MasterStrategist

Why are we trying to trade a capable 4th/5th safety? When said player is cheap on a rookie deal, has been in our system for a few years and was actually decent depth in 2022? I think it's fair to say last year wasn't the best version of Damar, coming through his long recovery to even participate in football activities. Let's see how he does in training camp, if another rookie/cheap guy beats him for safety #5, so be it/cut him and he 100% signs with Pittsburgh (at the very least P/S)

You nailed his issues. One of the "underlying" causes of those issues, is the teams inability to win games. Both with Steelers and Bears, this had a significant impact on his attitude/approach. With Miami, I think the biggest issue wasn't learning the playbook/he was already dialed out after all the drama with Chicago LY. Not excuses, but getting back around a winning culture/top end QB could be enough for him to re-dedicate himself. Agree, low risk/high reward type signing.

Chill man, I was just saying it's an insensitive topic to some ppl...especially if you've had any family/friends deal with a similar experience. Like someone joking about cancer, why even bring that material in? Plenty of other good material to roast Brady and others on, just didn't think it was necessary or smart to even include AH. Like I said, rest of the roast was solid. Ppl can have different opinions on what is "off limits" in a roast. It was "Roast of Tom Brady", I didn't understand the rationale of including AH to begin with. Moving on, I'm not upset about it, seems like many others on social media/family are though

Roast itself was good, minus the Aaron Hernandez suicide jokes. Dude committed a crime, condemn him for that...but suicide shouldn't be joked about on national tv....during MH awareness month, Hernandez still has a daughter, I could go on and on. That part wasn't smart to include IMO. Rest of the roast was great though

Exactly. Problem LY, we didn't have a player who could win 50/50 downfield passes.

In recent history, it's been 2nd Thursday in May. So May 8th seems very possible, 15th at latest

Don't disagree, I just see Hollins in a "likely lock" category, not certain though. I see us keeping 2 more big bodied guys on the 53 roster, between Hollins, Shorter, Shavers and Claypool, I'd say Hollins has the "highest floor" and proven S/T ability and run blocker. I'd love to see Claypool return to rookie form output, or Shorter/Shavers make a big step...perhaps all or 2 of these happen. But I'd put lower odds on that compared to Hollins at this point. Hollins is a solid WR5, just hoping one of above or the likes of Hamler/etc show us something better as a WR4

To me, it just shows we want a balance of big body/x-receiver types and slot/Versatile types on the team. Going into the draft, we already had 2 slot/Versatile receivers, but just Hollins as a semi proven big bodied receiver (at least his blocking skills). We needed a couple more big body types, at least 1 starter, for the roster. And likely 1 more slot/Versatile type (if we keep 6/for return duties). At least for Practice Squad. Beane is seeing if one or two of these "fliers" sticks (Claypool, Hamler, Cephus) OR hoping that Shorter, Shavers takes a step, and has Isabella as a fallback slot/returner. I'd be more confident if we had a proven/more consistent upgrade over Hollins in that WR4 spot. Just gotta hope now that 1 of the guys above stands out in training camp.

Definitely a low risk signing, a year after the Bears wasted a 2nd round pick; we're not giving up any draft capital and it's likely a vet min contract. The way I see it, it's likely we keep 6 WRs on the 53, and have a balance of 3 bigger/X-body type receivers and 3 slot/quicker types: a. Big Body Types (1 lock, 1 likely lock, 1 open spot): Lock: Coleman Likely a lock (>75% chance): Hollins Competing for a spot: Shorter, Shavers, Claypool, Cephus, UDFA Slot/Versatile types (2 locks, 1 open): Locks: Samuel, Shakir Competing: Isabella, Hamler, Bryan Thompson, UDFA *this excludes UDFA names, perhaps 1 makes it based on return ability Maybe Beane has another vet, post June 1, in mind. Otherwise, it seems he's sprinkling in some "semi successful" vets (with flaws), with some young unproven talents to compete for a 1-2 spots. It's not a horrible strategy, but when your #4 is Mack Hollins, I don't like it. If we had a solid #4, this strategy seems valid and less risky. Beane has had some success on these 1-yr deals, or a younger guy taking a big step in year 2-3, so I'm optimistic until I see otherwise this training camp/Fall.

