The Al Galdi Podcast

13:29 - Guest: Derek Ciapala, co-founder and host of the Rams Talk Radio podcast, on whether the Commanders should be interested in acquiring Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, including the extent to which the Kupp situation is connected to what's going on with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, the likelihood of the Rams trading Kupp versus releasing him, why Kupp still is a good receiver, Kupp's troubling recent injury history, Kupp's monster 2021 season, how Kupp is as a person, how Rams head coach and former Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay is perceived by Rams fans and more42:50 - Wizards: analysis of a 107-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets to snap a six-game losing streak48:40 - College Basketball: reaction to Maryland moving up four spots to No. 16 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll...and thoughts on Howard's 72-61 loss at Coppin State, Norfolk State winning its eighth consecutive game with a 69-60 victory over Morgan State and William & Mary's three-game winning streak ending with a 79-70 loss to UNCWThe Nace Law Group, Accident & Injury Lawyers - 202-902-7611 and make sure that you mention that Al Galdi sent youVisit CateringByUptown.com and mention that Al Galdi sent youFollow @WSHOnTheDaily on Instagram and visit WSHOnTheDaily.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12:58 - Guest: Grant Cohn, the publisher of 49ers on SI and a San Francisco 49ers YouTube host with 173,000 subscribers, on the most likely outcome in the situation with 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel off him requesting to be traded, why things between the 49ers and Samuel have gone sour, whether the Commanders should be interested in acquiring Samuel, where Samuel is at as a player, whether the tenure of former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as 49ers head coach has been a success, how 49ers left tackle and ex-Skin Trent Williams is doing and more33:57 - Capitals: breakdown of a great weekend for the Caps that featured an 8-3 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in a game in which Caps top-line left wing Alex Ovechkin had a hat trick44:57 - Wizards: analysis of a 104-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and a 110-90 loss at the Orlando Magic...and reaction to telling comments on Duke's Cooper Flagg51:07 - College Basketball: thoughts on VCU's 70-54 win over George Mason to end the Patriots' 11-game winning streak, Georgetown losing for a ninth time in 13 games with an 80-69 loss at Creighton, American clinching a home quarterfinal game in the Patriot League Tournament with a 48-44 win over Boston University, Virginia Tech's 81-68 win at Miami, Virginia's 81-66 loss at North Carolina, Liberty winning for an eighth time in nine games with a 58-45 victory over FIU, James Madison winning for a ninth time in 10 games with a 78-73 victory over Georgia Southern, Norfolk State winning its seventh consecutive game with a 79-63 win at Coppin State and William & Mary winning its third consecutive game with a 79-70 victory at ElonThe Nace Law Group, Accident & Injury Lawyers - 202-902-7611 and make sure that you mention that Al Galdi sent youCall Nova Fireplace And Stove at 571-513-3803, mention that Al Galdi sent you and receive $25 off any fireplace or chimney service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17:13 - Guest: Commanders analyst Mark Bullock of MarkBullock.Substack.com with All-22-style breakdowns of the Commanders' defensive line and linebacking corps, including what the team would be getting in Cleveland Browns edge defender Myles Garrett if it traded for him, how far general manager Adam Peters should go to trade for Garrett, whether the Commanders should re-sign pending unrestricted-free-agent edge defenders Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell, where we are and what should happen with interior defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne and more39:16 - Guest: Capitals insider Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network on the Eastern Conference-leading Caps as they come out of their break for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, including why the Caps are so much better at scoring goals as compared to how the team was in the 2023-2024 season, the reality that the Caps appear to have successfully retooled and avoided having to rebuild, insight on goaltender Logan Thompson off the Caps signing him to a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension, what to expect from the Caps regarding the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, whether in-season contract extensions could be coming for two prominent Caps who are set to be unrestricted free agents this coming offseason in defenseman Jakob Chychrun and winger Andrew Mangiapane and more01:01:44 - Maryland Basketball: discussion of the No. 20 Terrapins' 88-71 win over USC as the newly-dubbed Crab Five shined againThe Nace Law Group, Accident & Injury Lawyers - 202-902-7611 and make sure that you mention that Al Galdi sent youCall Nova Fireplace And Stove at 571-513-3803, mention that Al Galdi sent ya and receive $25 off any fireplace or chimney service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

