Rocky Landing

It's going to be interesting to see almost the exact same personnel as last year being used in very different ways. It should be very exciting to watch. But, I remain concerned about our secondary, and I question the decision to move Corey Graham to S, and starting Darby at CB.

Are we going to put Simms on PS? Glad to see Dez Lewis on PS. Looked markedly better in preseason week 4 from the previous weeks.

If they cut Hogan, I hope we start seeing Easley on offense. He certainly seemed to be a favorite target for Tyrod in week three.

So... only two QBs? Do we sign Simms to the PS, assuming he clears waivers?

Is it me, or have the Pats* taken two steps back for every step forward this season? And, of course, the national media conifers their place atop the AFCE as a foregone conclusion. Can Brady* really shoulder the entire team?

I think this is true. Cassel performed essentially exactly as advertised, and EJ beat him.

Boom. If anyone on here wants to know what else might happen, just ask me, and understand that whatever I say will be the exact opposite of what actually happens. You're welcome.

Most of the national sports media seems to forget him, also. In several articles in the last couple months, pundits would speculate about which WRs were on the bubble, who was a lock, and who was fighting for a spot, and not even mention Thigpen. From what we have seen in preseason games, it's easy to imagine that, barring a trade offer, both Thigpen, and Easley might be above Hogan, and Goodwin on the depth chart.

IMO, Hogan, Goodwin, Thigpen, and Easley, all have trade value. They might all be on the block, depending on what the offer is.

If we win week two, I will have been fine with this development. If we lose, it's total B.S.

Or, they could just go back to their offices, and lick their wounds. If they walk away from it, and don't appeal, it gives the issues of how the league may discipline its players even more priority when the CBA comes up for renegotiation. They might feel that idea that a player could cheat, and not be disciplined-- as has happened in this case-- puts them in a decent bargaining position. There was clearly a preponderance of evidence.

So... is everyone allowed to cheat? Or, just Brady*?

I feel ya, kid... I feel ya,,,

Naw, I'm saying WIN it. As in, tomorrow night, he shows the FO, and coaching staff that his upside (and I suppose that includes cost) outweighs Cassel's upside. Simms' upside: Good arm. Reasonably accurate. Reasonably mobile. Possible high ceiling(ish?) Famous father. Dirt cheap. Cassel's upside: Veteran presence. Consistent (-ly mediocre). Game manager. A couple good seasons under his belt. Reliably won't f*** up too bad. Probably won't slip on a rubber mat. Simms' downside: Still hasn't reached puberty. Untested against all but the scrubbiest of scrubs. Despite completing 5/5 for 65 yards and a TD in week three, all the pundits say he sucks. Cassel's downside: Uninspiring. Pretty goddamned easy to game plan against. Makes Kyle Orton look like a ballerina. And one more thing: Simms is Rex's guy, and Rex likes him. And, Rex hates to be wrong. It could happen.

Does anyone think Simms has a decent chance to win the third sting backup position tomorrow night? I do.

I think you may have interpreted my post as a bash on EJ. It wasn't-- quite the opposite. I believe he has earned the #2 spot ahead of Cassel. And, Taylor has had a lot more time against first string D, and with first string O-line than EJ-- including against the Steelers. He kinda got the shaft in that respect. And, I don't think the scrimmage carries as much weight. My point is that that makes it harder to evaluate EJ. That is all.

I think there are two basic types of football fans: the emotional, and the analytic. Emotional fans root for the team. They dig character, they paint their faces on Sunday, and they scream, and get drunk. They feel deep pride when their team wins, and cry into their beers when they lose. Their enjoyment of the game originates in the thrill. The analytic fan follows numbers, and formations. They look at stats, and rewind plays on their DVRs several times in a row to analyze how different players fit into the play. Their enjoyment of the game originates in fascination. Personally, I ascribe to both motivations, and I don't think they're mutually exclusive-- in fact, I think every fan derives pleasure from some combination of the two. But, I also think that for many people on both sides of the spectrum, the enjoyment of the game is rooted in the very fact that football has no real consequence to the grim realities of daily life. This is why it is the greatest spectator sport of all time: It is endlessly deep, both emotionally, and analytically, without any real consequence. The perfect escape. I hope you were at least wearing a jersey. Something from one of our cornerbacks would be appropriate foe apple picking, I would think...

I think that may be a bit of an overstatement. But, oh yeah, that guy! Seems to me he had a terrible game vs Carolina, a good one vs Cleveland, and another terrible one vs Pitts. But, he looked like he could be great in the future. Kept with his man step for step. But, I sure don't want him starting. And at this point, IF McKelvin is back for the opener, can we expect much out of him? So... why did we move Graham to safety??? Aren't we pretty damn deep at safety in the first place? Wasn't Graham really good at CB last season? Am I the only one who thinks he should be back at CB?

I love the idea of this thread. Here's one: Is it me, or has our first unit D looked lazy in the preseason? And, our second unit D looked really good?

Felton has been watching Aaron Rodgers twice a year...

If Tyrod doesn't turn into a franchise QB, those late round picks could end up being quite valuable if we want to trade up for Cook, or Goff.

As much as Tyrod has earned the starting position (and he did), I think EJ has earned the #2. However, I don't think his performance in the preseason games was as good as many have hyped them up to be. EJ's TD pass to Palmer in the end zone vs. Pitts, for example, while being a very nice throw, was against a defender who blew the play so badly he might as well have not been there. The defender (a safety, I think?) was so lost on the play-- he had no play on the ball, or on Palmer-- he looked absolutely confused. The Pitts D is terrible this season. Their #2 D is really, really terrible. The other side of that coin is that as EJ has played much of the preseason (including that Palmer TD) with our second string O-line, and skill positions, which makes it a little difficult to evaluate how well he was reading the field. Be that as it may, I have far more faith in EJ's abilities than at any other time, and I think that is a fairly common sentiment. I hope he gets some mop-up duty this season, and continues to develop while riding the pine. It certainly didn't do Tyrod any harm.

Thank you.

Anyone who sticks chicken wings n his socks is OK by me.

It's going to be heartbreaking to see Fred in a different jersey. But, I very much hope he lasts the entire season so that he can finally get to a playoff game. Good for him if this is true.