Spot on, I came away with the same conclusions after watching Mich ST vs FL ST snaps. Travis extended plays, and Coleman seems to do very well being "qb friendly" on those play types. But Jordan was inconsistent with ball placement, and his timing was a typical college QB at many times (little anticipation/underthrew Coleman on some deep passes). His contested catches were quite solid when the QB put it where it was intended (ie: back shoulder, away from defenders leverage, etc). He even bailed out Travis quite a few times. Travis might be a quality backup someday, but I think Colemans game will transition to Josh's playing style and benefit of much better ball placement. We also finally have a WR capable of drawing Def Pass Interfernce penalties downfield, alot weren't called in college but NFL is much different.

I don't disagree and I tried to premise in my post, that talent is the ultimate equalizer. Admittedly, I've only watched 30-40 minutes of YouTube snaps/not just highlights, from Mich ST and FL ST. 2b is definitely the "talent" trait from the list that I posted. The rest were qualities about Keon that touched more on what was learned from the couple interviews that I've seen. I was simply alluding that Keon has more talent than just on the field, he has the intangibles that should help as well (again big caveat, just from watching 2 interviews). The personalities I've been around like his are usually contagious, have just as much impact on the locker room/leadership as well.

Nice to see some actual quality/NFL depth players signed, with Morrow/Jones/Draft (Wash kid). To go with current backups Williams and Spector. No more wasting on the S/T only types, like Big Red, or having a break glass moment with AJ Klein. Assuming that Chiefs game left a very sour taste with Coach/Beane, re: LB depth as well as other positional body types/play style.

How are you getting 3-4 drops against Boston College? You must be grading this extremely difficult against Coleman intentionally. Travis' ball placement is horrible on half his throws, not only against BC but others. He's also late with his throws until Keon is wide open on others, and under threw at least 2 long TDs to Keon. Back to BC game, Keon back shoulder in end zone his arm is being arm barred on 1st pass...that would've been a 1 handed catch...is that 1 of your 4 drops? How about the crosser where Travis throws the ball behind Keon, into double coverage...does that count as another? You can be against the pick, that's your opinion. But if you're counting 15 drops, that just seems like biased judgment of what you deem "catchable", bad throws/uncatchable, and what are true 50/50 balls. First play vs LSU, Travis throws that pass at least 1 foot over a 6' 4" man who also got a great vertical on the play, was that a drop?

I think he's a natural "talker"/energetic dude. Beane seemed to allude to his personality being very likeable, after the pick. Re: interviews, I think the few things I'm learning about his game: 1. This guy lives/breathes football. Talent is a big aspect of making it in the NFL, but a close second is the dedication and love of the game to drive you to be better 2. Attitude. He's got the right attitude as a rookie, demonstrated by things he'd saying and doing: a. importance of forming a close bond with Josh, b.. how he is on the field/dawg/using his basketball skills to help him win 1-1 matchups, and c. Reaching out to Reed already, yeah it might be a small thing, but not something everyone does and it shows his respect for the great players that came before him and the want to learn how to succeed and do well in the Blo community. That says alot to me about this approach 3. Maturity, he seems like a fun/funny guy, but also very grounded All this won't overcome a lack of route running/speed/ability to win 1-1, but it shows he's likely got the intangibles to succeed. I have a feeling his talent will be displayed very early, with his wingspan and physicality at the route break/catch point.

If anyone even listened to the Beane presswr, the word "transition" came up as a response to filling leadership roles/parting ways with vets. Every year is a new roster/new dynamic. Now, too many are using that to put words in Beanes mouth (ie: don't get expectations high, 2024 is a rebuild/2025 is the focus, etc). To pull out a 'Tomlinism', "the standard is the standard". It's playing "playoff caliber" ball all season, reaching the dance and trying to make a run at a SB. Anything beyond that is pure speculation/reflection of what posters think this team is capable of.

