Rocky Landing

I was just interested in the story line. I'm not aware of another time that an OT transitioned to TE-- kind of intriguing, and I respect the risk to his career to make the change. He had to drop some weight, and I assume he's put a lot of work into chasing the dream. So, we know he can block, he'd probably be pretty hard to tackle, and if his hands were decent (the biggest ?, obviously-- I assume he's put a lot of offseason work into that part of his game) then it would have been an interesting experiment to watch. Especially if it did work out.

I was pretty excited to see the Jake Fisher experiment play out. I liked the idea of it.

In July of 1973, I posted on the internet that OJ Simpson would run for over 2,000 yards that season. I was only nine years old, and Al Gore was still in college. How impressive is that?

So, they have a Moral Quindarius. That's weird.

Well, if there's any other sport that would translate to being a football RB, it's rugby. And, in all honesty, transitioning from professional rugby to the NFL is maybe not so much greater a leap than transitioning from college football to the NFL.

Thanks for a great response.

I think if you default to such belittling comments at what appeared to be an honest question from someone who was asking your opinion, you'll likely get fewer people interested in your opinions.

Interesting. I guess I'd have to follow basketball to catch that reference. It's a little esoteric, and places an obscure context on the comparison. I think when most people think of LeBron James, they think of one of the current elite players in the league, and one of the all-time greats. That's a helluva stretch when talking about Sills.

Pretty obnoxious response to an honest question. Maybe you need to put a little cream in your coffee?

Someone help me out here: There seems to be so much hype surrounding Sills, and I can't figure out why. One article I read called him "the most interesting prospect of minicamp..." Really??? More interesting than Duke Williams? Or Christian Wade, for that matter? Another article called him "the LeBron James of football." What am I missing? I have seen exactly two clips from minicamp that show him moving. He's 6'3". He was a QB in high school. He was scouted at a weirdly young age, but that fell through anyway. And, there are plenty of players we've had that played QB at some point in their academic careers. Why the hype? It reminds me of the hype surrounding Foster this time last year, but Foster has elite speed. Does Sills? Is there any part of Sills game that one might call "elite?" Why would he be compared to LeBron, and why has the media fallen in love with this guy?

Danny Shelton is on that list.

Have you seen him play rugby?

I started looking at his game tape. He has exceptional acceleration, and strength, and cuts on a dime. I think a lot of people have ignored him because of the odd circumstances that brought him into the NFL. It's more or less a marketing ploy, after all. But, the guy is exciting as hell to watch. Huge upper body strength, and mad skills. If he can make the transition from pro rugby to NFL (and why not?), then he will be one to watch. It will be hard for any of the other the RBs to break into the triad of Shady/Gore/Singletary. But, if one of them falls out, for whatever reason, keep an eye on Wade. He's the real deal.

I ordered my bold predictions to get bolder as they went down. So, #4 is more wishful thinking than actual prediction. But, I kinda love the story, and the experiment. We know the guy is going to be good at blocking. He's spent his career stopping people, so it's an interesting perspective for him to know how not to be stopped. But here's where I'm really intrigued: he's essentially derailed his career to chase a dream, and he's clearly worked hard at it. He's dropped a bunch of weight, and done all he can to get his body right for the position. I have to believe he's been working on his receiving skills. You say, "you don't even want him on the field in passing situations," but what if he can actually catch the ball? It's really an assumption that everyone is making that it will be his bane, but clearly, he is putting in the work. Is it outside the realm of possibility that he succeeds, and becomes a true TE? Also, regarding your comment on Yeldon: Since watching the limited coverage of the rookie mini-camp, I feel like adding a #5 bold prediction: 5. If I'm right, and Gore is not on the team come September, Christian Wade will become the #3RB. The more I watch of this guy, the more I am impressed. He cuts as well as anyone out there, but he is so strong! I think that in professional rugby you need a lot more upper body strength than you need as an NFL running back. But watching this guy's highlights (which obviously offer limited insights) he has such great acceleration, and looks like he can be a downhill runner who can also cut on a dime. Obviously, there are limitations transitioning from European Rugby to the NFL. But, I feel like this guy might have it. Shady, Singletary, Wade could be a helluva cool RB roster.

"... A group that dramatically underperformed" is an odd choice of words for a "group" that has never played together. Chances are that there will be one starting O-lineman (Dawkins) from last season, and he is by no means a lock for a starting role.

Mr WEO, and Doc have been beating it into ground horse meat.

I feel like it's a stretch to say that we haven't upgraded our O-line in terms of pass and run protection.

Link? Let me tell ya, having a misdemeanor on your record is a lot more trouble than one might think. I narrowly avoided one some years back, only because a good friend of mine is a lawyer, and handled it for me. But, had I been nailed, I would be kicked off my son's Cub Scout pack as a Scout Leader. I would be barred from entering Canada. Many of my freelance jobs would be at risk. Depending on who you are, a misdemeanor record can be a serious pain in the ass. Even if a decent lawyer cost $2,500 (half the fine), or was even free (not that I would trust a free lawyer!), I don't think I would take the risk.

I think a fourth QB/camp arm is almost a given, considering Tyree's inexperience. If they're smart (not a given, considering their management of the QB position, last season) the camp arm will be a seasoned vet. And, I believe that Barkley is on the roster as a competent backup-- a role he proved himself in last season. But, whether the seasoned vet, or Tyree Jackson makes the roster will depend upon McBeane's (trolling Kirby Jackson!) perception of a vet presence's value weighed against Allen's development vs. the value of a third string prospect with possible future upside. I suspect they will place more value on the latter. (Assuming they even carry a third QB.)

Interesting to hear about the nearby county. I believe I skimmed an article (in Rolling Stone, maybe?) that had words about there being spurious warrants in FLA regarding prostitution. It's hard for me to make assumptions about police misconduct based on the statements made by the lawyers of billionaires. But, I believe that Rolling Stone has a pretty goos record regarding investigative journalism. I'm on the fence regarding Kraft-- at least, as it applies to this thread. That being said, as someone who is squarely middle class (albeit, in Los Angeles, where the cost of living is quite high), a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service, and a bogus class would strike me as cheaper than a competent lawyer (which might not pan out), or the problems that come with a criminal conviction.

His rugby highlights sure are fun:

As I understand it, the surveillance warrant was based on a reasonable suspicion of human trafficking. As far as I know, the only people disputing that are Kraft's lawyers.

Man, there are so many of these guys I want to see succeed. It's hard not to follow these guys and be a complete homer. But, this interview with Duke Williams especially. It's the first one I've seen that didn't look like he had just read the playbook for "How to Answer Media Questions." His is a pretty compelling story. One drunken night in an Auburn bar completely changed the upward trajectory of his life. I really hope he gets his moment.

I always feel like lasers are going to shoot out of McD's eyes.

Not me. I might change mine when we win our first playoff game.