thebandit27

Indeed--he was much better than I expected him to be in his limited action last Sunday. I expected him to be a train wreck.

@aristo Is that $3.6M created because it's stricken from the 2017 cap, or because we can roll that space from 2016 over? Thanks for the reminder! Not at all...and your point is well-taken. Fair points--a lot of it is going to depend upon who becomes the DC. If it's a guy like Bradley, he won't really have a use for Spikes--he likes speed guys, so Zach would be a must re-sign (hence why I thought a guy like Humber could work as well). The starting group really wouldn't be the concern for me--I think you can probably get by with Brown-Ragland-Brown, especially if we play a lot of nickel like most teams do. It's what happens when one of those guys goes down that worries me...I wasn't a huge Ragland fan to begin with, so part of my concern relates to my skepticism that he can handle his business in coverage when asked ( **ducks the incoming swing from Blokes** )

Been starting to get into pure DL guys as I get beyond Jonathan Allen, and boy does Malik McDowell remind me of Chris Jones from 2016. Plays anywhere from 5T to 0T, has great get-off, ties up blockers, and finishes plays. Also has the same negatives in that his pad level gets too high at times, and he has lapses where it looks like he loses concentration and mis-reads his keys. Tons of ability there though; I'd call him a top-20 guy before workouts.

When a player files his retirement papers with the league, it's treated exactly the same as a cut--if it happens in the offseason, they can designate it as a post-June 1st cut. Of course...we all know that. We're merely looking ahead at what the team can do to both (a) bring in pieces they need and (b) remain fiscally responsible down the road, since they aren't in a position to go for it all next season.

The more I think about this, the more I realize that it's kind of inevitable that LB is going to be a huge weakness on this team in 2017. Even if they manage to re-sign Zach Brown, you have a LB group that consists of both Browns and Ragland--who is coming off an ACL injury. That's it...nobody else under contract. Now, assume that they do as many would like and switch to a 4-3...you'd like to think this makes the situation better, but in reality it creates a bigger hole. EDGE guys like Hughes, Lawson, and LorAx become DEs or situational pass rushers. Maybe LorAx can give you snaps at LB, but again, you want him as fresh as possible if he's going to rush the passer consistently. They'll probably need to end up both re-signing Zach (or bringing in a guy like Malcolm Smith) and sacrificing a guy like Easley to bring back either Spikes or Humber. They'll probably keep 6 or 7 LBs on the roster (if they run a 4-3), so even if all of this happens, they're still in a position where a single injury to the group could cause serious issues on the field.

It's a no-brainer; sit Grant. As to Jack, to me it looks like he feels the pressure of having to be the creator of all things offense. You can see it in the way he holds the puck. He knows that if he doesn't create offense, the team won't score goals. Tough place for the kid to be, because in one sense, he's right. In another, he needs to learn to trust his teammates and understand that he can create just as much offense without the puck on his stick--heckuva tough thing for a young player to learn.

I probably have Jamal Adams around 12 right now; don't worry, he's on my radar Barber is a pretty good comparison for King; actually, the first time I watched him I was reminded of Antoine Winfield with his lightning-quick recognition and form tackling. I'll get killed for making this comparison, but the guy who's style King plays closest to is actually Richard Sherman. A primarily zone corner, extremely smart, loves to get his hands on receivers, and makes plays on the ball. Like Sherman, he gets in trouble with nifty route-runners that can turn his hips around, and lacks the top gear to take away the deep throws. I think if he had Sherman's size and background as a WR, he'd be a sure-fire top-10 pick on every board. Since he's undersized, he'll probably end up getting picked in the 15-25 range, but right now I have him ahead of the duos from Florida and Ohio State. I think he'd probably be a perfect fit for Schwartz's defense in Philly, so right now I have him going 14.

All it takes is a top-5 defense and a top-5 run game. We've been halfway there for 3 years.

Hughes' contract hasn't flipped yet, so I don't think we can restructure him--you're basically pushing the flipping point out 2 more years, which is, IMO, ill-advised. Clay's contract is just as tough. Sure, I gotcha. I think Gilmore's fate will largely be dependent upon the next coach. If it's a guy that plays a LOT of man, then it makes sense to keep him. I'm more of the opinion that they'll likely want quantity over a high-priced corner. And I really, really like Gilmore as a player.

I agree that Davis should be the pick if he's there. I'd be elated with Baker in round 2 if you can get him there, but I'd also be happy with my boy Dante Barnett in round 3.