100% agree, Beane has alot of faith in Shakir taking another step this season. You've made some great predictions in the past on here, so I'm hoping you're spot on with this one too. I'm still concerned about having a 2nd boundary/field stretcher. I guess we'll see in June/July if Beane makes another move with the Tre $s. I think Brady has plenty of solid weapons at his disposal, Shakir being one of those. I see 4 guys capable of 700-900 yards with Kincaid, Samuel, Shakir, and Coleman. I'm hoping we can find a WR4, a field stretcher better than Hollins. Shorter/Shavers/Hamler are big wild cards. But yes, drafting just 1 WR certainly shows faith in our current group + Coleman. Hoping you and Beane are right here.

News about Kim is so sad, prayers with her still. Win one for Kim!

Building a new stadium will do that. I think cap reset plays a small role too, but there's a "budget" cash flow strategy while the stadium is still under construction

It isn't just about having 2 dynamic boundary players. It's about being able to attack all areas/zones of the field effectively. Chiefs and Bengals were both bottom 10 teams in Avg Depth per Target (adot) and Yards before catch (ybc). But they also gained ALOT of YAC and effectively hit on "intermediate" areas of the field. Yes, Burrow missed some time so we can take some of that into consideration, but it's still their persona to work all areas. Point is, if Brady can design better schemes and a better intermediate passing game then we'll be very successful. We have 4 guys that should hit those intermediate areas very well. Our achilles heal LY ( 2 things were): 1. Cover 2 defenses/with a strong front 4. Aka the Jets and others 2. Press man teams, aka the Chiefs and others We need to be able to attack deep too, but in order to beat these coverages above (without Josh having to scramble consistently, esp vs man) is to find guys who can either create separation, via speed/route running or physicality. We added 2 weapons, in Samuel and Coleman, who excel at both and bring YAC. Shakir and Kincaid are going to be better this year, especially Kincaid. And hopefully a healthy Knox. No problem being a ball control offense, if it's not solely dependent on Josh's legs. IMO, Diggs lost a step/perhaps poor effort LY, and Davis has never been an intermediate threat consistently. I think this years offense will be more difficult to defend, due to complementary skill sets and Brady taking over with a full offseason to install his scheme. Dorsey was a smart guy, but seemed to have some ADHD in his playcalling, which never had any rhythm or identity. We saw Brady "inherit" Dorseys scheme and show a much better knack for setting an identity and get the offense in rhythm. Can't imagine that he won't improve with his own design and playbook.

Thanks for sharing @Rigotz My Steelers connection told me Thursday afternoon (draft day) this was a Buffalo guy/going to be our pick, from what he gathered. I was a bit skeptical... But man, he couldn't have been more right! Sometimes you come across some special people, Keon seems like a very special guy/talent. This guy's demeanor and approach to things, you can already tell he's going to be very successful. Can't imagine how floored Coach/Beane and staff were when meeting with him. Going to be a fun year watching his and Josh's connection grow

I thought it was Week 5 vs Jax, but regardless it was definitely early on as you pointed out. Agree, Knox will get more involved this year. Pretty much agree with your assessment. I see Samuel, Shakir, Kincaid, and Coleman all possible in the 700-900 range. Cook and Davis will see their fair share of targets out of the backfield, and whoever gets WR4 should see 40ish targets. 2011 Saints are the last team with 6 players, who had >500 yards. I thought we had a real shot LY, then Knox got injured and Diggs was fed way too many targets IMO. This year, the main 4 should be shoe ins, if they stay healthy. Both Knox and Cook could very well be close, I'm predicting 400-500 for each of them. Offenses can be very dangerous when they have multiple weapons involved and complementing skill sets. Especially with a mobile QB to also defend. The offense this year has more potential, mainly bc of Brady having a full offseason to install his system and he's shown to be a very good playcaller/gameplans. Adding in, that we finally have multiple versatile weapons that can attack various parts of the field, since 2021 IMO. WR4 is my only concern, mainly from a secondary boundary/downfield threat to rely on as Coleman gets ramped up and depth.

