Logic

All indications this morning are that it's gonna be the Steelers, who have been the betting favorites for months anyway.

On the one hand, Aiyuk, Polk, Baker, Douglas, and Osborne is an outstanding WR room. Really good. On the other hand, I'd be happy to see Judon go, if that's the move. I like the thought of Josh Allen having to outscore Drake Maye better than I like the thought of him being chased by Matt Judon twice a year (past successes against Judon notwithstanding).

It also is one of the few moves I've seen proposed that actually help the 49ers THIS season. It's nice to get a draft pick next year and all, but they're firmly in their Super Bowl window NOW. Trading Aiyuk would hurt, but if they could get a high quality pass rusher in return, a replacement receiver who knows their system (albeit an inferior one), AND a draft pick for next year, all while sending him to the AFC and, in all reality, a non-contender? That's a win for the 49ers.

RUMOR: Patriots to send Matthew Judon, Kendrick Bourne, 2025 2nd round pick for Aiyuk. Done deal.

Amazing game. I was a "regular" board game guy my whole life. I knew nothing of "designer" games or, for lack of a better term, nerdy board games. Someone introduced my wife and I to Catan a few years ago (back when it was still called Settlers of Catan). We loved it. We bought our own set, and we still play it to this day against other couples friends (and it can also be adapted to play with three people instead of four). Things I like about it: - The board is different every time, so there is no ONE strategy that's going to win every single game. You have to adapt to the board and use different strategies in different games to give yourself the best chance to win. - There are multiple ways to go about trying to win. It's not just "first one to get Boardwalk and Park Place wins!". - Trading of resources with fellow players adds an interactivity that is lacking in other games. - The game takes skill, logic, and forethought to win. While it involves SOME luck, it involves way less of it than other games. I know there are a bunch of different expansion sets, but honestly, I don't feel the need to use any of them, because the base game is about as well constructed and consistently fun as a game can be. No need to fix what isn't broken. I can see why the guys play it camp. And "a bunch of 20-something pro football playing jocks play it a bunch at training camp" is about as good an endorsement of how fun it is (and the fact that it isn't just for nerds) as any I can think of.

Ah, well that must be my issue. I've only got around .78oz of integrity. It's a genetic condition.

Wait, can our wives see what we post here?! In that case, my wife is very smart and an excellent cook and she does that one thing much better than she used to!

He's tryin to front like she's too skinny. I'm just pointing out that he would abandon his entire life with the swiftness if it meant a weekend of Mario Kart 64 and Totino's pizza rolls with her in a Scranton Motel 6.

Wait wait wait.... ...WHAT?! She makes ***** Pierogis?!?! Tell me more.

She's awesome, and I'm just being an (admittedly smarmy) idiot. Probably part of the reason I crush so hard on her is BECAUSE she's so smart, so funny, such a talented human being in so many respects. In truth, if I was to have the honor of meeting her, I'd probably turn from a roaring lion into a meek little lamb pretty quickly due to shyness.

C'mon man... The speed with which you would ditch your family, job, and obligations to spend a week doing jigsaw puzzles with Kay Adams in a cottage in Montpelier could not be measured by mortal instruments.

The thing that stands out for me is that in every previous camp I can remember for the past five+ years, two things were true: The defense usually led the way early and was further along than the offense, and even once the offense caught up, the two units tended to trade days back and forth in terms of who "won the day". This year, it seems to me that the offense is being reported as crisp and efficient day after day. It seems the offense is moving the ball and scoring, day after day. Now, I suppose one could look at that and be concerned about the defense, but...we can't rule out the possibility that the offense is just humming right now. It also seems that the ball is being spread around. It's not just "X player is having a dominant camp". One day it's Samuel moving all over the formation and making catches, the next day its Coleman with a highlight reel catch, the next day Kincaid or Shakir (or Knox or Shavers) are drawing praise for their route running and hands. Lastly, and most importantly: Similar to the offense as a whole, most years, Josh has some really good days and a few bad or mediocre days. This year, I have yet to hear of any bad or mediocre days for Josh. All indications are that he is playing in rhythm, making good decisions, distributing the ball to everyone, and that his passes themselves are spinning off his hand with precision and velocity. Some have even said they think this is Josh Allen's best training camp as a pro. That's SAYING something! For me, the optimism is due to a combination of: specific reports of the way the offensive personnel is being deployed (formations, shifts, motions, etc), the effective distribution of the ball to different players, Josh Allen apparently being on an absolute heater, and lastly: there is an intangible element of renewed fun/freshness/opportunity that I didn't feel last year. The Bills have felt...tight...to me for a couple years now. Like the weight of expectation (and the unspoken behind-the-scenes weirdness between certain players) was crushing them. This year? Breath of fresh air. Smiles. Fun. Turning the page. Opportunity. I feel the optimism. I didn't a few weeks ago, but I do now. I'm excited to see this Bills team take the field in September.

I'm just gonna say it. With full recognition of the fact that Kay Adams is a talented and likeable reporter, podcaster, and TV personality and that her physical attractiveness likely should not enter the conversation, lest it show small-minded and caveman-ish misogyny on my part... ...I would like to buy that woman a plate of spaghetti and then lie with her in the adult fashion.

Davidson was a tight end/punter in college. Positional versatility, babaayyy!!

Reminds me of how excited I was when the Bills took Cardale Jones, solely based on his absolute cannon of an arm. Jones was more or less out of the NFL after just one season. Not the same players, of course, but...if arm strength was all it took to be a good NFL quarterback, then Jeff George and Jamarcus Russell would be the GOATs.

Not enough murder or Angela Lansbury for my liking.

Jinx, buy me some coke.

I'm gonna turn that game on and be so excited about it for like...6 minutes. Then I'll remember it's the worst game the NFL presents every year and I'll switch to old Murder She Wrote episodes.

Yeah I have to say that the camp reports of highly effective offense -- and specifically Josh Allen looking the best he's ever looked in camp -- have me more optimistic than I've been all offseason. If 2020 Josh is back, the ceiling for this team is a Lombardi trophy. When THAT Josh is playing, it's hard to beat the Bills.

Yeah I agree. I'm glad they're looking at this. McDaniel and the Dolphins last year, with their "cheat motion" stuff, basically dared the league to call their bluff by -- as you mention -- often having players who sure LOOKED like they were moving forward before the snap. The league does indeed appear to be calling their bluff. Good.

I suppose the reason I was somewhat persuaded by the "character concern" color coding is that they have it on Jermaine Burton and Javon Baker, both of whom multiple draft analysts mentioned as having potential character concerns. It could just be coincidence, of course.

Ah, I read the report wrong. I thought Jackson was the one in the car that was speeding and in which alcohol use was suspected, rather than being in the car which was struck by a speeding and possibly impaired person. My mistake. I take back what I said.

I mean yeah, that's true... ...but he also perished in a high speed automobile accident in which alcohol was suspected, before he was even able to take a single snap. Not to cast aspersions, but the manner of his death suggests that perhaps the character concern designation was not entirely unfounded.

OH MY GOD I HAD BLOCKED THAT OUT OF MY MEMORY. I can't believe that really happened. Good God.

But more than that, it's the idea of moving a good player from a high value position like corner or left tackle to a lower value position like safety or guard. After QB, the next most important positions in football are arguably OT, DE, and CB. Safety and guard are considerably further down the list. So if you have a very good corner, why move him to safety? If you have a very good tackle, why move him to guard? Moving an aging corner to safety or an aging tackle to guard sometimes makes sense. See Troy Vincent or Rod Woodson. Rasul Douglas is 29 and was the Bills' best corner last year. Moving him does not make sense.