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00:12You just heard from Terry McLaurin on Grant and Danny.
00:15Wide receiver one for Washington, new offense that should be more McLaurin-friendly,
00:20and a quarterback who is another year further removed from getting into the league,
00:26seeing things, the game slowing down, but also ideally much healthier than he was last year.
00:33Could be a monster year for McLaurin.
00:35Question we're asking you guys at 800-636-1067 is, what is your expectation?
00:40Career year, more of the same from when he was really good for a long time
00:45before last year's unfortunate circumstances?
00:48Or do you think that this is a little bit more like last year,
00:52where maybe he misses a little bit of time at 31?
00:54Maybe he's not playing at that 75-catch, 1,100-or-so-yard level.
00:59How do you see it, Danny?
01:00I think this is his average season.
01:02I think he's so dependent.
01:03So he basically gets back to pre-last year.
01:05I think he's him.
01:06So what has been kind of a hallmark, it's been good situation, bad situation,
01:11mostly bad, worse situation, dire, no other offensive weapons,
01:15some offensive weapons, a good week, a bad week.
01:17This is what he averages.
01:2080 catches, about 1,090 yards, and five and a half to six touchdowns.
01:25The 13-touchdown season is the aberration.
01:28Everything else was in line with his normal career averages.
01:30He's somewhere in between 12 and 14 yards per catch.
01:34This is him.
01:35This is who that guy is.
01:36Which is, again, the ceiling isn't as high as some of the superstars.
01:40He's not going to ever put up a Pukunuku or JSN-type season.
01:43That's not the litmus test, though.
01:44He's also very rarely, when he plays, even last year, as much of the struggle happened,
01:49he didn't have a 100-yard game.
01:50Even with that, if you do extrapolate his numbers that he put up over a 17-week basis,
01:55he was right in line for the regular old Terry season of 80 catches,
01:58just over 1,000 yards, and a handful of touchdowns.
02:00That's who he is.
02:02So now with a different situation, I don't know that automatically his production is going to ramp up.
02:07I also don't think, given the situation, anything's going to tamp it down,
02:11even with terrible offensive situations and bad OCs, bad quarterbacks and everything under the sun,
02:16this is what Terry does.
02:17So seven years here for Terry McLaurin and seeing what he was over all that time
02:22gives me an idea and an indication that he is probably exactly what we think he is.
02:30Like, there's enough sample, there's enough time over seven years
02:33where I think that's probably about what he's going to be.
02:37I am leaving open the possibility, though, that McLaurin could have his best year.
02:43That he could actually have a monster season.
02:45It stands to reason that when you're a legitimate, credible, starting wide receiver in this league,
02:51you're better when someone of your caliber is opposite you, right?
02:55Has he ever once had another wide receiver that attracts attention in the way Stefan Diggs does?
03:01Never.
03:01No, right?
03:02Has he ever once had another wide receiver that you cannot defend, you cannot double-team,
03:08you cannot do some of the things to bracket him and cover him in the same way because Diggs is
03:16there?
03:16Because if you're paying that kind of attention to McLaurin, Diggs is going to eat you a lot.
03:20I think they could actually come out early in the season, too, and feature Diggs.
03:24And so maybe it's not in September that Terry eats, but as the year goes on,
03:28what was the first call for David Blau with that tandem wide receivers, with that starting offense?
03:34The first call from David Blau was a choice route for Stefan Diggs that was meant to get him open.
03:40He bent it a little bit wide.
03:41It took a little too long developing out of a stack, and they end up getting pressured
03:45and have to do a throwaway to the running back in Detroit.
03:47But the first call was, let's get the ball in Diggs' hand on the choice route.
03:50Let him win with some footwork.
03:51That was the first call, by the way.
03:54So I think you could see a lot of Diggs early.
03:56I think that's going to take a little bit of pressure and heat off of Terry McLaurin.
04:00And I think, could be wrong, but I think the fact that you've got a credible wide receiver, too,
04:07means more man-on-man, one-on-one stuff for McLaurin than we've seen in a long time.
04:11If that's true, he's going to win a lot.
04:13Because you know he makes contested catches.