Nice work Gunner; really solid...I was actually working on this a bit over the weekend. Our plans are close, but not identical. Here's where I'm at: With 43 players under contract, and assuming a cap of $170M, we're a bit more than $28M under the cap now. RFAs I would tender only Gilislee and Groy--I am looking for an upgrade from Schmidt. Assuming the lowest tender amount is close to $1.8M, that brings us down to approximately $25M. Cheap UFA Re-signings I'm looking at Hunter, Tate, and Felton. I think these 3 can get done for a total of $4M, which drops the space down to $21M. Allowed to Walk Manuel, Gragg, Woods, Gilmore, Brown, Ihedigbo, Meeks, Humber, Spikes, Douzable, McCray, White, Blanton, Anderson, Gragg, Goodwin, Harvin, Bush, Mills, Bryant. Expensive UFA Re-signings Zach Brown - I'd like to get Zach at $5M AAV if possible. Much of his valuation will depend upon the new DC, but supposing it's a guy like Bradley, Zach has added value as a coverage guy with speed. LorAx - Again, this is going to depend entirely upon the market for his services. I can't remember the last time a 33-year-old burst onto the scene with a double-digit sack season the way he has, so I have no idea how to value that. For the sake of argument, I used Elvis Dumervil's $5.2M AAV as the starting point, so I think it's possible that LorAx comes back for $5M on a one-year "prove it" type deal. The above drop the cap space to $11M with 50 players under contract. Cuts Aaron Williams (actually, a retirement) - saves $1.775M Corey Graham - saves $3.775M Dan Carpenter - saves $2.4M Brings the cap space up to approximately $19M with 47 players under contract. Restructures/Renegotiation I'm assuming, for the sake of conservatism, that we don't touch Tyrod's deal (and that he stays, obviously). I'd tack two years onto Eric Wood's deal (call it a total of $8M on the 2-year extension) and slash his base salary for 2017 to $1M (converting the rest to a signing bonus), which gives him an extra $3M+ in cash right now. This would save $2.1M. Now we're up to $21.1M with 47 players under contract. I'll assume $6Mish for draft picks as Over the Cap did, so we're at $15M in space to go shopping. My Plan - Sign likely cap casualty Antione Bethea from SF. He's a veteran that can still play well in both phases, and brings some much-needed experience to an empty cupboard at safety. At 32 years old, he'd probably take $4M AAV. - Sign a cap casualty to compete with Seymour on the boundary. A guy like Sam Shields, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Alterraun Vernor, who can still play, but would cost closer to $7M AAV and not count against the compensatory formula. - Sign a backup QB. Should be able to get this done for a 1-year, $3M deal. Even with no progressive structuring of the contracts, we're now at 50 players under contract (before draft picks and UDFAs) and within $1M of the cap. Holes still remain at safety and WR, but you have to believe you can address those in the draft. I am fully in favor of moving Glenn to RT and letting Kouandjio man the LT spot, so I'm not considering RT an immediate need.

Here's my (very) early top 10: 1. Jonathan Allen - DL/Alabama 2. Tim Williams - EDGE/Alabama 3. Myles Garrett - EDGE/Texas A&M 4. Malik Hooker - S/Ohio State 5. Dalvin Cook - RB/Florida State 6. Corey Davis - WR/W. Michigan 7. Marlon Humphrey - CB/Alabama 8. Derek Barnett - EDGE/Tennessee 9. Desmond King - CB/Iowa 10. Marshon Lattimore - CB/Ohio State Yeah--lots of EDGE guys and cover guys up top this year. Keep in mind that I haven't done a ton of work on QBs, pass catchers, or LBs just yet, so this is very fluid.

That honor has to go to either Garrett or Allen--not sure which yet. Baker is, rather, a guy that I think will go 10-12 picks later than he should, which is just fine with me.

I'm an amateur (though I did work for the AP, so I guess that could qualify as a former professional) and I feel the same way.

Well, for someone that doesn't do subterfuge, that looks like an awfully convenient way to call him a bust while leaving a rather flimsy out. I'm sure you can re-read that and see why your post that says "if his career ended today he'd be a bust" sounds an awful lot like "he's a bust", and if it wasn't meant that way, then why bring it up at all? Is there any 1st round pick in NFL history whose career would NOT be a bust if it lasted a total of 3 seasons?

What did you mean by this response? Sure looks like you responded to my question of "this guy is a bust?" with a very clear "most definitely". See above EDIT: and unfortunately my iPhone typing resulted in me accidentally deleting the post to which you responded 😡 So you'll have to read it in a quoted version.

This is a significantl different statement than saying he'd be considered a bust right now as you seemed to be implying above

Massive cop out Of course it would be a bust if he only played 3 seasons Please tell me that you have a better point than that. This thread started by comparing his numbers after 3 seasons to Julio Jones'...would Julio have been a bust at this point? Now factor in the significant disparity in QB play and targets (because context matters whether you like it or not), and answer again. Perhaps now you see the point

That's a nebulous and untrue criticism: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=icjA5DfVwE4 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d40Ao1qf96g And by the way, Marvin Harrison made a career out of getting down and out of bounds early. Soft is hardly the way to describe a guy that's played through as many injuries as he has. So neither facts not context matter? Gotcha. He's not a bust. Carson Palmer was a QB picked first overall, yet he never won a Super Bowl...bust? No, because that would be a dumb way to define it. He's producing on par with other #1 WRs when given the opportunity

Thanks man. As I've said, I have no issue with folks saying that the investment hasn't paid off due to lack of availability on the field. His production when on the field (when taken in context) cannot possibly be questioned.

He plays SOFT? I'll await an example of that, while reminding you that he's played through rib, hip, groin, and foot injuries for 37 games.

Apparently Mayock and I are on the same page... Mike Mayock ‏@MikeMayock 31 Dec 2016 So many good players..2 of my favorite players from tape-they play diff positions but both ALWAYS around ball -budda baker and Reuben foster

I'll tell y'all something... If Malik Hooker gets scooped up before Buffalo picks in round 1, I'd pass on Jamal Adams and grab Budda Baker in round 2. Love the way this kid plays the safety position: a box-style safety that can blitz, but also played slot corner regularly. He's one of my guys (along with Kansas State's Dante Barnett).

Boom. This here is your developmental guy with athletic upside and arm talent if you're looking for one.

There is literally no reason to expect that.