JP51

I could totally see Darnold to the Stillers... wouldnt it be ironic if the Jests passed on a QB signed him back and he was terrible again... I keep hearing the water boy in my head... Oh no!!! He sucks again! .... lol

This definitely falls into the IYKYK category.... completely understand the generation gap here... if you didnt see it you wouldnt believe it... 9 men in the box all season long and this guy averages almost 150 yards a game with a rookie 3rd rd QB that threw like 10 times a game... Saban came out and said our offensive game plan is ... OJ left, OJ right, OJ up the middle... stop it...

OJ did something no one else had done, and no one has done since... 2003 yards in 14 games with an offense whose passing attack was as dangerous as a bee bee gun... I remember watching that game... and hearing Rick Azar saying... we don't understand yet what a privilege it has been to watch OJ run for 2000 yards.. Taking none of the shine off of Josh or Thurman, and giving no extra credit to OJ past what he did on a football field...

Myles Garrett

Ok so I am going to go against the obvious... Blame... no I wouldnt necessarily blame anyone for managing their career in a way that makes them happy.... But I am gonna used the catch word that my father used with me... which was the worst word he could have used... worse than mad, pissed, jack@ss etc,,,, I would be disappointed in him... Blame no... he can do what he wants... there is no blame... But if Josh left with full knowledge of what he meant to the area, the fans, the kids, the franchise, the businesses etc... the fact that he is positioned as Mr Buffalo Bill.. much like really only Jim Kelly and maybe Gilbert Perrault for hockey were... I would be very disappointed in him... 99.999% of athletes I would not say this about... but in the very very rare instances (and almost in an unfair way to the person), you become legend... you become identity, you become so beloved that the impact of you leaving is way more negative to the other side than it is positive to you.... they build hospital wings for your grandmother, the pioneer the cause of your sick son, they snow plow your driveway so you dont have to waste energy... they become part of your life outside of "football".... they become family. Now there are plenty of people that I would not expect to live up to the lifelong status... despite how great they were.... Thomas, Smith, Reed, Simpson, McAdoo, etc... that they left, played for other teams etc... I didnt see or feel disappointed in them.... In fact I only really have 3 players in over 50 years of being a fan... Perrault, Kelly and now Josh... that I would be disappointed in them if they left... I am a little disappointed Gilbert didnt stay a resident but he was from another country and spoke another language.. but he stayed here till the end trying to win... I remember feeling disappointed when Kelly was talking about going to Baltimore to play 1 more year and moving to Virginia, but ultimately stayed because of the support of his son and his terrible disease... and of course now Allen... Happy to listen to how this is dumb, unfair or otherwise waaaay too verbose... but in the end its my feeling rational or not.

I think the broad brush approach doesnt work i.e . Dont pay kickers... dont pay RBs... ... we pay for production... or should... but that also entails resource allocation... so just because you let someone walk does not mean you dont get production...(See Tremaine Edmunds leaving...) so you have to do the math... Do you pay cook 15mm for 1100 yards, 16 TDs and 200 receiving yards... or Do you give Ty Johnson 4mm for 900 rushing yards, 10 tds and 400 receiving yards... (just made up numbers for sake of argument) effectively is 11mm worth 200 rushing yards and 6 TDs... ? Then factor the production of who you add... paying 11mm to (pick a person say a WR) and add in their expected production... finish the equation and determine if the money allocation makes sense... I am not claiming one way or the other... I am just saying these are how I am factoring in these asset allocation decisions.... With running backs... production seems to be easier to fill in than in other positions... thus their projected production differences will be relatively small in a lot of instances... so paying RBs seems to have more drag when it coms to asset allocation.... Where as you look at say LT, does paying 4mm for a left tackle and accepting 6 more sacks are year and increasing your risk of blowing up your QB work out, or do you drop the bag on the gatekeeper...

so regarding Cooper... I actually think he tests the market and may find that the prices are not to his liking and actually come back to resign if indeed we want him... but I do not think we go all in on an offer to retain him... thus I think he will test the market...

100%

I think this may be the bench mark for Cook... 13mm for Barkley, 3rd in voting for NFL MVP, similar age, etc... so I dont even come close to paying Cook more than Barkley... someone might... but not me... I dialed in on 10/11mm initially and I think that is about where I sit now... cant do it for that... then go the way of Tremaine... and tell me how you like running behind the NY Giants OL... although I do fear if he leaves he is boarding a flight to Boston the same day.

