Commanders sign Noah Brown | John Keim Report

[Music] hello and welcome to my podcast do me a favor subscribe to John K report wherever you get your podcast you're watching on YouTube hit that like button hit that subscribe button you can find us there as part of ampire media amp always much appreciated when you tune in don't forget you can read my work on espn.com so before I get to the news the day actually up on espn.com right now is a story on the guy I'm going to talk about in a minute Noah Brown receiver that Washington signed on late Wednesday early Wednesday evening so I'll talk about him in a minute but a couple bookkeeping or you know planning planning nuggets that you need to know on Friday I will have a conversation with Brian Mitchell really good we've already recorded it was really good always is with B Miss we talk a lot about like what he has seen from this organization this summer but the leadership examples he's seen and as a player he sees different things than other people do and then I have another one with Logan pson on Monday as we get you ready before the season opener the following Sunday also for you Gold members going to be doing a private zoom on Thursday night this time um8 o'clock we'll go eight o'clock go for about a half hour um but I want to do that because I haven't done it in a couple weeks so8 o'clock Thursday night for gold for you private Zoom for the gold members and then the other club members will listen to it later and then if you want to become a club member go to the ampire media YouTube page either we join click on it find your level of membership you want go from there anyways let's get get to the news of today enough about that so the commanders signed receiver Noah Brown now that was a move that I know a couple of us heard about it earlier in the day as a possibility for Washington you never know where those things are going to go but he was a guy of interest because he can add some help at receiver so he's a he's got some good size he's six fo2 he's not a burner but he does play physical I think in this offense that matters that's something that you know it's something that they liked about some other receivers and not about some others um he you know he's again speak gu he did play with Terry mclen at Ohio State so there's good they clearly know each other and that always helps but how much you know they he and Curtis were here together the last couple years it's not like they had this great offense because it's really about number five in the relationship with number five not his relationship with Terry McClaren or Etc so anyways but I think he's a guy who can help if he stays healthy and that last part is a big deal for him because that's been a problem for minut it's why he's no longer in Houston the Texans signed him to a oneyear three one-year deal in the offseason with three million guaranteed that's a pretty good sum that means you're almost assuredly going to keep him on the roster but it did not mean that for for um for Noah Brown because missed a lot of time in Camp with various injuries a shoulder injury as well he missed seven games last year on IR with injuries and he ended up on uh groin back shoulder um and then well he got placed on IR in the after the first playoff win over Cleveland got placed on IR with a shoulder injury so lot lot of concerns there in Houston about him and it's a shame because he was actually playing well he had 43 catches his last year in Dallas two years ago and then last year 33 catches in 10 games um 13 though came in two games and probably more than 60% of his yards of his it's almost like 567 something like that but in those two games where he caught 13 passes it was like 320 some yards total and he and so he averag over 17 yards a catch but there's it's kind of inconsistent production but they needed him that's the key when they needed him he came through and that's really what it was that was his role he wasn't going there to be some star he was going there to play a role in it's special teams he's a good blocker and and he showed when needed he could go do that so they again the blocking the physical aspect I think is is a key there and and clearly Dan Quinn knows him having coached you know on the other side of the ball against him in Dallas that helps too because you know the guy you know what you're getting yes the injuries are concern or factor but he's not coming here to be some number two or number three guy coming here to play a role and be another guy who can play a role for them they do not have a great receiving core I think they have some parts that you can put together combining it with what I think they have at tight end with Zack Herz I think he's looked really good um and in fact Z told me today that this is the best he's felt in a while and I I believe it based on how he looks I believe it so you know I'll get into that more next week but he looks he looks really good so that helps Austin Eckler helps I think Brian Robinson's versatility helps and these guys keep put touting Brian Robinson so it' be nice to see a coaching staff uson in the Run game more than what they did last year so I think all that can help jayen Daniels but they still you know you still they're gonna have to piece this together receiver because you have a lot of a lot of parts of guys who can do something ID zakus can do something you know James Crowder can still help a little you know in VAR roles um Pringle more of a kick returner what does Luke mcaffrey offer I think that's going to be a big key for this group because they need him to help to be at least a factor a little bit of a factor for sure so some questions still there but I do like the move because I think he's a guy who has been productive when given the chance productive lately he just has to stay healthy so that leads into some other question because they did sign they resigned Bryson Tain to the practice squad Mitchell Tinsley to the practice squad Cass Allen to the practice squad they did not resign Martavis Bryant to the practice squad and you know and I know we had the good fourth quarter of that preseason game and in all honesty I've said this it's the fourth quarter of a third preseason game you're not facing the kind of guys you're going to face during the season so while he put had some nice plays it's good to put on film but it wasn't GNA good enough to win a roster spot in the couple weeks he was here and and you have to remember like they see what he's doing in practice they know what he's learning and I don't think that he had this great game against Miami granted he had just gotten here so that's a tough one for him but it was more so