04:15Yes, he does.
04:15He just beats guys.
04:16So I think that that's something to think about.
04:18The other thing is, and this is pass protection dependent, I would say,
04:23okay, but is this scheme better for him like I think it is?
04:28If you agree with me, then that's a reason he should be better.
04:31Is this quarterback play going to be better?
04:34Daniels in 24 was electric.
04:36Daniels last year, Mariota for much of last year, was not that.
04:39But I think Daniels, based on the camp I've seen him have, based on the practices,
04:45the joint practice against the Dolphins that I've seen,
04:47I actually think he's going to have a really, really good year if they can protect him.
04:50So all of that stuff said, why wouldn't Terry be able to go out there and go 80 for like
04:551150 or 1175?
04:59Those are good cases.
05:00I mean, he's never struck me as, even when there's nothing else on that offense,
05:05to your point, the next best receiver he's played with is probably Curtis Samuel.
05:10No, thank you, to be honest with you.
05:12Samuel's fine, but he's more of a gimmick, more of a, you know, ironically,
05:16a Deebo Samuel-like player.
05:17He's one part running back, one part, you know, flip it out to him in the flat, slot guy, whatever.
05:21So this is the best player he's ever played with at this position.
05:24He's never shared a receiving core with a Stephon Diggs.
05:27Even Stephon Diggs, at this stage of his career,
05:29is still infinitely better than anybody else he's ever had opposite him.
05:32He just never struck me as that 150-target, high-volume guy.
05:38His career high for catches is 87.
05:40He's gone over 80 catches, two out of his eight years in the NFL.
05:43Just not who he's been, even with different surroundings.
05:45But does he have to catch 100 balls?
05:47No, he doesn't have to, but...
05:49His 17-game average, okay?
05:52So every 17 games, just to break it up into an NFL season,
05:5679 catches for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns.
05:59If he plays 17 games in his career, 79, 1,100, seven touchdowns.
06:04That's with bad receivers around him.
06:06That's with a lot of bad quarterback play and mediocre quarterback play
06:10in one really, really good quarterback season.
06:12It's not that crazy to say 10 more catches and 100 more yards or 150 more yards.
06:17It's not.
06:18That's not a big bump.
06:19That's like one more big game.
06:21That's a couple catches and a couple of losses potentially.
06:24And now it's 80 for 1,200, and he's having the type of year I'm talking about.
06:28I just don't think it's that big of a leap.
06:30The question, I guess, would be, does Diggs take a lot of targets away from him,
06:34catches away from him?
06:34Maybe.
06:35That's a thing.
06:36Also, is there something to be said?
06:38Do we think that the pass protection is so bad that it ends up really hurting
06:42the passing game down the field, where McLaurin now is averaging fewer yards per catch
06:47because they can't run some of the X receiver keeper stuff?
06:49Right, it's the area yards per target.
06:51Or is there enough food at the table?
06:53In other words, are there enough pass attempts to go around?
06:56They want to run the ball and play some defense.
06:57Does that take something away, too, from any potential totals?
07:00If Diggs eats and Chig is getting a lot of targets, I think that could definitely be
07:05something.
07:06Obviously, you need Daniels to stay healthy as well.
07:08Let's go to Shane in Fairfax.
07:10What kind of year are you anticipating from Terry McLaurin?
07:13Commander Danny, Lieutenant Grant, how you guys doing today?
07:16Good, buddy.
07:18Hey, look, I'm with you, Lieutenant.
07:19I think he has a monster year.
07:21I think he's going to catch 100 balls.
07:22I think he's going to be, like, leading the league in, you know, the triple crown.
07:27I think this is his year.
07:28And, unfortunately, I hate to say it, but I think it's his last year here, too.
07:32I think this is his farewell tier here as a commander.
07:35I don't think they're going to pay him what they're paying him now as he's getting older.
07:39But he's not had you hit it on the head.
07:41Now, it depends on who this offense is now and this offensive line.
07:44Now, this offensive line is performing.
07:47It's looking like he's only going to catch 10 damn balls all damn year.
07:50But let's call it what it is.