Agree with this. Beane definitely sprinkles some "lies", along with truth. Fairly certain, Beane will look to fill the WR4 role after June 1st. Potentially DE as well, I'm concerned we don't gave a DE4 with run stopping/some pass rush. Toohill/Solomon/Kingsley, run game is not a strong suit. Ogbah would be a fit, if price is right. Back to WR, I'm comfortable with Hollins as WR5/ST and if we keep 6, let Hamler/Shorter/Shavers/UDFA compete. WR4 has to be a boundary/down field option. We don't need a star, nor am I expecting that, but a quality depth option. MVS and Chark would fill that role. Coleman is a rookie and will need some rampup time...I'm not confident that Shakir or Samuel take more than 50% snaps on the outside, let alone stay healthy all year. The thought of Hollins having to play significant snaps, due to injury/etc, is a depressing thought. Beane isn't giving his hand away, but he will definitely have $s after June 1 for MVS/Chark type. Give MVS or Chark $6m on a 1 yr deal (but add a void yr to decrease 2024 cap to $3mish). Along with a $3-4m type deal for Ogbah, potentially add a void year to his as well. We will be in better cap position in 2025, so adding a $4-5m deferred dead cap won't break thr bank...especially compared to this yr.

DE and WR still make the most sense. I think if we do sign a CB, it won't be anyone significant, just bc likely a CB4 on roster. At DE, Ogbah would be a nice vet likely wouldn't break the bank. Give us another run stopping/a little juice in pass rush. Toohill/Solomon/Kingsley concern me from a run stopping standpoint, as a DE4. At WR, MVS or Chark would be awesome. We just need a backup vet/someone who could fill that depth boundary role who can also be a downfield threat. Just depends on price and truly what Beane thinks of Shorter/Hamler/Shavers/Cephus. All those guys are big question marks for various reasons. MVS or Chark immediately slot in as a WR3/4 type. I don't expect any other positions are focused on, given the holes already filled in FA and draft.

Definitely think he'll take more 3rd down snaps initially, his pass catching and protection is a big reason he should get play early and often. Short yardage over Cook too. By seasons end, I could see him getting close to 30-40% once he's acclimated. Cook has some flaws but difficult to pull a probowl/ascending RB off the field anymore than necessary. I'm not sure if Davis has any kick return experience, but with the new kickoff rules it makes sense to have a RB or WR/RB hybrid (Samuel or other kid from OSU) returning kicks.

Very well said, I'm 100% in agreement. If anything, we can pick up on what we think the scheme is missing OR Beanes tendencies to best isolate on certain players. Or watch enough college football to narrow in on how a player might be implemented/have success in our scheme. But yes, total crapshoot for even the most dedicated evaluators. Alot of times, it's more about a fans perspective on what changes to our teams philosophy should be made. Ie: we need to prioritize WRs, finding a lethal 1/2 combo. OR spend less on defense, focus on offense more in general...based on thoughts of best ways to have success in NFL. Back to player evaluation.... In all honesty, unless a fan is watching every single down/snap these players took and dissecting how they were used/responsibilities, did they execute their role appropriately, etc...then no one should act like they know more than others. It's great to "speculate" but at the end of day, even the most hard-core fans don't spend countless hours on even 1 player (let alone 10-50 at a given position). Instead fans who are so "outspoken", rely on the Mel Kipers of the world or latest/greatest metrics or combine OR the best, looking at YouTube highlights and acting like that's gamefilm; to guide their opinions. Even if someone did do all their possible film review, that's typically 50-60% of the story. Player interviews, top 30 visits, talking with teammates, talking with prior coaches, etc...that plays a huge factor. Sometimes posters have a "connection" be it with the team, scout/otherwise, and regurgitate what they're being told. More knowledgeable sure, still not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. I don't mind either side, criticism or faith. Lots of times, this is more of a reflection of the posters personality or overall belief in team leadership morphed into over analyzing each move. What gets annoying is the "over the top" bravado, or high opinionated folks that think there crap doesn't stink/can't ever be wrong or even willing to admit it. Yes it's a message board, express an opinion to your hearts content, just realize Beane/staff have access to a TON more info than a common poster and spent more time in 1 day than most on here have done in 3 months leading up to draft, reviewing players.