like the physical play getting off press you know the blocking that wasn't there in the Miami game um so but anyways you know that's why that's why they ended up landing on Noah Brown and not not keeping Martavis Bryan around in the practice squad they did not make any other waiver claims that's a bit of a surprise given that they kept they kept saying initial 53 initial 53 so you anticipated multiple waiver claims they have the number two waiver claim they will have the number two waiver claim for the ne until through week until actually after week three of the regular season then it reverts to records this year until then these guys have the number two waiver claim so that doesn't go away but I was surprised by that and the one thing you know I think it's you're not picking up pro bowlers and even I think it was Adam Peters told us today it's a lot harder to get good players now than it is in the off season so that's really what when you want to add guys that can really help you that's when you do it now you're trying to get guys who can maybe fill a role um for you you're not it's really really really hard to find starters at this point um and so you know you always have to compare it are the guys you're going to claim can they make the do they warant a roster spot ahead of the guys that you have on the roster now so you know I think this roster still needs work I don't know that you're gonna add somebody that you would say okay watch for this guy so that that's part of thing and is one thing that Quinn and Peters both said they're they're they're not just here collecting Talent they want to build a team so there that's can be two different things as we've seen as we saw for many years under Dan Snider a lot sometimes they collect talent I hear how talented this team is and it wouldn't be any good because some of those talented guys weren't guys that you really want on your football team but the owner and and the president Bruce Allen thought they were worthy of spots and so they give them but they weren't building a team they were collecting Talent so there's a difference and and that you're going to get these big names on their WAW now but bottom line is that's kind of the philosophy I like the approach because I think over time it wins I don't know what it means for this year I don't think you can look at this team and say like wow they're really ready to take off I don't know we don't know that so much depends on what Jaden Daniels does so much depends on how Cliff kingsberry uses him all these questions we still don't know the answers to and that's something that Logan I discussed on Monday so I don't need to go on this to that in great detail now but I do think it's worth pointing out like there's still a lot we don't know about how this is all going to come together from a coaching standpoint the impact of the schemes all that like we've seen stuff in the preseason we're not going to deduce too much from that I mean I'm telling you like I've told you before there were times in 2012 where they go out and play New Orleans it's like oh my God we didn't see that in practice because they're not going to show it that that what they know more than anything is what they one of the things they have to offer or to that's to their benefit early in the year is the unknown the teams don't know them and so I think that makes a difference so anyways all that stuff can help can help them and then the other thing they did today is they traded John Ridgeway to the New Orleans Saints they received a sixth round pick but they also gave up a seventh round pick in addition to Ridgeway not again not a surprise multiple teams have been calling on him we talked about this last night on the on the um live stream but and so I even after that I was talking to some people after that so I'm not I I kind of anticipated that move today because I didn't think were going to keep both he and mathys and then it created a roster spot that they could then go fill with Noah Brown so they didn't have to cut anybody after signing Brown they could just go replace Ridgeway spot with him and so there you go but but again not a surprise in that move one thing that they did say again they they had multiple offers for him so there was a chance to get something for him I know I think you know there are a couple teams interested in him at the end but it's chance to get at least a little something for him and then one thing I think I think it was Peter said that maybe it's a better scheme fit in New Orleans like this is a I think that's where you talk to people I think they were surprised that Quinn would have kept a guy like Ridgeway and matthys both on the rush because he typically doesn't get a lot of those Big Fellas even though that was became a problem in Dallas because they just couldn't stop the run well enough when they when they needed to but with Ridgeway he knew Ridgeway from having Coachman Dallas I thought Ridgeway had a um good last game uh for the you know few for a few quarters I thought Mattis started to progress over the last couple weeks so if he's matured as a player then that then he can help them you know if not then they're gonna look for someone else but he I think the other thing is you wanted to keep at least one of those guys around because we don't know yet what Johnny Newton's gonna be like early in the season so I think it was important to do that so um they also feel like they said that he has a better chance to play in New Orleans Ridgeway does so I think that's I think that's good for him um again I think a big key for for Daniels and when you look at this roster have they done enough to surround him as we enter the season this is a roster that needed a lot of work you you clearly knew it wasn't going to happen overnight but have they done enough to help a Young quarterback and the parts that we don't know first of all like I said I think Zer Herz is going to be a really good Target for him especially early in the season and you know how the impact of EO the impact of a run game the impact of Kings Berry's offense or whatever they're creating here um what's that going to be like for Daniels that's the parts those are the parts we don't know we can look at the names we can look at the talent but the unknowns are all the coaching impacts that we still have yet to see so you but you do Wonder like does he have enough threats around him I think that's where mcaffrey has to has to really kind of continue to progress because he can be a guy who's like he's got a higher ceiling because he's just started at this position um I think zakus has looked really good all summer so that should help prowder is a guy