14:18 - Guest: Commanders analyst Mark Bullock of MarkBullock.Substack.com with an All-22-style deep dive on the Commanders' secondary, including why it is so crucial to the scheme of head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., assessments of cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil, why the team needs another starting-caliber cornerback, potential targets for the Commanders at cornerback in free agency in the 2025 offseason, how set the team is at safety if it re-signs pending unrestricted free agent Jeremy Chinn and more35:08 - Guest: Wizards insider Chase Hughes on Monumental Sports Network on how the Wizards' four key building blocks from the last two first rounds of NBA Drafts - Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George - are doing, why the Wizards' four trades in the lead-up to the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline may've been the best work yet by Michael Winger as Monumental Basketball president and Will Dawkins as Wizards general manager, how Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert fit into the Wizards' rebuild, the perceived-to-be-loaded 2025 NBA Draft in terms of its top three players and the potential for Maryland's Derik Queen to be a top-five pick and more58:31 - Nationals: reaction to the Nats agreeing with free-agent reliever Lucas Sims on a one-year contract01:02:57 - College Basketball: thoughts on Georgetown winning for just the fourth time in 12 games with a 93-72 victory over Providence, American losing for just the second time in 12 games with a 76-69 loss at Army and VCU winning its fifth consecutive game with an 80-51 win over UMass to set up a big game against George MasonThe Nace Law Group, Accident & Injury Lawyers - 202-902-7611 and make sure that you mention that Al Galdi sent youFollow @WSHOnTheDaily on Instagram and visit WSHOnTheDaily.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17:38 - Guest: former Redskins salary-cap analyst J.I. Halsell on the Commanders' renaissance 2024 season, the value of having a great quarterback like Jayden Daniels on a rookie contract, the possibility of Daniels when he is extension-eligible in the 2027 offseason becoming the NFL's first player with a contract with an average annual value of $100 million, the notion of the Commanders taking on the albatross that is the contract of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson as the trade compensation for Browns edge defender Myles Garrett, how and why the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles are elite at salary-cap management, Commanders general manager Adam Peters doing so well in free agency in the 2024 offseason and more44:16 - Nationals: discussion of comments from Nats managing principal owner Mark Lerner on the Lerner family's commitment to owning the Nats and on the team's spending on players50:23 - Virginia Tech Basketball: reaction to a 54-36 loss at Boston College, marking the Hokies' fewest points in an ACC game ever and fewest points in any game since Feb. 18, 1967Call Nova Fireplace And Stove at 571-513-3803, mention that Al Galdi sent you and receive $25 off any fireplace or chimney serviceVisit CateringByUptown.com and mention that Al Galdi sent you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15:26 - Guest: Mike Petraglia, host of the Jungle Roar Podcast on the Cincinnati Bengals, on the team reportedly deciding to franchise-tag receiver Tee Higgins for a second consecutive offseason and thus likely removing him as a potential target for the Commanders, including why the Bengals are doing this, the possibility of the Bengals trading him, just how good he is and his concerning recent injury history...and Petraglia analyzes the good and bad done by the Bengals in their roster construction while having Joe Burrow as their franchise quarterback, providing lessons for the Commanders as they embark on their first offseason off quarterback Jayden Daniels' all-time-great rookie season43:24 - Orioles: discussion of the Orioles' spending on players off Orioles controlling owner David Rubenstein in a session with reporters addressing team spending54:25 - Virginia Basketball: thoughts on an 80-62 loss to No. 3 Duke in a game in which Blue Devils freshman - and perhaps future Wizards player - Cooper Flagg was dominantThe Nace Law Group, Accident & Injury Lawyers - 202-902-7611 and make sure that you mention that Al Galdi sent youVisit CateringByUptown.com and mention that Al Galdi sent youFollow @WSHOnTheDaily on Instagram and visit WSHOnTheDaily.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17:25 - Guest: NFL analytics expert Ben Baldwin on the groundbreaking website that he co-created in RBSDM.com, how Super Bowl 59 made Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels' all-time-great rookie season look even better, how Daniels was robbed in not being at least one of the five finalists for Associated Press NFL MVP for the 2024 regular season, the great work of Commanders head coach Dan Quinn via his bold fourth-down decision-making in the 2024 season and the nature of advanced stats in the current NFL, including the stat that is the basis for much of Baldwin's work - Expected Points Added52:07 - College Basketball: analysis of No. 25 Maryland's 101-75 win over Iowa as the Terrapins scored their most points in a game in 23 years, George Mason winning its 11th consecutive game with a 58-57 victory over Saint Joseph's, American winning for the 10th time in 11 games a 72-51 victory over Loyola Maryland, Virginia winning for the fourth time in five games with a 73-70 victory at Virginia