So in some respects I am in your camp when judging the over all draft... problem is time is now... we essentially got 0 benefit from our draft picks in the most important game of the year... this is concerning to me... especially looking at playoffs... where we need drastic performance improvement... when you literally get 0 that just cant be where you are at... when everyone else is improving... If Coleman contributes even a little... to offset the Worthy performance in that game what happens... so... yes, I am not gonna judge the draft... but I will judge its immediate impact over the course of the entire season an give it a D+/C- with an F when it really counted....

amazing the things we remember and quote... like I actually quoted Yoda yesterday at work and was like... I did not wake up ever imagining I would be quoting Yoda today... but yet... here we are LOL

Marv Levy always said.... big time Free agents always hurt the team they leave more than they help the team they go too... Not sure I always subscribe to this.. but for Tee I think this may be the case...

I was thinking 7 or 8... but at some point his threat to run will need to be made up for in the passing game likely with really good WR... probably in the next 2-3 years.

I dont have a ton of disagreements with what he is saying...

I think I am Benford Shakir Bernard Cook

Ok. so.... If I am a GM... (and right now I am not sure exactly what I would do here...) I am asking myself these questions... how do I fit the salary into the cap budget, what do I have to give up in terms of improving the team because I am spending this money here, how much would said new person improve the over all team, what is the drop off between Cook and what we have, is that drop off more significant in diminishing our ability to win then how much I could improve the team in another area of need with that money... then strike your number... or pull a Tremaine and let them go... My thoughts... is Cook as system guy... Will Davis and Ty Johnson create a significant drop off.... Factor you are likely going to not sign Johnson if you give Cook big money. Cook is small, running behind a world class OL with a QB people are scared to death over... what is he gonna look like in New England, Miami, NY Giants, Atlanta... I feel like if someone is gonna sign a 15mm 195 lb RB they are likely going to be bottom half of the league standings and have CAP space... I question if he is going to be worth it... I wonder if we dont get 800 or 900 yards out of Ty Johnson or Davis instead of 1000.... Johnson has made significant big plays in the receiving game... I honestly want to retain that.... I recognize he is a star... I believe his shelf life is limited (looking at Dalvin) ... I guess I come up with a number that works for me... like say 10mm... and if I cant get that done... asta... I dont see his resigning as absolutely critical to our continued success at expense of some other area's I believe ARE critical for us to shore up... I am sure there will be agreement and disagreement here... but this is kinda wher I sit right now... that said, I love opinions... and other insight... I am not claiming to be a Free Agent savant... just how I see in right now...

Sorry, go ahead and draft DL... heck sign a FA DL... but please for the love of god go get a proven commodity that will wreck games ... this is not a down the road thing... this is a now thing.. Beane has been less than stellar in the above... sometimes a man has to know his limitations... he is just not good at it... get someone else in to help, fine awesome!... but from my perspective we are really close now... lets just get this done...

Honestly, that is something I am thinking too... once he retires he really doesnt have a lot of star power to offer her brand... unless maybe he goes the way of Brady etc... and starts broadcasting and stays relevant in that regard... who knows... but it may keep him around longer for fear of that happening... he is trying to get into acting as well... lol...

Anyone remember JD Williams? Phil Dokes, Walt Patulski, Matt Kofler, Booker Moore? For my money ... Peter man, Flowers, Mike Williams... Watson etc... Aaron Maybin was completely useless and made up for it by being am arrogant little Bee atch

This is just sad... the whole thing.. if he did what they said dude is scum.

I am not ready to bail.. but I am not gonna lie... my antenna went up when his brother started telling him to get the bag... reminicent of Trayvon and Stefon.. now this and I am starting to hear the beep beep beep... maybe nothing... but I am not gonna get shocked if he turns into an issue... and If I aint gonna let Diggs be an issue I sure as heck aint gonna let an RB unless his name is Henry or Barkley... and maybe not even then...

the game I think is that the cap will go up every year... almost like borrowing money with low interest and pushing it out hoping you make more money with the money that is paid out over time... in the end there will be big dead cap money owed when those players leave etc...

Time for the bet taking on where he ends up for the next several months LOL... just when we thought this drama was over...

Thats my inclination too... but there is a new regime over there and I think it depends on how they see Lawrence... from the Steelers standpoint kicking those tires on a QB that has a lot of potential but has been less than successful recently and a new regime coming in... thats where I am starting If I were them... but in the end no I dont see that happening... especially in a year with no top level QBs "really" in theory... interesting tid bit though...

Couldnt agree more... I am happy to offer up opinion and experience... I am equally as happy to learn from others viewpoints.. I really havent found myself in a situation that was not a solid discussion or variance of opinion... except maybe once since I have been here... I have come to appreciate the cumulative knowledge of the board... probably like most of you when with friends I am the most vocal in the room and rarely challenged in my opinion... then you come here and see some really smart people either validate, shed new light, or completely see things differently... I for one like it all.. and appreciate all of you... great post as always @Shaw66