who can roll out of bed and go out and catch a certain number of passes because he just knows how to do it but I think it was good to add some depth but again you need to see mcaffrey really develop because he's a third round pick you've got to see that and I think he can like he can you saw the size the way he used it against um against Miami and so that and I like I think his route running has gotten a the subtleties of it have gotten better so that will help him as well and again physical so that's going to help I think the receivers will be much better in the Run game overall as blockers not that that's their primary role but it is a very important one if you want to be a good run team you better have receivers who can block so that I think I think that helps as well um then also to the practice squad Cole Turner back Chris Rodriguez little somewhat surprised on that because I wasn't didn't exactly have the greatest summer but I but even like last year I liked him I felt like he could catch you just didn't see what you what you you know maybe hope to see this summer and you wasn't weren't sure how does he fit in this offense but the fact they brought him back is a good sign for him so he still has some something to offer If he if he gets a chance or if he develops and learns his offense um so anyway but I I've talked a little bit about building the roster and that's something they talked about today because again it's like you didn't really do anything do you feel comfortable with the roster you have now going into the season and I'm not sure that you're ever fully comfortable with and it's always going to be a fluid thing especially at the back end of a roster there aren't any impact guys you're going to add now and you know um sort of some huge trade which I don't see happening at this point so deep breath um but but that's where they're at right now with it so this is going and this is going to be a couple year process to get the roster to where you need what they need to see this year is as much as anything what whatever the wins however many wins this results in you to see the identity you have to build an identity create that identity the toughness that you want I think when you're getting some of the players that they did that's what helps create an identity build the foundation build a level of expectation for this team and then go from there and then then if you nail number five then you're G to be in really good shape and I can't like I'm telling you like the these players really like what they see from Jaden Daniels I think it's the maturity they shows the guy played 55 games in college that's matters right that matters a ton and it I think it it helps mature a guy but also and it gets him a little bit more comfortable in certain situations that these guys see now so create an identity get number five ready get you know see see what you have in him because so much of the season is going to rest on what he you know what he does and how he develops how quickly he develops too and I think some PE I think some people here think he can develop pretty quick so they're that's why I say they're pretty excited so um anyway really you know what and then practice today not a whole lot to report from it was a less than one hour it was about 95 degrees you can probably see I'm still sweating um so you know a lot of sh you know just pads come on tomorrow that's when we see him by for some players like Brandon Coleman will know more tomorrow about what he can do because he I would expect him where he thinks he's going to work tomorrow he feels good about where he's at healthwise now it's just the mental he's got to get reps I don't know I think it's asking a lot to have him go in the opener and play but that's why you have Cornelius Lucas that's why he's you know you have a veteran guy like him around um Coleman said he's you know because it was an upper body injury he was able to take a lot of me you know mental reps and also walkthroughs and things like that that helps but you still need to get in the game and work with the guy next to you you cannot duplicate that so at some point that's going to be the thing so but first comes getting comfortable with the offense Etc then comes working with the guy next to you in a game setting you know there you go so uh yeah tomorrow will be a bigger practice than one of the things you watch today is just like watching them work on punt returns I don't know why this kind of interests me but um watching how the way they get them to you know just they're very big on first cut first cut first cut think every special teams coach knows that First Cut is important but I've seen them do more drills emphasizing that first cut and obviously Jam some Crowder is the number one guy out there but you know guess who else is returning punch today couple of them Terry mccl take a deep breath don't see in the game it's it's just emergency situations because you never know um I think it's also interesting that when I'm watching these guys like a lot of the receivers say have to practice catch passes I'm watching Zack hers on the on the side field catch passes out of the jugs one of the last ones off the field doing that and then one of the very last guys off the field maybe the last guy off the field was uh the rookie undrafted tight end Coulson yank off I can tell you that he used the word he kept saying he stoked to be here he was stoked to make the team ET I think he's I think he's a guy that that you're going to like if he gets a chance to go out there and play because I just think the way he plays is is what you want to see in a player I don't know how good he's going to be but he plays tough he can be smart um but he's out there working today with the tight ends coach after practice just on little subtle things with the routes and you know just cleaning up some things whether it's whether it's the you know how you're running your routes you know um just being more clean with it I guess I would say and and not you know not um off your path too much whatever so but but again late in the late I think he was the last guy we talked to but he was I think the last guy off the field anyway folks that's it for me I'm gonna wrap it up right there um again Friday morning with Brian Mitchell really good conversation and then Monday morning with Logan Paulson and Thursday at 8 o'clock with you Gold members for a private Zoom look for the link to be sent that's it folks talk to you next time thanks for tuning in that's it for this episode thanks to B MIT for joining me and thank you as always for tuning in I'll be back on Monday with another episode so I'll talk to you next time