Tech, Georgetown losing for the eighth time in 11 games with a 97-86 loss at Butler, Liberty winning for the for the seventh time in eight games with a 76-69 victory at UTEP and William & Mary's 72-59 win over Drexel01:07:38 - Nationals and Orioles: reaction to the Nats agreeing with free-agent shortstop/third baseman Paul DeJong on a one-year contract reportedly worth $1 million to perhaps be their No. 1 third baseman...discussion of the Nats winning their arbitration case with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to where he at just $10.3 million is set to be the highest-paid player on the Nats' 2025 Opening Day roster...and thoughts on the O's suffering another blow to their starting-pitching depth with Chayce McDermott having suffered a lat/teres strain prior to spring trainingThe Nace Law Group, Accident & Injury Lawyers - 202-902-7611 and make sure that you mention that Al Galdi sent youCall Nova Fireplace And Stove at 571-513-3803, mention that Al Galdi sent you and receive $25 off any fireplace or chimney service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

14:49 - Guest: Mitch Tischler, co-host of Monumental Sports Network's Beltway Football podcast, on the states of the Commanders' offensive and defensive lines, including how good the offensive line truly was in the 2024 season, the potential for right tackle Andrew Wylie to be a salary-cap cut, whether Brandon Coleman will be the team's starting left tackle for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season, how much of the struggles of the rushing offense in terms of running backs as the 2024 season went on were on the offensive line versus the backs, why the run defense in the 2024 season was so bad, the likelihood of the team re-signing edge defenders and pending unrestricted free agents Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell, whether interior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen has played his last game for Washington, what has happened with interior defensive lineman Daron Payne since he signed his big-money contract extension in March 2023, what kind of a rookie season interior defensive lineman Johnny Newton had and more45:33 - Nationals and Orioles: discussion of injury news for each team, including the reveals that the Nats' top pitching prospect, Travis Sykora, underwent offseason hip surgery and Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers suffered a right-kneecap subluxation during an offseason workout49:03 - College Basketball: analysis of No. 25 Maryland's 83-75 win at Nebraska...and thoughts on Liberty's 64-54 win at New Mexico State and William & Mary's 61-60 win over HofstraVisit PaulsonAndNace.com and tell Paulson & Nace that Al Galdi sent youCall Nova Fireplace And Stove at 571-513-3803, mention that Al Galdi sent ya and receive $25 off any fireplace or chimney service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11:39 - Guest: Commanders insider Ben Standig of The Athletic on the likelihood of Marcus Mariota as an unrestricted free agent in the 2025 offseason landing a spot as a bridge QB1 with another team, what general manager Adam Peters' philosophy for the team's 2025 offseason should/will be in terms of being aggressive vs. not giving up too much draft capital, the potential for the Commanders to trade for Cleveland Browns edge defender Myles Garrett, San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel and Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, possible salary-cap cuts for the Commanders in the 2025 offseason and more46:30 - Nationals: discussion of shortstop CJ Abrams being back with the Nats for the first time since his demotion to Triple-A Rochester in Sept. 2024 due to disciplinary reasons as 2025 Nationals Spring Training begins53:55 - Wizards: breakdown of a 134-130 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers in a game in which the Wizards blew a 19-point third-quarter lead but also got more encouraging performances from Wizards building blocks58:12 - VCU Basketball: analysis of an 80-72 win at George Washington for the Rams' 10th win in 11 gamesVisit PaulsonAndNace.com and tell Paulson & Nace that Al Galdi sent youVisit CateringByUptown.com and mention that Al Galdi sent you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

14:43 - Guest: Barry Svrluga, columnist for The Washington Post, on the state of the Commanders off their 2024 renaissance season, including the team finally having solved owner and quarterback - two items that Svrluga pounded for years, why he's not necessarily expecting a big-splash offseason from general manager Adam Peters and what has been especially impressive about offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury...and Svrluga provides analysis and intel on the Nationals' lack of spending in MLB's 2024-2025 offseason, including the dynamic between president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo and the Lerner ownership group, how close we might actually be to a sale of the Nats, insight on the inner workings of the Lerner ownership group and the latest in the MASN dispute50:16 - George Mason Basketball: breakdown of a 76-74 overtime win at Saint Louis for Mason's 10th consecutive winCall Nova Fireplace And Stove at 571-513-3803, mention that Al Galdi sent ya and receive $25 off any fireplace or chimney serviceFollow @WSHOnTheDaily on Instagram and visit WSHOnTheDaily.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices