I just think he has to just continue to
be Jaden Daniels and everybody that's encountered him knows that
not only is he talented on the field, but he
handles himself the total right way off it. I mean,
the guy is just incredibly impressive in every which way.
Had the chance to meet and spend some time with

(06:45):
him at the Super Bowl and right after he shoots
me a text, you know, thanking me for my top, Like,
I mean, what are we doing here? Like that's the
kind of guy that he is, and we speak to
the people in the organization, he's just an example your
quarterback to be that way. You want your leaders to
be that way, and he is that way, and he's

(07:07):
he's the guy who wants So what am I looking for.
I'm looking just for the natural continuation of a player
going from year one to year two and everything that
he can do. And I don't see any reason why
he wouldn't continue on that ascending trajectory that he's been
on through his rookie year to where he's one of
the pre eminent players in the league.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
Adam, I think we all could agree with you on that.
Thank you so much for taking the time. We know
you've been busy running around. This is your time to
shine right now, so we appreciate you taking some time
and spend a time with the Command Center family.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
Thank you for having me, Brian, and I think we
all could agree that I might have been the good
luck term last year. The fact that you had me
on last year helped elevate the franchise. It wasn't Jaden Daniels,
it wasn't Dan Quinn, it wasn't that A. It was
me coming out with you. So now the fact that
we've done this again this year. That bodes well for
the Commanders this season. So thank you for having me, Bron.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
I love the fact that the combo of us is
good luck for the Commanders. I'm gonna send that all
the way up to the top of Josh Harris so
he knows. Adam appreciate your time.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
Let him know, and you let him know, and I
will send me invoices of the mail. Amen. We appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
Adam, have a great one. Commander's family ESPN NFL insider
Adam Scheff, thank you so much for your time.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Man. Thank you. Brian