07:51But, look, if the offensive line protects and does what it's supposed to do, Terry's going to have a monster
07:56year, and he deserves it.
07:57He is one of the best professionals in sports, and he's had nothing but crap around him.
08:04Now he's got that tied in.
08:05Now he's got a number two.
08:07And they can have a good slot, too.
08:09I mean, this team, on paper, can put up points.
08:13We'll see.
08:14But the question mark is still that left tackle, center position, and that O-line already starting.
08:20Appreciate you, buddy.
08:21Well, to Shane's point, the cap number next year is almost $40 million.
08:25And this was always kind of set up where they could have a dead cap hit they could spread over
08:30a couple years after this season to not really have that kind of albatross of his deal there.
08:39So you're probably right back where you were before last season in terms of are we getting a new deal
08:44done?
08:45And we saw how that went for a guy that's over 30.
08:47Well, he'll be way over 30 by the time we kind of get to this point.
08:49Yeah, there's also a post-June 1 release number that goes way down for him, where it looks like six
08:57and a half in dead money or something like that.
09:00But that having been said, I think he can determine whether this is the last year or not.
09:04I went on record when he got the extension that I thought it was probably a one-year extension, meaning
09:10this year, two more years with Washington, and then they have to reassess.
09:13And this is still a big storyline, but it depends.
09:16I mean, if he only plays in 11 games and deals with injuries and catches 51 balls for 579 yards
09:22or something, then it probably is his last season.
09:25If he goes out there in this offense and it fits like a glove and he and Daniels make sweet
09:30music and it's an 83-catch, 1,214-yard, eight-touchdown season,
09:35I know at his age that seems unlikely, but he was an older rookie, a little bit less tread on
09:40the tires.
09:42If he goes out there, it's not crazy to assume that could happen, then why not bring him back?
09:46And maybe you have to restructure?
09:48Perhaps you lower that cap number, you probably should, honestly, and you extend him again or push some money or
09:53do a void year to spread out some of the dead money.
09:56I know they don't love to do that, but I'd have a really hard time paying him $42 million.
10:00I guess the good news is there aren't that many players that are due a whole lot of money from
10:05a cap number standpoint going into 2027,
10:09whereas the cap number for Terry, I think, is actually officially $34 million.
10:13I miss books.
10:14I said $39 million.
10:15That's for $27 million.
10:16$34 million is next year.
10:17Yeah.
10:17$27 million for Adafi Owe is next on that list, but there aren't big cap numbers, really.
10:23I'm looking at Laramie Tunsil, $17 million.
10:25Javon Kinlaw is a huge number, $16.9 million.
10:28But that's something you might want to do something with, depending on the year he has.
10:31Cosme, believe it or not, is up to $20 million in cap number.
10:34That's like the list, to their credit, I guess, by not making big splashes for a few years.
10:39And they're thinking about life when Jaden Daniels gets paid.
10:41Sure.
10:41They don't have a whole lot of huge cap numbers.
10:43So they could work with that if they needed to.
10:45But he's got to prove himself worthy of that, too.
10:47You don't mind paying Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase kind of money if he's putting up 75-plus catches.
10:54Also, is Diggs back?
10:55You know, if Diggs walks, then it's all the more reason that you probably need to pay a receiver.
10:59Because he goes back to being the only guy in the room for that moment.
11:04Unless Antonio Williams comes on in a way where you feel like maybe he could take some of that pressure
11:08off.
11:09But just great to have that interview with him today and some time with him at camp.
11:12And I will say, after we chatted, he's just such a good dude.
11:15Like, we just sat there and talked for, like, 20 minutes.
11:17Just a couple of pals showing the van.
11:19Asking me about my kids and what grade they're in and stuff.
11:21He's just a really good human being.
11:23100%.
11:23Easy to root for.
11:24Yeah, he was so awesome to have on the show for that season.
11:26I mean, they were two in a million.
11:28It didn't matter.
11:29Just he was so good every week to come on and hang out.
11:31Such a pro.
11:32Yep.
11:32Our double play is next.
11:33What's going on in our lives?
11:35Nothing to do with sports on G&D.
11:36Don't do with sports on G&D.
11:36You
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