Nephilim17

Harty fights Bills alum and intellectual midget McKenzie in the produce section.

Could individual refs be bought for a game? It's possible. But no way the league itself as an institution sets up or sanctions rigged outcomes. Too much money at stake to risk it with the news of rigged games. If the league wants certain outcomes, it will change the rules to favor those outcomes across the board. The "wrong" team winning a big game once in a while doesn't reduce the overall popularity of the league. But make no mistake: the league changes rules to favor a certain style of play that will be more profitable as it is more appealing to the casual fans and masses, even if purists don't like it.

Will our MLB show Pro Bowl play this year? No. Will it be a huge factor? I doubt it. How many teams do we play where we're nervous because they have a tall and fast middle linebacker who isn't a great tackler? Let's revisit this in few months but it's not the lynchpin of this defense.

That said, there have been countless stories of immature and financially dumb-ass young athletes (boxers, ball players, etc.) who made over a hundred million and lost most or all of it... But maybe Pegula's entourage is a little more restrained...

Pegula almost tripled his investment and made about 2.7 billion in just a handful of years. Smart man.

Trading a low 4th rounder to get an elite pass catcher who could be a perennial pro bowler is not bad business. I think Kincaid will be a 1,000-yard player next season. All account from camp reinforce the idea that this can runs great routes and has amazing and consistent hands. You'll see within a couple months how much his presence improves Josh and the offense.

I think the $12 million or more he might command would be far better spent on the O-line or maybe D-line. As it's been said: draft a number 2 receiver with traits and keep him cost controlled for at least four years. Draft the right guy, and he could replace Diggs after two years. People talk about spending like there's no cap. There is and we're tight against it with holes on both lines. Not the time to spend money on an inconsistent WR.

What about his actual prison sentence (which we know he'll serve the short end of) AND like 20 years of community service? That would give a drunk driver a) a second chance at life but b) ensure he remembers for a long, long time that his actions were horribly wrong c) he will give back to the community for many years as he's taken away from the community and d) serve as a deterrent. I know 3 years in prison won't deter most people but maybe 20 years of community service — like something substantial, maybe 10 hours a week for the first five years out of prison but maybe 5 hours a week for the remaining 15 years. And real community service, like helping people in society who are truly in need. Don't do the work, go back to jail. Just rough numbers and a crazy thought.

Not a big deal. I'd be surprised if teams didn't already do this as part of their due diligence and it was part of the contractual fine print. If teams can say "we don't want you sledding or skiing" they can surely ask, "are you aware of any pending litigation against you..." Just smart business.

Yeah, you're right. However this bodes well: "Brown tweeted, “New #Bills WR Trent Sherfield was the highest graded blocking receiver by @PFF last year. He also played about half the Dolphins special teams snaps. Think Jake Kumerow but with maybe a bit more potential as a pass catcher.” Regardless of weight, he's physical.

Sherfield is a big body at 220-plus pounds but seems to have better than average speed and reports (I haven't watched him play in games) of good hands. Clips like this inspire hope but even mediocre players make great grabs in camp once in a while. I'd be very happy if the camp reports aren't another summer illusion but point to what we can expect in the regular season. I think with Diggs, Kincaid, Knox, and Davis, there's not a lot of pressure on Sherfield but I'm hoping he turns into a pleasant surprise as maybe WR 3 (not including Kincaid who is said to be a bigger slot WR than TE).

Does we only play this package with a third and long? In today's NFL, I may rather take my chances that a running back "gashes" us for 8 yards on a second and 10 once in a while if that means an elite QB didn't throw it for 12 — or 20 yards. And I think this package can help neutralize dangerous tight ends. Yes, if this means the other team is averaging 6.5 yards a run it may not be worth it on early downs but I'm not sure that will happen with Rapp there to help the run. So when it comes to picking a poison, I'd rather guard against a big pass play more often. I hope McDermott does have the guts to try this Big Dime, and more often than we might suspect.

Does anyone who really watched Edmunds see that he made a substantial difference against QBs like Burrow and Mahomes, meaning did he really take away the middle of the field or limit throws in the middle. I could be wrong but I don't recall Cinci and the Chiefs having to rely on the short outside.

