GunnerBill

Crikey. Williams already a mess.

I hate it. It's such a gimmicky solution.

Annual disclaimer: what I say in the GDT should not always be taken as a considered opition. This is one time a week when I am not an adult. That said...... let's goooooooo Bufffffffaaaaaalooooooooo!!

They can't elevate Clapp every week. But I understand it week 1.

Ah you are right. Apols. I'd taken that one for granted. 3/5.

7 sacks doesn't justify his contract. If he gets 10 fair enough.

4/5. Morris and Johnson both up. Olofoshio is the extra sit.

He'd have got that in free agency and unless something goes very wrong no way the Cowboys suck enough to be in position to draft a guy top 5. The market is the market. It sucks but it is what it is.

Well you know that is where I was in the spring....

Yea the decision to elevate a 5th end says to me that is correct.

So they are allowed 48 actives from among the 53 plus Cline and Clapp as elevations. That means seven inactives. Solomon and Smoot already declared as two of them. They still have four healthy ends on the active roster - Groot, AJE, Von, Toohill - but the decision to elevate Cline suggests they feel like they need one more (maybe Von remains on a pitch count?) so I expect all five to be active. My guess is on the OL the rookies Grable and Van Pran-Granger are inactives and they have elevated Clapp to at least have one true vet on the bench week 1 alongside Van Demark and Anderson. Then Andreessen is an easy inactive decision because Morrow, Spector and Ulofoshio are all better teams players. The other two spots are interesting. It will be one safety. But with Hamlin starting alongside Rapp and Cam Lewis definitely up for special teams prowess that means either Edwards or Bishop and my sense is they'd lean towards the vet being up. The final spot comes down to a 3rd tight end or a 3rd running back IMO. I lean towards Morris up and Ty Johnson inactive but could see it flipped.

Here or X While we are on the subject the only guys declared out are the two edges, right? Solomon and Smoot? Interesting they have brought Cline up ahead of Jonathan.

Yea Grable was part of why I'd have waited. I know, I know, pre-season pledge and he didn't play against any starters but I can't remember the last time I saw an OT dominate like that as a rookie, let alone a rookie 6th rounder. Impressive. So to me once he was here the sum was never let Brown walk and have a hole. It was potentially let Brown walk and a pay a 6th round rookie deal salary to your starting right tackle for 2/3 years. They have paid Dion as well with his new deal so the issue is even if Grable continues to be impressive how do you get him on the field? I think there is a good chance by this time next year with even a little seasoning he is one of the Bills best 5. I know it is an old chestnut that people love to debate but Dion going into his age 31 season in 2025... maybe you can tell him "okay buddy we are gonna release the shackles a bit on your weight now and let you play out your final years at guard but the deal is you gotta pour all your experience into the ears of the young kid starting at left tackle." I know a lot of long time left tackles might not want to do that for ego but I'm not sure Dion is like that. He is a team first guy and I think he must know getting to the weight to play left tackle is only gonna get harder as he ages.

Josh still only needs 29 this year to pass Mahomes even if you take out the rookie years. He had 29 passing TDs alone last year - his lowest since breaking out - but had 15 rushing TDs. His total TDs since his breakout 3rd season are: 45, 42, 42, 44. If Allen stays healthy 29 is a walk in the park.

Peterson is darn average. He will never win another Superbowl. That was a lightening in a bottle season.

It was still 34-29 with a missed FG and failed 2 pointer. So I am not sure you can say defenses have caught up. I just think there is still some week 1 sloppiness in some of the play.

Yes. Ed was a stud even before the sack numbers. When you are winning pass rush reps and getting pressures at the rate he was in 2021 and 2022 and the sacks are just a matter of time. He got the numbers in 2023 and so he got his flowers but he has been consistently excellent for 3 seasons.

Not from me. I think the Ed Oliver extension was a slam dunk. This is more of a 50/50 one for me (though let's see the figures before I take a final view). I see a route for this to be a successful move. But it isn't a given.

Wide Receiver or Defensive End. I think it is one of those two.

That's a flawed comparison. Stanley is down there because he has been hurt. If he had stayed healthy the past couple of seasons he'd have signed another big deal by now. Looking at the list does Tunsil (#2) over Cam Robinson (#10), Grant Bolles (#11) or Jonah Williams (#13) have a meaningful impact on your Superbowl chances? Yes. Yes it does. You are just talking a totally different tier of player at one of the most important positions on the field. Is that worth the extra c.$8m AAV that the difference between those tiers is? I 100% believe it is. Now I don't think Spencer Brown has yet proved he is anything close to an elite Right Tackle (and I agree paying right tackles is a less impactful decision in the first place unless your QB is a lefty). Even if he recreates his 2023 season in 2024 he is still the equivalent of the Bolles / Robinson tier for right siders. I still don't see numbers anywhere even semi reputable yet for this contract but if they are top of market as you claimed earlier then for the deal to work out Brown has to keep ascending.

If he has another good year, yes, he would. If he regresses to 2021/2022 form then I don't think so. As I said it's a gamble. It might work out for them. Let's hope it does.

The rarely seen "Saturday Morning Reflections" from Gunner.... 1. The field. Not blaming it for the Love injury at the end obviously but the field was awful players were slipping all night. Seriously field quality is becoming the biggest risk to the International Series. The NFL and its international partners have to do a better job. 2. Flags. Okay it was week 1 and there was some sloppy play (you basically could have called a false start on the Eagles oline every freaking snap) but when you having 17 penalties in a football game it affects the flow, it affects the product and if you had a game with two less dynamic offenses it would have been basically unwatchable as a result. And I benefitted watching the condensed game so didn't have all the ref huddling up pointing delays that you guys watching live will have had. 3. I felt like it was a bit of a barometer game for an argument that has raged here and elsewhere this offseason. Is it better on offense to have a diverse group of guys or is it better to have GUYS. Green Bay's young receivers were fine... but Philadelphia's offense turned it over 3 times (1 for GB) and still found a way because they have Barkley, Smith and Brown. All the damage was done by those three. Green Bay knew where the ball was going. They just couldn't stop them. Elite talent wins in this league. 4. Delighted for Zach Baun. I was high on him coming out of Wisconsin but the first four years of his career have been a bit of a wash, wasted as he was miscast as a rotational edge rusher in New Orleans. As an inside backer in Vic Fangio's scheme he was the best defensive player on the field. That is a sneaky good pickup by the Eagles. 5. Life without Jason Kelce is going to be a little tougher for Philly as the season goes along. I know they have been trying to develop Cam Juergens for this moment but last night was a rough start. He had some snap issues, was struggling for timing with the rest of the line and wasn't getting the push on those patented sneak plays that they are used to. Lots to work on.

I haven't seen the numbers.

Hmm. I'd have favoured letting him play it out personally. He had a good year last year and it is conceivable he is not yet at his ceiling given his physical potential and the relatively low level of college football he played at (so not exposed to top coaching etc). But he has had one good season, a history of back issues (which at his height is a concern), a shoulder surgery AND their 6th round rookie tackle looked really good in pre-season giving you at least a legitimate contender for the job if Brown ends up walking next year. The Bills could end up looking smart here if he keeps ascending. But they could look like dummies too. Hopefully Spencer proves them right.

Ah yes the "if you take away his elite asset he is below average" game. When you evaluate Lamar Jackson the Quarterback you have to evaluate all of Lamar Jackson the Quarterback. Not just what he does as a passer. His entire game. He is not Allen or Mahomes but he is unique and brilliant in his own way.