Hearing differing things about MLB... Good reports about Dodson and Bernard but then one says Spector tracks runners or TEs (can't remember) better than anyone except Milano. I thought Spector was out of the running. Just based on reports, sounds like Dodson's job to lose.

Thinking the over/under for Harty's yards this year is 50 is foolish — unless he gets hurt again and misses the season. And that's possible. In 2021 he had 59 targets for 570 yards. He was injured last season and had only 2 targets. I don't expect him to be WR 3 but he may be a capable 4 or 5. Reports from camp suggest he has more speed than McKenzie. And I hope more brains. If he can stay healthy for 3/4 of the year I bet he outperforms McKenzie's 2022 production. If someone here wants to put $50 down on that, I'll e-transfer money to a mod here for that bet. And I'll certainly take any bet on up to $100 for the 50 yards total (I'm taking over).

I'd be more concerned if the team expected Harty to handle a 80% of the slot snaps. Kincaid should eat up the lion's share and Harty and Sherfield can take the rest. If and when Harty gets Hurt we have Kincaid, Sherfield and then Shakir. Shakir should be pretty low on the depth chart here so no fears about him having to handle a significant load ever this year.

Do I expect Pro Bowl play at MLB this year? No, not in the least. Even with average MLB play, I feel we'll have enough pass rush and great play in the secondary to be a strong defense. Perhaps the cynics will say the MLB play will be far below average and a huge liability. In a run-first league, I'd be more stressed. Not too many teams have great play at every position. I'm not too worried. This defense has a lot of great players throughout it. Plays will be made and we'll get a lot of stops.

It's not impossible for a guy Bernard's size to be a good MLB — but he has to make up for the lack of size in other ways. Is that happening yet? Not yet in the reports I've seen. Maybe it will come...

Tough, but better now than in September. And better an arm injury than leg.

That's an excellent question! If only there were a 24-second video that not only explained last year what happened but showed it. 🤔

I'm not more knowledgeable but here's a simple explanation from NFL.com: "To qualify for compensatory picks, teams must end up with more or better qualifying free agents lost than gained in a particular year. Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks between Rounds 3 and 7 based on a league formula that takes into account a player's average salary per year (APY), snap count and postseason awards. While there is an expected level of compensation for a player based on the amount he has signed for, his playing time (or lack thereof) in the upcoming season could alter the expectation." Davis doesn't have a high salary but he should have a high snap count. I choose to believe if he gets a $10 million to $12 million per year contract from another team that we'll get a third for him. But I want to believe in the power of positive thinking.

Interesting take. I never would have went there. If you're right, that shows that McDermott will sacrifice considerable athleticism in that position for instincts. I assumed they want an MLB with some quickness and ability to neutralize the pass game. I don't think Klein is that player in today's game. But Klein could get it. If so, I doubt it lasts more than this year, but who knows.

As far as I know he's not part of the selection process, but Astro in his latest camp notes said Bernard looks too small to be an MLB. Now, this is early in camp and I think Astro may be a of a different vintage than some fans (and coaches) so as much as I appreciate his write-ups, I hope he's wrong about that. Spector is 6' 233 lb. so he ain't no old-school thumper either. I'd like to Williams mature this year and get a shot at the spot in 2024.

Some nice stuff. My highlights (4 positives and 1 negative): "Quarterbacks are practicing a one-step drop and a quick pass to the tight ends on deep slants. Very cool. Like every other practice we’ve been to, the emphasis is on RAC (run after the catch). I’m told that the Chiefs ran up 2,000 more yards for Mahomes mainly due to RAC. Our WRs would just catch it and prepare to get tackled. See Beasley. Josh’s Easy Button gets the call. It’s James Cook for a nice gain. He looks bigger and faster, and just as smooth. Bernard is too small for middle linebacker. Deonte Harty is going to stretch the field width-wise as well as lengthwise. When he goes toward the sidelines, he’s opening up massive real estate for the TEs and RBs."

Sounds like Dorsey has invested less time into his table-clearing practice and more into creative play-calling hours this off-season.